But, apart from owning hi-tech weaponry, a strong country should be responsible for caring for its people. As we know, many unfortunate things have happened over the past few years on the mainland. For example, the people of Sichuan province experienced a destructive earthquake last year. Many of them lost their relatives and became homeless. They still need our help.

Then there were the riots in Urumqi , where people are still living in fear. In these weeks following National Day, we should think about those who have little to celebrate and what we can do to help them.

Chan Hung-tang

Do not blindly follow the rules

To my surprise, there have been quite a lot of medical incidents recently.

Last year, a man who had a heart attack outside the main entrance to a hospital died due to bureaucratic delays in treating him. The hospital claimed that staff was simply following the regulations but said more detailed guidelines would be released.

A boy with eye injuries also received treatment after a long delay, and the hospital gave a similar response. I think explanations like this amount to avoiding responsibility.

I don't think staff should just follow the rules blindly. What they need is correct procedures for dealing with emergencies. If time is limited, good judgment is vital.

Training for emergencies is also needed. I hope that hospital staff can make proper decisions and not be afraid of being blamed for not following the guidelines. They should never forget that a hospital is a place for saving lives.

Maggie Yeung Man-kiu, The Chinese Foundation Secondary School

Bring DT and HE back into schools

I was disappointed to learn that design & technology (DT) and home economics (HE) have been excluded from the new 3+3+4 secondary syllabus. It seems the DT and HE rooms in our school will not be used anymore and will be changed into normal classrooms.

I wonder why these subjects are excluded. I think practical learning experiences are an important part of a curriculum. In DT lessons, we learn how to solve problems on our own, while HE teaches us about housework and cooking. These are very useful things that we cannot learn by simply reading a textbook.

I think it is unfortunate that these subjects have been eliminated in the new curriculum.

Kiko Chow, Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College

Don't tar teens with the same brush

In the recent letter, 'Unfair to teens', the writer said many people have a negative image of today's youngsters because some of them engaged in activities such as compensated dating and drug abuse.

The writer also said it is unfair to say all teenagers are bad and it is normal for people to make mistakes.

I fully agree.

Not all teens are going on compensated dates and abusing drugs.

But those that do give teenagers a bad name. The teenagers themselves are partly responsible, but so are parents and the community.

How do teenagers come into contact with drugs?

Do they make them themselves? Teenagers are exposed to drugs because they are a problem in society.

Rather than looking at teenagers in a negative way, we should give them support. Meanwhile, teenagers also need to learn to control their behaviour. Then everybody can be happy.

Wong Tsz-man, Yan Oi Tong Tin Ka Ping Secondary School