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]