Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including grammar, the proposed sale of Aurora, and the state of US politics
The -izes, and the -ises, have it all right
I take it that Jim Sullivan’s Opinion piece that includes the topic of -ize and -ise verb endings is not entirely tongue in cheek.
Eric Partridge’s Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English, published in 1947, gives this advice on -ize and -ise: "You will be safe if you make every verb ... conform to the -z type, for this suffix comes ... from the Greek -izein: to employ -ise is to flout etymology and logic" (though some verbs must always be spelt with -ise).
Fowler’s Modern English Usage gives a fuller discussion and points out that until recently The Times newspaper and Oxford University Press used the termination -ize.
Fowler advises (one of those verbs where -ise must be used) that "The primary rule is that all words of the type authorize/authorise ... may legitimately be spelt with either -ize or -ise throughout the English-speaking world except in America, where -ize is compulsory".
It’s not that -ize rather than -ise endings are the more recent interlopers; old-school purists like Eric Partridge would maintain it’s the other way round.
Keith Probert
Belleknowes
Kamala Harris
Good for peace
Once President Joe Biden accepted that he was no longer going to beat former President Donald Trump he handed over the presidential baton to a much younger and vibrant Vice-president Kamala Harris, who will win the election on 5 November with a landslide victory. Moreover, once Trump gets sentenced on 34 serious felony charges he will be incarcerated for at least four years and that is good for peace on our planet earth.
Brian Collins
Lower Hutt
Forsyth Barr Stadium
Aurora a massive asset
Richard Thomson (ODT, 22.7.24) says several facilities wouldn’t exist if ratepayers had their way.
Going on to say above facilities should pay their way/dividends.
The museum, Moana Pool and library are gladly supported by ratepayers whether they are profitable or not.
Council building an unnecessary stadium is what set Aurora on the path to debt and unable to pay dividends and never will.
The stadium created huge debt, never paid any dividends and is a liability to ratepayers.
Aurora, on the other hand, in the future will be a massive asset.
Past councillors, former DCHL managers need to reflect on their ability to hold management positions.
Mary Robertson
Dunedin
Politically downwards trajectory of the US empire
The near assassination of Donald Trump has boosted his bid for the US presidency to a near certain win. In his journey towards the Oval Office, he has created a quasi-religious sect filled with millions of adherents. He has accomplished this by embodying the Jungian archetype of trickster/outlaw, an archetype deeply embedded in American folklore and mythology, such that the more "badass" he appears the more votes he gains. As this Jungian archetype, his enormous popularity and influence is surely indicative of the politically downwards trajectory of the US empire, and a widespread sense of loss among many US citizens, who now grasp at myths and legend to reinforce a feeling of pride, worth and identity in the collective American psyche and dream. The parallels with Germany under Hitler in the years leading up to WW2 are startling.
Paul Elwell-Sutton
Haast
Amy Witter (Letters, 23.7.24), expresses the view that the US Electoral College is inferior to the popular vote because that’s how (shiver) Donald Trump won election. Is Ms Witter not aware that this country has a similar system aimed at protecting South Islanders like her? The minimum number of general electorates in the South Island is set by law at 16. Regardless of further population shifts north, the South Island will always have seats worth contesting. This is the rationale behind the Electoral College. Territories aspiring to statehood sought assurance that their voices in Washington would not be swamped by much larger existing states . In 1890 Wyoming (pop. 61,000) was negotiating for statehood yet nearby California already had well over a million. Getting from the original 13 states to the current 50 took over 170 years and each one had to contemplate electoral irrelevancy were it not for the protection of the College.
Rob Harris
Masterton
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
