“Why do men suddenly act like a jerk when they are given power?” and ‘The system of shareholders who reap big profits should be knocked down’: these are some reactions to news topics that occupy readers. Below are the letters that appeared in the newspaper of Monday 24 January. You can send in a response yourself via [email protected].
The Voice of Holland | Good that someone called
‘Sexual violence hotlines flooded with phone calls’ (AD 22-1). Why do men suddenly behave like a jerk when they are given power? What happened doesn’t even have much to do with sex. But more with abuse of power. “If you want to keep participating, you’ll just have to please me for a while.” It’s hard for a young woman or girl to say no if she wants to keep participating. Those men don’t realize what they’re doing to a woman with their behavior. They always downplay it with ‘don’t be so difficult’. They see a woman as a toy and think they can get away with it too. Good thing someone rang the bell. I hope they get a big push.
M. Harms-de Haas, Voorschoten.
The Voice of Holland II | There is talk for so long that a declaration is often not made
Mores Online, the Center for Sexual Violence and Victim Support are mentioned on the front page of the AD and there will be twenty more, but in addition to listening, it is even more important that all girls and young men report this to the police. Only then will the guilty receive their due punishment. In the Netherlands, people often talk or talk to young people for just so long that nothing comes of a report.
Arie de Graaf, Bunschoten.
Uncoupling AOW | Healthcare premium, child benefit also income-related?
‘Extra money for all pensioners is not wise’ (Commentary 22-1). Hans van Soest does not think it is necessary for all retirees to receive a higher state pension, he writes in the AD. After all, many are warm to it. This seems to me to be a stepping stone towards taxing this benefit. People with a good pension do not need the AOW at all. Shall we also take a look at the child benefit? And the health insurance premiums? Retired people have paid their state pension contributions all their lives, often lived frugally to pay off their houses and should now be punished for this again. A government that reserves 25 billion for the nitrogen problem (which only exists in the Netherlands) can miss two or three billion for the elderly, I think.
Kor van der Heiden, Puttershoek.
Tata Steel | Shareholders spared, or will they help pay?
‘Tata must now be cleaned quickly’ (AD 22-1). For years, Tata Steel shareholders have made huge profits. It now appears to be partly unjustified, because savings should have been made to make the company greener and cleaner. Now Tata wants billions of government support to do this. So from our tax money. But we citizens are already paying the higher medical costs. And the cleaning costs. The investigations. And now this too? And what do the shareholders pay? Do they, like the child benefit parents, now have to repay their profits? Or are the shareholders, unlike the victims, protected? That whole system of shareholders who reap big profits should be brought down once and for all. That is an outdated system that keeps killing the population and workers. Groningen, Tata, KLM, Schiphol, the list is endless. And we just bleed.
Francinia Steenstra, The Hague.
Tata Steel II | After so many reports and complaints, it is known
Top man Hans van den Berg of Tata Steel wants to ‘understand as soon as possible whether we need to improve’. Besides the fact that it’s an incomprehensible sentence, you really don’t get it if after so many years of complaints and so many reports you still don’t know that you need to improve.
Marcel de Keijzer, Soest.
Carlo Heuvelman | How many tricks can a lawyer come up with?
‘Two death kick suspects released’ (AD 22-1). I am regularly amazed and annoyed by the ‘tricks’ that lawyers use to exonerate suspects. For example, in the case of Carlo Heuvelman being kicked to death, lawyer Peter Plasman argues that Carlo may have died because of the hard fall on the sidewalk and not because of the blows he received. As if that exonerates the perpetrator(s). Suppose I push someone in front of a moving car, train or subway and that person dies, wouldn’t I be found guilty of that person’s death? So I would like a few more.
J. Japin, Spijkenisse.
Column Heleen van Royen | Why didn’t I come up with that myself?
“Nothing hurts you anymore when you’re dead” (Column 22-1). What a moving story by Heleen van Royen in Mezza magazine this week. Coffee along and for a ‘chat’ to the cemetery. So much love speaks out, it gave me a lump in my throat. Then I thought, why have I never done something like this before? Thank you Helen for this great idea.
Agnes Advocaat, Andel.
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