海角大神

New view of Global Currents

I recently viewed two online events hosted by 海角大神. Listening to the journalists and editors describe what goes into writing a story and how they look at the bigger picture has given me a new outlook on the news. The internet is full of the latest shocking news headlines, but I read the Monitor in order to understand situations more fully and to learn about things that don鈥檛 make the headlines online.聽

For example, when I picked up the March 7 issue of the Monitor Weekly, I read the first three articles and loved how they were so different from most news stories I read.聽

Then I realized that it was because they were all about the bigger picture: how a restoration of trust is helping our response to Ukraine, what it鈥檚 like to be a Mexican journalist, and what is involved when people want to ban books. I later realized that these were grouped in a section called Global Currents.聽

When the Monitor recently created these categories, I didn鈥檛 pay any attention to them. Now I understand that Global Currents is about the bigger picture, the currents of thought regarding current events, and not just about a specific event (such as one particular book that people want to ban).

I usually read an issue of the Monitor from the last page forward (so does my mom). That way, I can read about things that I don鈥檛 see when I glance at the online news. The In Pictures feature shows me more about the world. Interviews introduce me to new people and books. I used to love reading the Verbal Energy column, and I am so very happy that you are continuing the tradition with In a Word. 聽

Suzanne Soul茅
Surprise, Arizona

Shame-free flying

I understand the science and applaud the commitment found in the May 23 Weekly article 鈥淕rounded, and loving it. Can giving up air travel bring joy?鈥澛�

But I don鈥檛 think any of the people mentioned live on small islands like Puerto Rico, where I live, or Oahu, Hawaii, where I used to live. Travel options from such locales are obviously limited. I鈥檓 not aware of any 鈥渞acing yachts鈥� available to me for travel to New York to see family. Additionally, I doubt my employer would grant a few extra weeks of vacation time to accommodate sea travel, as much as I might like it.聽

I wish only to make the point that not everyone has the same options and alternatives for travel mentioned in the article. I would also add that given the pandemic world that we now live in, I have not flown anywhere in close to three years. If I am able to get on a plane this summer to visit friends and family or simply to get out of Puerto Rico, I will do so without any flight shame, or flygskam, as they say in Sweden.

Clark Sherman
Lajas, Puerto Rico

Elephant compassion

鈥淗ow Sam Wasser became an ivory detective鈥� from the May 16 Weekly was a fascinating, and ultimately hopeful, article. With every discovery about the remarkable intelligence of elephants, the world gains greater compassion for them.聽

Elephants deserve to be allowed to live and flourish, along with all wild animals. The article opened my eyes to the interconnectedness of transnational crime and the damage it does to ecosystems.聽

I鈥檇 love a report from a different angle about what, if anything, is going on to change culture or lessen the demand for these endangered animals.聽

Bonnie Shaver
Denver