Today’s letters: The United States is a dangerous travel destination

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A travel advisory for America?

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Re: Texas police seek motive in mall shooting that killed 8, May 7.

In view of the senseless mass killings in the United States, should a travel advisory not be issued by our government for Canadians planning to travel there?

Jacques Dufault, Orléans

The prime minister plays Hamlet

Re: Canada summons Chinese ambassador over alleged threats to Tory MP Michael Chong, May 4.

It is appropriate to consider the possible consequences of Canadian retaliation for China’s intimidation of a Canadian MP’s family. Such a consideration should be an element in determining how many and which members of the Chinese diplomatic corps to send home.

But the public mulling, Hamlet-style, over whether any should be expelled? That is not diplomacy. That is Mickey Mouse.

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Reuel S. Amdur, Gatineau

Britain puts on a splendid show

Re: Coronation of Charles III, the not so distant king, May 6.

I’ll say this: no one compares to those Brits when it comes to staging spectacles. The parades and processions on Saturday, the coronation concert at Windsor on Sunday — complicated, many moving parts, perfectly executed, greatly entertaining.

Forget your Kim Jong-un with his enslaved puppets waving flags; forget your Vladimir Putin with his frog-marching conscripts and displays of military hardware; your Americans with their creepy, jingoistic Fourth of July concerts in Washington; your cheesy, amateurish, cringe-inducing Canadian July 1 celebrations.

The Brits know how to put on a show. You don’t have to like what it’s all about, but it is THE SHOW. Unparalleled.

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Allan Torbitt, Ottawa

The splendour of Canada’s King

To us Canadians, how much more meaningful was the splendour of the coronation because it was our King — Canada’s head of state — who was being crowned?

Thomas Frisch, Ottawa

Acronyms can be agonizing

I know it’s a bit late (I’m 89), but I’m struggling to read.

To be specific, I’m trying my best to learn the meaning of a whole lot of abbreviations. Some have been around for years, such as VIP, RSVP, 3D, RIP, TNT (stuff that goes bang) and LSD (stuff that makes your head spin). There are also familiar initials for organizations such as the RCMP, FBI or CIA. Then, there are other familiar abbreviations, such as HQ, CEO, ETA (estimated time of arrival), RRSP, NSF, R&D and FYI.

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But, there are others. It’s really helpful when newspapers explain initials such as WMDs by showing in brackets that the letters stand for (weapons of mass destruction). But, they don’t aways do so. That’s particularly the case in the financial reporting sector.

Some initials are familiar: IPO, IMF, YTD, WTO and the like. There’s the oft-repeated reference to ETFs (exchange traded funds) and the GIG economy (whatever that is). There are other initials such as GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles), REIT (real estate investment trust), RFP (request for proposal) and even EBITA (earnings before interest, taxes and amortization).

And, oh yes, there’s WC (working capital). I always thought WC had another meaning.

TTFN (Ta-ta for now).

Richard Inwood, Nepean