Readers write: Please and thank you, and objectivity in Venezuela
Please and thank you
Regarding the 鈥淚n a Word鈥� column 鈥�The role of 鈥榶ou鈥檙e welcome鈥� in polite society鈥� from the Sept. 2 Monitor Weekly:聽I found this article to be an interesting piece on the meaning and value of the phrase 鈥測ou鈥檙e welcome.鈥� For me, it conveys 鈥淚 am happy if I have been of help.鈥澛燤y millennial daughter and I differ on whether saying 鈥渘o problem鈥� is a real equivalent to 鈥測ou鈥檙e welcome.鈥� She says that to her generation, it鈥檚 simply another way of expressing the same idea.
But every time someone says 鈥渘o problem鈥� to me, I silently wonder this: If it had been a real 鈥減roblem鈥� 鈥� if the issue had required any real expense of energy to resolve 鈥� would the person simply not have bothered to do so? A nuanced but important difference, or so it seems to me.聽That said, while sticking to my preferred usage, I try to bear in mind my daughter鈥檚 perspective each time I hear 鈥渘o problem鈥� in response to my expression of thanks.
Why We Wrote This
Letters to the editor for the September 30, 2019 weekly magazine.
Pamela Wiggin
Ottawa, Ontario
Melissa Mohr鈥檚 article 鈥淭he role of 鈥榶ou鈥檙e welcome鈥� in polite society鈥� reminded me of a French-speaking student鈥檚 confusion over the more informal equivalent of that phrase.聽
Some years ago in my English class, the student erupted, 鈥淎mericans are rude!鈥澛營n halting English, he conveyed that he had just been at a gas station. As he left, he thanked the attendant, who shouted 鈥淵ou bet!鈥� in response.聽In his head, the student had translated the English 鈥渂et鈥� to the French word 产锚迟别, meaning stupid.
I hope Ms. Mohr will continue to enlighten Monitor readers about these puzzling phrases that have become automatic responses in our social exchanges.
Colleen McGovern
Englewood, Colorado
Objectivity in Venezuela
As a subscriber to the Monitor for more than 30 years, I often brag about what I get from reading it.聽I want to believe that its editorial staff works hard to be objective and find journalists who are on the ground in the countries they are writing about.聽
However, I feel that the Aug. 12 Weekly article 鈥�Six months of fading promises, but Venezuela鈥檚 Guaid贸 hangs on鈥� shows no attempt to be neutral. There are few, if any, interviews with Nicol谩s Maduro supporters. It seems as though the author writes from the position that Juan Guaid贸 is the de facto leader of Venezuela.
Alice Kitchen
Kansas City, Missouri
