We have all got to know that James A. Tyrell (TMID, 5 August)

has appointed himself as a foreign correspondent on behalf of

everyone and everything that is anti-government of the day. The

opportunity to read Mr Tyrell’s tirades comes via letters to the editors

and various blogs. Since his writings are fairly recent, I cannot

ascertain whether his negative comments would have been

also made had a government of a different political party been in

power for the last ten years.

I too am writing from abroad and typically I have opposing views

as those of Mr Tyrell. This is mostly because I care to research a

bit before I write.

In his latest criticism about the exploitation of children, using

them for election campaign purposes, etc., and the demise of the

trees they planted, he should know that between 15 and 30 per

cent of saplings do die since the transplantation process puts a

lot of stress on the plants. Others appear to be dead after the initial

months of their planting, only to revive after sufficient natural

moisture saturates the ground.

How worse would the little children (and their parents) have

been exploited if they were required to carry little watering cans

to tend to the trees during the dry periods of summer?

Would Mr Tyrell have complained in writing from the lush, wet

and humid weather of his Ireland?

JOE MARTINELLI

London, Ontario

Canada