Old lies can no longer restrain a young generation

In reference to Ali Khaled's opinion article Lies of old leaders provide the fuel for region's unrest (March 4), North Africa is in turmoil at the moment, as the writer rightly points out, because of the lies that were passed on from generation to generation. Rulers deny their imminent downfall. They still believe that their people love them.

The ripple effect created by the regime collapse in Tunis has now grown fierce and is spreading like wild fire.

Gone are the days where people could be repressed by dictators who ruled their countries with an iron fist for so many years, clinging to power and draining the nation of its wealth only to fulfil their selfish needs. These tyrants make sure that their coffers are overflowing with money and deposited in other safe havens to safeguard their future.

These individuals are seduced by power and access to wealth and will not budge from their positions. During the long tenure of these rulers, all that the people heard from them was false hopes and exploitation of the people's emotions. To stay in power they blamed other countries and used religion to toy with their own countrymen.

The people under these fanatic rulers waited in hope that something good would happen to improve their lives but with nothing coming their way, this explosion was waiting to happen. All they needed was a trigger which started in Tunis and I am sure it will continue to affect the whole world where dictatorship is rife.

So it is a new beginning after a long era of repressive regimes. This will be etched in history as the year of rebellion against repression. I hope this youthful people power brings about a long overdue peace in this region.

Ahsan Ghori, Dubai

Relax and count your blessings

I really enjoyed Justin Thomas's opinion piece Is Abu Dhabi's beauty enhanced by my own well-being? (March 6).

We are all so lucky to be here and benefit from the far-sighted vision of the late Sheikh Zayed. I love the early morning and the promise of a new day. Watching the sun rise is beautiful and inspiring. I also try to slow myself down when rushing from my car to wherever and feel the sun warm my face and the breeze ruffle my hair and clothes. I try to really notice others on their daily journeys and be thankful for all that I have and to smile.

Lee-Avinne O'Farrell, Abu Dhabi

Reactions to beach drownings

In reference to Police close beaches in Dubai after three drown (March 6), this is very sad, but why do people go swimming when the water is so rough? It's just being extremely incautious, however good a swimmer you are and especially if you are a visitor and know nothing about tide conditions.

It's not only here. I'm constantly reading reports in papers about people drowning off beaches all around the world.

Lizzie English, Dubai

It was horrific to see the first guy drown, and then I couldn't believe within the next hour, the exact same thing happened again. We need lifeguards and the beach should have been closed to swimmers straight away.

Maria Binns, Dubai

What we need are municipal lifeguards, much like those on Sydney's Bondi Beach, who are paid by the government and who are present at the beach and can tell people not to go in the water. Those people who drowned might have been saved.

Ben Furfie, Dubai

The importance of family role models

I refer to the news article Father aims to be firm but fair (March 5). I salute Salih al Amiri for his approach towards his children. He can be a role model for families in the UAE. In the UAE, some children are spoilt  by the neglect of their fathers and mothers who leave everything to the servants.

Servants  are moulding the culture and personality of children, although parents lavishly spend a lot of money on their children.  Even in the modern world, a large family is not an outdated concept. In fact this makes children more competitive and responsible than a single-child family.

Psychologists can never agree on the basic issue of parent-child relationships, including discipline. Without the proper direction and discipline, including mild punishments, children will be spoilt. As Mr al Amiri puts into practice, children must feel that they are getting fair treatment from their parents.

I hope that The National will bring out similar role models and successful stories so as to inspire families towards healthy parent-child relationships, which would create a vibrant and responsible new generation. The behaviour of parents and teachers towards children determines the future of a nation.

Dr Raju M Mathew, Al Ain