In the May 17 Readers' Voice, one of the letters said that it was not suitable to run a story on the front page about the Austrian man who locked his daughter in his cellar and raped her for 24 years. I disagree. While some may feel uncomfortable reading this kind of story, a newspaper should run articles that generate interest. Business and politics are not the only things that affect the world. Crime stories are also relevant and this particular one was very shocking.

Due to the growth of Zionism from the end of the 19th century onward, Israel was able to declare itself an independent state in 1949, but learning that the country still has a lot of problems arouses mixed feelings in me. As we all know, Japan recognizes Israel because it shares some of the same values, such as capitalism, as many developed nations.

I put great expectations on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and hope he can help improve the situation in his country. In the May 17 article "Israeli Arabs still outsiders after 60 years" one Arab said: "Coexistence can only happen when there are equal rghts." Based on his comment I can see his concern about his nation's future.

According to the National Geographic Society's survey published in the May 17 Weekly, people in developing countries have the greenest lifestyles. This is not surprising, considering that those people are poor compared to people from developed countries and therefore can't afford things that damage the environment such as cars and electrical appliances. This means that the more money is available in developing countries, the less green they are likely be. Isn't that a bit ironic? Does this mean that if we all behave like people in poor countries, we can help preserve our planet and its resources better?

The May 17 story "Film aims to reform criminal justice system" was very interesting. I know Japanese criminal justice investigators are very harsh and most in Japan are familiar with their tough attitude. But I think it is not as well known that the U.N. is concerned about human rights issues, particularly substitute prisons, in Japan.

At the recent TICAD conference in Japan, worldwide problems such as the recent crisis regarding food prices and poverty were discussed. The Japanese government decided to double its official development assistance to Africa and increase its financial assistance to the continent. But I think that we as individuals have to participate in this process and do all we can to help the continent. For example, to prevent the spread of HIV and tuberculosis in Africa there are probably very effective and easy methods that could be applied. Voluntary financial support from individuals could probably go a long way toward seeing simple medical treatments and check ups introduced throughout the continent.

The Japan Times Weekly: June 7, 2008
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