Words that we’re all thinking.
The New York Times have come in for intense criticism recently following their controversial article on the tragic events in Berkeley this week.
The publication have already issued an apology but certain people, like TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, still feel that it’s insufficient.
The Ambassador to the US has already written to the NY Times expressing the nations feelings that the article was insensitive, poorly judged and misinformed but their latest publication has published two articulate, powerful and moving letters from Irish citizens that also took umbrage with the piece.
Colum Kenny has earned a very strong reputation as a journalist, broadcaster and lecturer in DCU and his letter perfectly sums up the feelings of any Irish person that read the original piece.
To the Editor:
The second paragraph of your article is a slur on the six students who died in an accident in California. The number of complaints about Irish students on J-1 visas has been minimal, and this was not the place to raise them, no matter if a small number of those complaints were legitimate. Thousands of American landlords seem happy to rent to visiting Irish despite the occasional incident.
I teach, among others, visiting American students in Ireland, and was in South Florida recently during spring break and saw some American students in action there. I could perhaps also make similar sweeping comments about some American students in Ireland, but as an experienced journalist, I would not wish to do so if writing about the deaths of particular students whom I did not know.
What has your prominent generalization to do with a possible building defect that led to avoidable deaths? Are you blaming the students for maybe dancing on a balcony? Even if the dead students were being “raucous” (which is not an established fact), why would you want to launch straight into this kind of thing in an article about their deaths?
When I was a student in Dublin in the 1970s, I took part in one of the earliest J-1 programs, working in New Hampshire. While there, I formed a high opinion of The New York Times. Your article lowers that opinion.
COLUM KENNY
Dublin
Mr Kenny wasn’t the only Irish citizen that saw their words printed in the New York Times though as Dubliner Jacqueline Doherty was also given a platform to have her opinions heard.
To the Editor:
Re “Six Deaths in Berkeley Cast Pall on Program” (news article, June 17):
I found your article about the tragic deaths of Irish university students distasteful, insulting and generally blaming the young students, who were celebrating a 21st birthday, instead of the obvious problem of a faulty balcony.
A balcony should hold the weight of as many people as can fit on it. I imagine the apartments are normally rented to Berkeley students. Don’t Berkeley students have spring break?
To connect the J-1 visa and the trashing of apartments by students previously is ridiculous and pointless.
Yes, Irish students in general probably have a “work hard, play hard” attitude, and why not? They are young; should they not be enjoying life?
I worked in California over a summer many years ago, which instilled in me a love of the United States. As a teacher now, I try to get away each year, sometimes doing voluntary work and often to the United States.
For a small island with a small population, Irish people are well known around the world. Yes, we work hard and we play hard. This tragic event only emphasizes that life can be hard, cruel and sometimes short.
If we raise our young people to work hard and take their responsibilities seriously but also to enjoy life to the fullest, then we have attained our goal.
JACQUELINE DOHERTY
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