Dear Sir,
Mr. Peter Breiner's column ("Slovak politicians should not be let out on the streets," Vol. 5, No. 10, March 8-14) was a depressing and confusing piece that gives evidence of the "psychological crisis" that exists in this country and in Slovak people abroad.
Firstly, the column was very unprofessional, and was written with pure emotion and not enough common logic. In trying to make his point, Mr. Breiner used such words as "shit," "sewer" and "orgasm" to describe politicians in the current government.
Criticism and freedom of speech are what Mr. Breiner was practicing, but he used it in such a negative and reckless way that I feel he accomplished nothing. It was a prime example of the hopeless feelings of many Slovaks despite positive changes that are occurring within the country. This sentiment, combined with a passive and negative outlook to the future, is a strong psychological force that is not going to help the Slovak Republic survive this time of transition. To say that the new government is not an improvement on the old is an absolutely ridiculous argument.
Although Mr. Breiner is quite well known, I would think he could use his influence in a more constructive way than the literary piece he presented to us from Toronto. A more professional column pointing out specific deficiencies within the government and offering positive solutions would be more welcome. Besides being more attractive in a literary sense, Mr. Breiner might accomplish something by offering help to his country rather than bashing it. I hope in the future that such writing is left out of The Slovak Spectator in order to improve the professional image of your paper.
Alston Barrow
Bratislava
