Sequel to arrogance
published: Wednesday | February 8, 2006

THE EDITOR, Sir:

THE DANISH CARTOON fiasco sends a powerful lesson to developing countries. Quite often, our citizens exist at the whims and fancies of our host nations. In Denmark, the ethnic majority has in recent years taken a decided xenophobic bent, which has festered and grown behind a language barrier. Hardly anyone but themselves can speak or read their tongue and so attacks on immigrants are seldom open to international scrutiny. And European countries seem to have a gentleman's agreement to overlook each other's follies. This became an international phenomenon largely because the attack was pictorial.

While developed countries have always been able to use their economic might to protect their citizens or former citizens, right or wrong, we the citizens or former citizens of poorer countries have never had the same privileges. This week we learned that an arrogant leader can be brought to heel when the citizenry of date palm republics exercise their rights to choose the cows they feed.

I am, etc.,

JANET WHYTE

janetwhytex@hotmail.com

Copenhagen

Denmark

Via Go-Jamaica