MICHAEL AHERN,
Madam, - I respectfully suggest to those who feel so aggrieved by the media's treatment of Tim Allen that they miss the point. It is the fact that the actions of Tim Allen and others like him fund the abuse (or worse) of innocent children that has provoked such a fury. Without such paying customers the exploitation of children in these circumstances would be pointless. - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL AHERN,
Weston Meadow,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.
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Madam, - Dr Orla Halpenny (January 22nd) objects to the media attention directed towards Tim Allen's family, in particular a photograph and caption naming each of the family members who accompanied him to court.
Could it not be argued that, by accompanying Tim Allen to court (and thus benefiting from the "united family front" public relations image that it was presumably their intention to convey), the family put themselves into the "media glare". Therefore the media attention can hardly be regarded as "unjust" and "unreasonable". - Yours, etc.,
AOIFE NOLAN,
Via dei Pilastri,
Florence,
Italy.
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Madam, - In the light of the recent public furore over lenient sentencing in the courts, I was reminded of a certain character in Plato's dialogue Protagoras who announced that it was "hard to be good". Socrates agreed that it was indeed difficult. But, even when goodness was achieved it was, nonetheless, only temporary. For "to remain in a good state and be good is not possible, and is not granted to man".
Plato wishes to make the point that goodness as a permanent quality belongs properly only to God. "But, man cannot help being bad when the force of circumstances overpowers him". The most the good man can aspire to is to be intermittently good - sometimes good, and sometimes bad.
Perhaps those of us who are too prompt to say courtroom decisions are too lenient would benefit from a reflective reading of Plato's dialogues. We might acquire a more minimalist and realistic expectation of what human nature can aspire to, and is capable of. - Yours, etc.,
THOMAS P. WALSH,
Faussagh Road,
Cabra,
Dublin 7.
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Madam, - It should be pointed out to the senior Ballymaloe staff whose letter was published in your edition of January 22nd that it was not "the media" who chose to bring the Allen family and a public relations consultant to the court proceedings.
Their self-serving letter was cold comfort to those who suffer at the hands of child pornography.Adding the half-pence to the pence and prayer to shivering prayer shouldn't be allowed to get in the way of the facts or human misery. - Yours, etc.,
JUDITH GOLDBERGER,
Redwood City,
California.