Reactions to farewell Jan Rot: ‘Dear Jan, thank you for everything!’ † Opinion

‘Columnist Jan Rot has shorter life than he hoped’ (AD 7-4). I google: Jan Rot, Museumpark, Rotterdam, to find out when I took the photo of a young Jan and printed it in my darkroom. Presumably in the late 1980s. The first to appear: ‘Jan Rot is terminally ill. An extra reason to go all out on his last birthday with a wonderful list of guest singers.’ Unfortunately, the birthday party has been canceled and he tries to make it a special time with his wife Daan and their four ‘masterpieces’ as he describes the Rotjes. He thanks everyone for all the warmth, support and applause of the past decades. Dear Jan, as a thank you for everything, a symbolic standing ovation and a deafening applause!

Yvonne van Oudheusden, Schiedam

Every week I read Jan Rot mezza† Follow his final stage of life closely. Think back to the great performances in which he converted top songs into Dutch songs. I have little interest in Dutch music, except from him. A translation artist. Jan, especially enjoy your family about which you can write so beautifully. Translate one more song as far as I’m concerned, especially for them.

Ferry Visser, Dordrecht

UN useless? Need a place to talk'(AD 7-4). The Ukrainian president denounces the right to exist of the United Nations. Rarely in history have so many countries expressed their solidarity as is happening now to end the war in Ukraine and actually take measures that have already been taken and are still being added. I hope and pray that this president understands that there is a limit and no one gets dragged into this war. And if this did happen, it certainly wouldn’t help him.

M. de Jong, Amersfoort

Oh, oh, what a good job AH is doing again. I remember well when I was little. We had all kinds of shops nearby. Vegetables went in an old newspaper, you brought your own bag for your potatoes. At the grocery store we got it in paper bags and I could go on and on. And then, yes, then came Albert Heijn. And everything had to be packaged. That was better for the customer. No, it was better for AH. Less staff, so less costs. And look now: AH is going to start with a supermarket without packaging and we should be grateful to AH for that. How I long for the past with these kinds of things.

A. Verhoef, Gouda

‘RIVM makes a mistake with nitrogen figures’ (AD 7-4). RIVM is again fiddling with numbers and farmers are in trouble. Is RIVM not checked? It is clear that investigations with a political leaning are taking place there. You’ll just be a farmer. The government is doing well, but accountability? Come on.

Luuk Diks, ‘t Goy

If you read on one page that the CEO of Air France KLM collects an amount of more than 3 million euros in bonuses and on the other that there is a threat of a massacre among companies (AD 6-4), then something seems badly wrong. Now you don’t have to show solidarity by forgoing the entire bonus, but knowing how other entrepreneurs are doing, a gesture that would show some understanding would not be misplaced. Now I know that I may be comparing apples and oranges, but my feeling is that something is not right somewhere.

M. Mulder, Waddinxveen