Letters: Campaigning decorum

This refers to the news item "Objectionable election speeches" (Checklist, November 17). It is true that our election campaigning has taken a high-pitch decibel level, and is often laced with invective and innuendos. We should maintain a level of decorum and dignity in public debate. Agreed, that in the heat of election rhetoric one may lose this sense of proportion but as leaders who are also role models to the next generation every effort should be made to maintain protocol during campaigning. In this context, I am reminded of an anecdote that is attributed to former US president Richard Nixon. He said the media has the responsibility to scrutinise the Presidency "with a microscope" but using other devices such as a proctoscope, is "going too far".

H N Ramakrishna Bangalore

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