This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/29/ukraine-deserves-fairer-hearing-racism
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Ukraine deserves a fairer hearing on racism | Ukraine deserves a fairer hearing on racism |
| (10 months later) | |
| I am a US citizen who has been living in Ukraine for over two years and I'm also a regular reader of your website. But I found your report (Racism threatens to turn Ukraine's Euro 2012 into a PR disaster, 29 May) a bit sensational for a publication of your calibre. Firstly, you start with comments from Sol Campbell, which were directed at both Poland and Ukraine, yet the article portrays them as being completely against Ukraine. Later, you admit that Ukraine's top two teams field six to eight black players who are strongly supported by the local fans and that the stadium in Donetsk was built by a Muslim. Which potentially boycotting EU nation can make such claims? Finally, the article says that "In reality ... the country has lots of positives" but has done a poor job of marketing itself. If the reality of the situation is different than this jaded perspective, why not write an encouraging article, rather than an inflammatory piece? In addition, you could have done a much better job at listing some of Ukraine's literary luminaries such as Nicolai Gogol and Taras Shevchenko. Ukraine has many problems, but bashing the country further and boycotting Euro 2012 won't improve things. Joseph D Stec Odessa, Ukraine | I am a US citizen who has been living in Ukraine for over two years and I'm also a regular reader of your website. But I found your report (Racism threatens to turn Ukraine's Euro 2012 into a PR disaster, 29 May) a bit sensational for a publication of your calibre. Firstly, you start with comments from Sol Campbell, which were directed at both Poland and Ukraine, yet the article portrays them as being completely against Ukraine. Later, you admit that Ukraine's top two teams field six to eight black players who are strongly supported by the local fans and that the stadium in Donetsk was built by a Muslim. Which potentially boycotting EU nation can make such claims? Finally, the article says that "In reality ... the country has lots of positives" but has done a poor job of marketing itself. If the reality of the situation is different than this jaded perspective, why not write an encouraging article, rather than an inflammatory piece? In addition, you could have done a much better job at listing some of Ukraine's literary luminaries such as Nicolai Gogol and Taras Shevchenko. Ukraine has many problems, but bashing the country further and boycotting Euro 2012 won't improve things. Joseph D Stec Odessa, Ukraine |
| • If the levels of racism and anti-semitism in Ukraine are so high that fans are told not to go to support their team, why is the team going itself? Our sportsmen and women boycotted South Africa during apartheid to show their disapproval; not to boycott Ukraine sends a message that such attitudes are now tolerated. AS Edwards St Andrews, Fife | • If the levels of racism and anti-semitism in Ukraine are so high that fans are told not to go to support their team, why is the team going itself? Our sportsmen and women boycotted South Africa during apartheid to show their disapproval; not to boycott Ukraine sends a message that such attitudes are now tolerated. AS Edwards St Andrews, Fife |
| guardian.co.uk today is our daily snapshot of the top news stories, sent to your inbox at 8am |