Madam, - I was surprised that none of your readers was prompted to respond to David Marlborough's letter on the US mid-term elections (October 31st).
It's not that I have any great dispute with its content, but the writer surely let himself down with the sentence: "A former alcoholic, all of whose businesses either failed or had to be bailed out by his exceedingly wealthy and influential family, is hardly likely to prove inspirational."
Firstly, I would argue that GWB is not an alcoholic by the definitions we use on this side of the Atlantic; but even if he were, the sentence would be still objectionable.
Former alcoholics (and I will leave it to others to decide if there is strictly such a thing) are some of the most inspirational people you are ever likely to meet.
Every day they face a personal battle, in a society where nearly every social occasion poses a test of their inner strength.
Several US employment recruitment agencies have addenda to their job specifications - "applications from recovering alcoholics welcome" - and for very good reasons.
Recovering alcoholics do not ring in sick on Monday mornings with shaggy dog stories and turn up on Thursday with a fishy sick cert. Nor do they fly off the handle at meetings, up to and including boardroom level, because their bodies cannot sufficiently lower their blood alcohol levels in time.
In short, former alcoholics have proved that they have guts, sense, stamina and responsibility, and are better bets, all other factors being equal.
If you are looking for inspirational heroes, have a look around your workplace. There's bound to be one there. - Yours, etc,
FINTAN GIBNEY, The Hill, Glasnevin, Dublin 9.