Support the Olympic Games

Comment on "Games helps dialogue: US Olympic official" (China Daily website, March 20)

Thank you, Steve Roush for your firm support for the Beijing Olympics.

This is indeed a very positive development and encouragement for all sportsmen to uphold the spirit of the Olympics.

For those participants who intend to boycott the Games because of political sentiments, please change your mind.

A China Daily reader

On China Daily website

Open up world of Chinese operas

I think the government should make traditional opera a compulsory subject in schools and let the regional educational bodies decide on the type.

In this way, a great variety of Chinese operas (all are national treasures) can be maintained. It will also encourage more creativity instead of stifling and defining Chinese operas as only Peking opera. It is like growing flowers. Roses are beautiful but if you only grow roses in the whole of China it will be boring.

Ho Chee-Liek

On China Daily website

Fur industry's claim false

We hear cries of "fur is back" by the industry's public relations machine every year, but public opinion polls show the truth: A Cosmopolitan magazine survey found that 76 percent of young women would never wear real fur.

Top fashion designers and retailers reflect this, as many of them have adopted fur-free policies.

It is little wonder: PETA's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) investigations of fur farms around the world have revealed that animals are confined to tiny cages then poisoned, gassed or electrocuted. Since these methods do not always kill the animals, they sometimes "wake up" while being skinned.

Rochelle Regodon

via e-mail

Falling dollar will force 'donations'

Global markets remain turbulent all because of economic recession in the United States.

The US subprime mortgage crisis has yet to be resolved, and this could further devalue the US dollar and deepen inflation.

That means everyone who is in possession of US dollars will lose money, and indirectly we will "be forced" to "support" the American economy to solve its problems. The US dollar has become worthless, we now have to spend more on goods. Indirectly, we are "fools" donating money to a rich US.

Donation (Hong Kong)

On China Daily website

Determination vital for success

Hao Shuai of the men's national table tennis team was defeated by Michael Maze from Denmark in the 2004 Athens Olympics. The head coach Liu Guoliang attributed Hao's failure to a psychological problem.

But I would like to argue that Hao was just not good enough. A competitor should have the necessary skills and be mentally tough. Hao can achieve glory through wisdom, diligence, but most of all, determination.

But even he does not, he should not be discouraged as he is still young and his potential boundless.

Fran

via e-mail

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(China Daily 03/21/2008 page9)