This is with regards to the posting which states we ought not blame the
decision makers in the MD case for their actions. I disagree with this
stance. It is required of experts in positions of power to be QUALIFIED. If
they are not qualified for the position, they had better get qualified. If
they do not educate themselves and act responsibly they haven't any
business filling the post. Saying the officials should not be held
responsible for their actions is denying the implications that transpire
from such actions. For instance, a judge cannot rule justly if he or she is
not familiar with the laws of the land. A doctor cannot operate if he or
she is not familiar with the anatomy of the body. What logic is there in
concluding that the officials in MD should be any less responsible for
their actions than what is expected from the above professions? Truly, to
excuse the behaviour of these officials through the premise that they
should not be accountable for their actions `due to ignorance' is to rest
ones analysis of the situation on faulty towers which will render none of
us adequate shelter.
 
I thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Gloria Jouppien
(college diploma in Wildlife and Forestry; Honours B.A. in Law and
Political Science)
[Posted in FML issue 1096]