letters

School marms were never like that

For once, I agree with many aspects of your PIM Opinion in the April, 1985, edition.

I heartily disagree with your use of “school marm” when discussing US interests in the Pacific region. For one the US is unlike any school teacher (female) I ever encountered except perhaps a male version I had as a newcomer to a Queensland city school many years ago. This man was even tually jailed for severe physical mistreatment of students one in particular he caned (pleasur ably) so much that the seven year-old boy almost died. The analogy between this sadist and the manner of “reprimanding”

Pacific nations (e.g. the “coax ing” of the Palau Republic to drop its anti-nuclear stance, and a blatant self-righteous accept

ance of US tuna fishing boats “bullying” Pacific nations to accept their poaching of fishing reserves) which the US Gov ernment believes is the only way to handle “wayward” small nations is certainly not too strong.

As you mention in your Opinion, there are many from the moral majority who believe that David Lange’s “strutting” is the only way to bring the US into line with smaller nations’ feelings on life sustaining issues. He has been mentioned as a candidiate for a Nobel Peace Prize, and, in my opinion, he is one of the few who really deserves one.

Diana Rickard

Murdoch WA Australia