Dear Editor
 It has been my pleasure in the past to write several letters to the Sunday Standard; most of them complimentary of your very high quality newspaper.
However, unless there is the intention to seek media sensationalism and┬ásupport racial bigotry, you demean the reputation of your publication by printing articles such as that appearing in “Loose Canon” for October 15-21 2006.
 We live in a troubled world and nowhere more so than in Africa. It is imperative that each of us, and most especially a widely read and influential publication such as yours, does everything possible to promote public views that are objective, anti-inflammatory and conciliatory as far as possible.
I’m afraid that sometimes┬á“Loose Canon”, with its too often crude and irresponsible style of journalistic satire, achieves none of those worthy┬ápurposes; and in the process undermines the rightly expected quality of your newspaper. You are not a cheap, unsophisticated┬átabloid; please do not allow any of your writers to cause you to┬áappear as┬áone.┬á
 
Sincerely,
M.T. Balke
Gaborone 
