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Dear George, As a licensed New York City Tour Guide (one of 1,300 about in our great city) I am writing to inform you that the licensing of tour guides in our city is vital. It began as early as the 1930's when apparently, small time proprietors preyed on the American sightseer by telling them erroneous facts about the history and legacy of our great city. How would you like to be told that the Chrysler Building is the Empire State Building? Think of your children. Think how this could change them. As the bar has been raised for guides in our city there has been outrage, but again it is needed. With tourism higher than ever, it is absolutely vital that we have our facts straight. We effect thousands of children from all over the country every year, and knowing the date of the Statue of Liberty's dedication or where to visit the trade towers that no longer exist is necessary for us to preserve the integrity of our nation's history. Because truth and integrity are so important for tour guides in New York, it's curious to ponder what the license might be like for the President of the United States. Since he is responsible for millions of lives, it might well serve the electoral process if the President should also have to pass a simple exam determining his knowledge of foreign affairs, the economy, etc. It seems that it would be best if such a test were as mandatory as the electoral college approval and that those who take the test could not make up whatever answers best serve their political agenda, but would rather have to display a knowledge of facts. As a tour guide who has been approved through just such a process, I find it ethically difficult to say "there are famous people who live on this street" when in fact there is no evidence to support that claim. I choke on the words. Perhaps this would have aided President Bush when faced with little to noevidence that Iraq harbored Al Qaeda terrorists. He could simply have reflected that, as a President, he doesn't say things that are not true - just like tour guides here in New York who lead the citizens of our great country around this great city. But the leaders of our country and Britain as well have implied that the truth was not so important. I sympathize with them. I have often tried to convince fellow tour guides of the same premise. Tourists believe what I tell them. It seems more important to tell them something rather than make it the truth. The truth is often constraining and does not allow for the limits of a short stop in New York. I can show the entire city of New York in two hours and it only requires six lies, only three of which are substantial and one is a matter of interpretation. I am sure the Bush administration would enjoy just such a tour from me. It is efficient, colorful and convenient and I can shape lies to highlight their personal political beliefs and religious backgrounds. Some tour guides here in New York are locked in battle: they seem to think that changing our previous test and mandating that all guides take the test was an effort on the part of a smaller group of licensed guides to change rules so that they could inheirit more of a smaller pie. Personally I support the change as long as as a similar test is drawn for our President. I think he could use the tutoring. Yours, Joe Clancy (electronic mail, August 12, 2003)
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