An Inclusive Litany

5/31/99

Letter to the editor, the Boston Globe, May 31, 1999:
As a Swedish US resident, I have to respond to the May 23 editorial, "Dead man talking." The reference about a "Swedish guy with a cold" and a computer's dead voice readout of weather data is nothing but xenophobic slander. Your office should have known this is illegal and costly.

I find this editorial has brought harm to my professional effort here. It is therefore my intention to pursue this case of discriminatory print with all the legal means available. The sought correction will encompass the Globe's apology not only to Swedes, but to anyone honoring English with a foreign accent.

As my work has been damaged, I will also seek punitive damages from the Globe, unless the newspaper provides a prompt and adequate response to the situation.

—Carl Hugo Olsson
Chestnut Hill