Madam, - The Irish Times is to be admired for confronting important issues from a variety of perspectives and with a standard of journalism unmatched in this country. Whether it is the Iraq war or the citizenship referendum, it can be relied on to provide reasoned debate and balanced analysis.
Mark Steyn's opinion column is an unfortunate anomaly in all of this. His second eulogy in a week to Ronald Reagan (June 14th) addresses none of the main charges against the former president: the oppression and poverty inflicted on Central America as a direct result of his foreign policies; his sale of weapons and granting of aid to Saddam Hussein's regime during its worst atrocities; and his support for the apartheid government in South Africa.
These issues are separate from Reagan's Cold War achievements and should be treated on their own terms. They are also issues of the deepest moral seriousness and Mr Steyn's decision to omit them from his analysis raises troubling questions of journalistic integrity.
Presenting an opinion from a certain perspective is not about presenting half the story and dismissing your opponents with ad hominem rambling, as Mr Steyn continues to do. - Yours etc.,
LIAM QUAIDE, Elton, Knocklong, Co Limerick.