Readers praise a disgraced bishop and Google

The following comments reflect the views of DW-WORLD.DE readers. Not all reader comments have been published. DW-WORLD.DE reserves the right to edit for length and appropriateness of content.

Top bishop resigns after driving drunk

The good bishop was right to resign. If more leaders would assume responsibility for their actions, far less frustration would be suffered by those of us who play by the rules. -- Earl Roy, US

OK, she falls out with the government over attacks on the social system and an inane war in Afghanistan, and a few weeks later she 'happens' to get caught drunk driving and is forced to resign? How very convenient. -- Kevin Bell, Canada

Would the uproar have been just as loud had Kaessmann been a man? My hat's off to her for facing her wrong deed in a very responsible manner. She has the courage of her convictions. Too bad the same uproar isn't heard when Catholic priests keep molesting children. -- Vera Gottlieb, Germany

Unfortunate, but she is to be respected for her decision. At least she accepted responsibility. Unlike the Catholic priests who abuse children and then remain in place. -- A. Reinhardt Knapp, US

Difficult as it must have been for Bishop Kaessmann, one can only say she did the right thing. A person in her position has to lead by example, and she has certainly done that. It takes courage to stand up in public and admit you made a mistake. She also did the right thing by going quickly and not letting it drag on. As a Protestant myself, I think she has been a fine leader of the EKD. So she got drunk and ran a red light; "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." She is an able woman and still only 51; I'm sure she has lots more to contribute yet. It was a hard choice but she did it with dignity. -- Joseph Noone, Ireland

Italian court convicts three Google executives of privacy invasion

I think they provided a true service by identifying the miscreants and enabling them to get the help they obviously need, if they believe it acceptable, to bully a developmentally disabled schoolmate. Google was only the messenger. -- Lillian Bertoli, US

The Google executives are simply guilty of being used as a tool for elements within the Italian government to clamp down on freedom of the Internet in Italy and to instigate a similar line of action across the EU. I would expect that Secretary of State Clinton should be directly involved in this misuse of government authority - as was the case over Google in China - unless she and her US administration cohorts are looking to Italy to lead the charge as a precursor to instigating similar Internet restrictions in the US. -- Charles Smyth, Great Britain

Compiled by Stuart Tiffen
Editor: Nancy Isenson