Readers write: Bauhaus minimalism, British isolation and Brexit, and welcome new direction

Letters to the editor for the May 6, 2019 weekly magazine.

Readers Respond

Bauhaus minimalism

In the Feb. 11 issue of the Monitor Weekly, I was delighted to see the article “Bauhaus then and now” by Carol Strickland.

Today, when clutter and the accumulation of more stuff often seem to take over in our lives, it is heartening to realize – as did the Bauhaus architects and designers – that “less is more.”

I so appreciate the Monitor Weekly! No other news publication covers events with a perspective of keeping readers informed of the difficulties of, as well as the countless solutions offered by nations and communities throughout the world. 

And I loved having an article focused on architecture. Keep ’em coming, as they help readers continue to be aware of various cultures, technologies, and artistry. 

Such articles are welcome, especially now when the 21st century is appreciative of women in architecture – which was not a reality 100 years ago in the days of Bauhaus.

Diane P. Dailey

Laguna Hills, California

British isolation and Brexit

The April 15 article “Battle of Britain’s history: How the myth of WWII shaped Brexit” claims that Britain’s isolation during the first years of World War II is a myth. In the article, a British professor is quoted as saying that Britain “was never really alone” in the early years of WWII.

It is true that pilots from Poland and Canada fought alongside the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. It’s also true that Indian soldiers joined British troops in confronting Hitler’s army in North Africa.

Yet if you lived in London, Bristol, or Liverpool in 1940, when the Nazi Luftwaffe was raining bombs on British cities, the fact that Indian troops were in Africa was of little comfort. During the first two years of WWII, Britain stood essentially alone as an island nation. 

Alistair Budd

London

Welcome new direction

For a while I’d been feeling some frustration with the stories I was reading in the Monitor. It felt, to me, that the Monitor’s stories were tap-dancing around issues that needed to be addressed and that the Monitor was not as fearless and committed as it needed to be as a member of the free press.

But in recent months I have seen a wonderful shift in the way the Monitor reports on the issues we’re currently facing: global warming, immigration, as well as political manipulation, corruption, and divisiveness, among others. I appreciate the way in which the Monitor manages to present these issues; it does so in an honest way that gives its readers the opportunity to rethink, without telling them what to think. The Monitor has at last found its stride. 

Karen Molenaar Terrell

Bow, Washington