In response to Ivor Paul's April 30 letter, "Righteous indignation misplaced," which protested the recent "mean-spirited" letters about the Calderon family, I think the issue here is how the Calderon family conducted themselves after being told that they would be deported.
In my opinion, what the Calderons should have done was to honestly acknowledge that they were in Japan illegally and recognize that they were fortunate that the consequence for their dishonesty consisted of a free airplane ticket back to their native country instead of facing time in prison for breaking their host country's laws. In doing so, they could have departed with some dignity and with respect.
In contrast, the Calderons reacted by shamelessly parading their daughter before media cameras and acting like they were the hapless victims of some cruel injustice. I'm not sure which was more embarrassing to watch — the Calderons' incredibly self-serving behavior or the apparent efforts of some in the media to facilitate the Calderons' dishonest campaign.