Follow truth, even against the grain
The reason I get so many readers angry is that I refuse to play favourites. For example, when I wrote letters condemning the rights abuses against the Rohingya, few people objected. But if I condemn Israel’s rights abuses, suddenly I’m called a Jew-hater – despite the fact that I’m Jewish.
Or when I condemn elephant abuse, most readers praise me. But if I point out that factory farming causes a far greater number of animals to suffer, the response is, “How dare you tell us what to eat!”
Here in Thailand, the same readers who praised me when I was critical of Thaksin while he was in power now call me a “bad guest” when I write anything critical about the junta.
How about you, dear readers? Do you speak out against injustice whenever you see it? Or do you only speak out when it’s safe and convenient to do so?
Eric Bahrt
