Give boys Thai ID
Re: "Cave hero praises Wild Boars, coach", (BP, July 16).
Lt Col Dr Pak Loharachun, commander of the 3rd Medical Battalion, was quoted as saying: "I am confident that the Moo Pa boys will grow to become excellent citizens, contribute to the country and bring a good reputation to it in the future." Dr Pak's sentiment is entirely in order, but it is my understanding that three of the boys, as well as the coach, are stateless.
Everything I have read indicates that all of the teammates were models of discipline and courage, and the coach a model of selflessness. Any country should be proud to count them among their number. I am not Thai, and I apologise if I am speaking out of turn, but I think it would be an act of nobility and generosity if the appropriate authorities saw it fit to grant the three stateless boys and the coach Thai citizenship at the earliest opportunity.
Stephen Luttmann
Trump's fixing it
When Andy Phillips commenced his tirade against Donald Trump, for me it was just more of the same hatred of a man duly elected as president by a majority of Americans. A man who told you what he was going to do, was elected and is now implementing all of these policies one by one. Amazing, beautiful democracy at work.
As an Australian in your wonderful country I only wish that if Mr Phillips does not like his policies then debate them with facts, don't just throw away lines attacking his morality, calling him a racist, etc. Scream, kick and throw tantrums but you never debate the facts.
Guantanamo Bay served a purpose to protect citizens from terrorism. It was supported by a large majority of Americans.
Regarding refugees being separated from their parents, it has been shown that people smugglers were exploiting this loophole to get illegal immigrants into the US. Police racism, like all racism, exists in small percentages of all professions. Don't throw a blanket over all of the dedicated police that protect us for the sake of the acts of a few.
The Paris agreement has been shown to be a farce as India, China and other counties continue to grow their emissions, placing countries like the US at a disadvantage. Smart countries, including mine, are debating right now leaving this agreement. That doesn't mean they are not taking action against climate change.
Countries in Nato have been failing to pay their way. Trump fixed it, like he promised.
John Tilton
Keeping the faith
In speaking up for theists, Eric Bahrt did not get it quite right with his assertions about atheists. Atheists certainly have faith: They have faith that humans are capable of much good, although they also acknowledge the fact that when whipped up by religious fervour, humans are also capable of great evil, as in holy wars, pogroms, inquisitions, xenophobic genocide, etc.
But the faith of atheists about what is "real" is different to that of theists. The faith of atheists is based on evidence and reason: There is a vast and growing body of solid evidence that evolution is real; there is also an ever-expanding body of solid evidence that helps us better understand the past, present and future of the universe we live in. In contrast, the faith of theists is, as Luther insisted, necessarily the epitome of blindness, having not a single shred of evidence or of reason to support the idea that any of the myriad gods and goddesses that delight us in uplifting stories, except when those stories are depressing, actually exist.
Atheists also have the humility, when confronted with the mysteries of the universe, to say, "We don't know," rather than "God did it".
Felix Qui
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