I thought Greg was spot-on when he said the reason there is so much public sympathy for Nick Johnson is that the public identifies with him because of his skin color, education, etc. It was really great reading Greg after Brian Stillman’s views on the same issue the day before. I am a Chinese student from Singapore, where Chinese is the majority race. One of the reasons why I am keen to pursue post graduate studies in the United States, besides a passion for economics, is to experience what it is like to be the minority. In Singapore, there are the native Malays but it is difficult for the Chinese to understand their complaints about discrimination because of their race, simply because the Chinese are the majority. I have come to this realization that many Iowans probably never had a close relationship with anyone that does not look like their brothers or sisters. That might explain the few subtle incidents that I have experienced. But, hey, I do not mind because I have long realized that Singaporean Chinese, even myself, are as guilty as any of the Americans here. Furthermore, I really appreciate the American system of freedom of speech here because no journalists in Singapore would ever dare to comment on court sentences for the fear of offending the government. I may like Greg Jerrett’s comments and find Brian Stillman’s comments repulsive, but it is only when readers read both sides of the story that there would be true understanding. This uncensored exchange of viewpoints would never have taken place in Singapore, and I am truly grieved in that aspect.

Kelvin Tan

Graduate student

Economics