Column inches detracting value

While i agree with most of Lino Spiteri's well-reasoned discussion in his 'Wide Angle' column (The Sunday Times, August 6), there is a more serious issue than the need for "standards of civilised discourse" as Michael Zammit Cutajar had politely requested of The Times in regard to its letters pages.

I too was appalled at your sister paper publishing on July 31 the UK-originated letter that was blatantly racist. That was bad enough. Much worse was the allegation that illegal immigrants were "destroying the tourist industry".

Blaming the immigrants at this time for the woes of the tourist industry is at a par with the Nazis starting their hate campaign against the Jews in the Thirties. The simple reasons for declining tourist arrivals are the better value competition and Malta's self-inflicted deteriorated environment.

However - and this is the most serious issue - there are some and maybe more who would be very receptive to scapegoating the easiest targets. That is why I diverge from Mr Spiteri when he states that "everyone should have access to media space to air whatever views they may hold, within the limits of the law".

No, the law only defines the line not to be overstepped to stay out of jail. If that racist letter with "British" substituted for "Maltese" were printed in a British newspaper (highly unlikely), both writer and editor would risk prosecution. I have to assume that Malta's anti-discrimination laws have some way to go to catch up with Britain's when it comes to a letter in The Times (Malta) labelling all Africans "pimps", including Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu.

Why should anyone wishing to sow hate in Malta be allowed to do so over there where I have to assume the laws are less prescriptive than over here? That is why publishing criteria should be less about laws and all about truth, reason and objectivity, and The Times seriously lapsed in this instance.

On a lighter note, I am always amused by Maltese letter-writers stringing their alphabet soup of qualifications after their names. A case of mine is longer than yours? I think there was a record in last Sunday's letters pages with no fewer than 21 alpha characters (not counting brackets and punctuation).

May I respectfully suggest that The Sunday Times do as the unashamedly elitist London FT does, which only prints present or past appointments of guest contributors as these usually imply expertise relevant to their column? The Sunday Times adopting such a policy should certainly save your sub-editors and proofreaders much unproductive time.