Taken at face value

Having lived during the events mentioned in David Frank’s piece (“Brief Parole,” December 2019- January 2020), and even during the latter part of the Viking hoax saga (“The Great Viking Hoax,” December 2019-January 2020), I realize more than ever that my younger years were a time of unwarranted trust in power figures. Perhaps the militaristic ideal of obedience permeated postwar society. Though I was hardly aware of it at the time, my school chums and I viewed those in authority with respect. No doubt we were merely reflecting the attitude of our teachers and parents. The articles by David Frank and Douglas Hunter help to show that the good old days were not always better. Peter Broughton via email