Letters to the editor

Look at the USA!

I just received the June edition of “Swiss Review” and wanted to comment on Switzerland’s immigration initiative. As an American by birth and a Swiss citizen by marriage, my advice to Switzerland is to look at the situation in the USA and take heed. We are fast losing our identity due to our immigration policies, or lack thereof. The USA was founded as an English-speaking country, and non-English speaking immigrants who came here early in the last century HAD to learn English, as did my Russian grandparents. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. The strain on our medical, governmental, and educational systems is enormous. I’m not the only person who feels we are becoming a one-party state due to the situation here.

Joan Pellaton, Long Island, NY, USA

Gurlitt – Germany has to attend to its duty

The Museum of Arts in Berne should not accept the Gurlitt collection. Switzerland already has a bad record with stolen art hidden in banks, museums, etc. It is not up to Switzerland to find provenance of all these paintings. Germany has to step up and provide each object with the proper paperwork.

Christiane Johnson, Redding, CA, USA

A realistic impression

“A falling tree makes more noise than an entire forest growing,” says the proverb. What a shame the “Swiss Review” (systematically) focuses on controversial issues, often contains provocative illustrations and shows political bias, not even to mention the “Quotes” section. How about some optimism! The editorial team seems to be very aware of environmental issues, which is great. But have they forgotten that our intelligence and capacity for thought have to be respected above all? The Swiss Abroad need to be given a realistic impression of their country. Help us, first and foremost, to see all of the “forest that is growing” – and not just a few dead leaves or branches that fall down. Thank you!

Aurélia Lugon, Lithuania

Grounds for celebration

As usual, I flicked through the “Swiss Review” and read some articles, including Barbara Engel’s editorial. Not that I would have flown to Switzerland immediately, but when I reached the final inside page my heart jumped for joy. Blocher’s resigned! Grounds for celebration indeed. Why not introduce a day of remembrance for the goat herders and their leader  who try to pull the wool over the people’s eyes? The rest is quite obvious... Switzerland is now once again an option as a place to live.

Hans Haeberli, Germany