Madam, - Although I find Mark Steyn's views risible and his tone offensive, I, like Redmond Shannon (September 17th) respect his right to a platform and The Irish Times's decision to publish him.
But, unlike Mr Shannon, I have little sense that the debate is "balanced". Publishing a letter by Arthur Dunne (September 13th) does not "balance" Steyn's views. The fact is that your most "left-wing" or even "liberal" columnists these days - Fintan O'Toole and Vincent Browne - rarely address the issues Steyn deals with - notably the Middle East. Thus, we get a columnist whose views are a hybrid of P.J. O'Rourke and Paul Wolfowitz, and we get no Alexander Cockburn to "balance" him.
If Steyn represents the American right, where is the spokesperson for the American left? - Yours, etc.,
CONOR McCARTHY, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.