Two leaders not to be called American

I MUST correct Patrick Dolan (Letters, April 9) who suggested Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez could be called Americans.

While Chavez could be called a South American, I doubt very much he would wish to be called an American – although many of his people might prefer to claim that citizenship. Castro ruled Cuba which is, of course, in the western hemisphere but not in either North or South America. I’m certain he too would not wish to be called an American, although thousands of his people floated over to Florida to acquire that citizenship and to be called American.

In my letter (March 29) I suggested that, from history, it is not all that bad to be an enemy of America and I also suggested that some things are worth fighting for, or against, as the case may be, Nazism, racism, terrorism, colonialism and independence, for example. America suffered the greatest number of causalities in our own civil war. Many Irish died in the anti-colonial and civil war here.

Once again, I believe history tells us some things are worth fighting for, but tragically in war there are many, many causalities – civilian and otherwise. I believe those lives are valued today and forever.

Joyce Anderson

Gleasure

Kildorrery

Co Cork