LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

 

mail-box-full-colorIn your last issue a Mr. Barnes tried to justify the Nobel award to President Obama and attributed all critical comments to plain old Republican jealousy. Mr. Barnes was eloquent in crediting Mr. Obama with changing world perceptions and a mind change of tectonic proportions.

However the Nobel award statutes require (Statute 7) the committee to embrace nominations received by 1 February for accomplishments during at least the previous 12 months. On this date Mr. Obama had been president for 11 days. During the previous 12 months he was campaigning.

Thus we may conclude that the committee may have violated their statutes by ignoring the nomination deadline since the events Mr. Barnes applauds happened after February 1. The statutes also stress accomplishments rather than expectations.

Alternatively, Mr. Obama may have created a mind change of tectonic proportions in 11 days. Since it took God seven days to create the world,. fixing it in 11 days is commendable.

In being critical of the award, perhaps it is sadness, rather than jealousy, that a venerable institution such as the Nobel is reduced to pandering a political affirmation.

The next prize in Physics will probably be awarded to anyone proving that quarks do not have different spins, charges or colors. Political correctness at the subatomic level is a good thing.

Andy Meyers

Ajijic

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