We lawyers are lovable
From Nicolas Grofftnan Sir: I sympathise with Margaret Lenton (Litigation, litigation, litigation', 18 September), but I don't see why she blamed lawyers. We lawyers are a lovable hunch, just trying to do our jobs. Does she expect us to turn clients away? Blaming lawyers for the behaviour of litigious parents is like blaming soldiers for the war. And nearly all the problems she described don't even involve lawyers. She cites examples of obstreperous parents, and an independent review panel made up of old fools, but no villainous lawyers except one story of a solicitor questioning her. If I were her, I would complain about the regulations that allow the obsessive supervision of school activity. We are not over-lawyered, but we are over-legislated.
Nicolas Groffman
Beijing, China
We fight and you benefit
From WK Wray
Sir: I am heartily sick of the whining about President George W. Bush among your diarists. The latest is Graydon Carter (11 September) who is obsessed about the 'dangers' of the Bush administration and who tells us of his friend, the unnamed actress from Texas, who vibrates 'with hatred' for Bush. (Frankly, I don't believe that any woman who
grew up in Texas could be that silly and venomous, but I must take Mr Carter at his word that she is a genuine Texan.) Mr Carter, listen to your sensible daughter and stop being such a bore. You may not like Mr Bush, but count yourself lucky that Bush and others like him are in charge. They're not perfect but they're not demonic either. Get over your delicious paranoia and understand that we are at war, and in a war like this one the man you see as 'ignorant' and 'stubborn' is a far more effective leader than his predecessor or any of his decadent European counterparts.
The relentlessly anti-Bush message from Europe (and from those who wish they were European, like Mr Carter) is very tiresome and simply confirms our instincts that when the chips are down Europeans can't be counted on for anything but supercilious opportunism. (And you're not much better when the chips are up, by the way, although I acknowledge many honourable exceptions, like your excellent British military.) We simple-minded Americans are doing what's right — yet again — regardless of your ungracious and spiteful yammering; and you will all benefit — yet again — from our tenacity in defence of liberty and security. Meanwhile, please shut the hell up. We have a war to fight.
WK Wray
North Kingstown, Rhode Island, USA
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