Kavanaugh’s place on the Supreme Court is tarnished

Our readers have their say on medical trials in India, Cameroon, road safety and US politics

TOPSHOT - Demonstrator Jessica Campbell-Swanson of Denver, stands on the lap of the "Contemplation of Justice" statue as protestors take the steps of the US Supreme Court protesting against the appointment of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at Capitol Hill in Washington DC, on October 6, 2018. / AFP / Jose Luis Magana
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I refer to your article US Senate votes to confirm Kavanaugh to to Supreme court (October 7). This is yet another highly dramatic development to emerge in modern American politics. Following the horrific allegations levelled at Supreme Court nominee and now Justice Brett Kavanaugh by three different women, and the anger directed towards him by Democrats and members of the public, the Senate narrowly confirmed his nomination.

This is certainly a major victory for the controversial US President, Donald Trump. In many ways it demonstrates how powerful he still is in American politics, as well as the desire of Republicans to have a conservative majority in the highest court in the land. But with many people still refusing to believe his denials, Mr Kavanaugh’s place in the court is somewhat tarnished.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru

Informed consent is very hard to come by in India

I write in reference to Neha Dixit's superb column India cannot become a medical laboratory for the world (October 7): incidentally, there are plenty of articles in Indian journals acknowledging this problem. The key problem as I see it is that informed consent is hard to come by when dealing with a vulnerable population with low awareness and literacy rates.

Name withheld by request

Praise for the UAE’s traffic police, who keep us safe

I write in reference to your online piece Watch as reckless driver almost smashes into Abu Dhabi school bus (October 6): many of these reckless drivers are youngsters who turn the roads into death traps with their irresponsible driving.

Given the number of prosecutions for illegal driving, we know that some of them do not even have a license. The work of traffic police becomes very difficult due to reckless driving. As a result, traffic police in the UAE deserve a pat on the back for a thankless job well done.

Name withheld by request

Cameroon conflict goes beyond linguistic divide

Please refer to your article Bitter linguistic divide is pushing Cameroon over the edge (October 7). It's not strictly a linguistic issue. Rather, it is an issue of social, political and economic injustice and marginalisation of the English-speaking minority in Cameroon by the majority, oppressive Francophone regime headed by President Paul Biya.

Mustafa Ahmad, Abu Dhabi