James Baker and Lee Hamilton of the Iraq Study Group came up with a revelatory conclusion about the war in Iraq: it will never be won. Your Dec. 11 cover asks the question “Will Bush Listen?” That’s doubtful. President George W. Bush continued with the war in Iraq after no WMD were found and after Saddam Hussein was captured. How many more young men and women will be killed, maimed and crippled? For how long must we “stay the course”?
Paul Dale Roberts
Elk Grove, Calif.
It would be wise for George Bush to move forward with the bipartisan Iraq panel’s suggestion to engage in diplomacy with Iran. Though Iran’s leadership can easily be labeled extremist, Iran’s mainstream culture is not. They are Persians, a people who carry a rich history of being cosmopolitan and forward thinking. Labeling Iran extremist is like labeling America politically red or politically blue, while in fact most of the country is a rich shade of purple. If Bush continues to place all of Iran in an extremist box, he will continue to alienate a general population that could push their government to become a pragmatic and stabilizing force in the region.
Ross Freshwater
Madison, Wis.
I was heartened by the expressions of hope in “So Now What, Mr. President?” that Bush may share James Baker’s sentiments that beyond Iraq, the long-term key to Middle East stability is a final and sustainable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. Having harbored similar beliefs, I have watched in frustration as this conflict continued to worsen each year. While the Iraq Study Group report may not be the silver bullet for all that ails U.S. policy in Iraq and the Middle East, perhaps it can serve as a catalyst for more vigorous U.S. engagement in creating a viable Palestinian state and security for Israelis and Palestinians. Recent statements by both Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas show both leaders moving back toward the negotiating table. I hope the Bush administration will meet them there.
Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm Jr. (Ret.)
Washington, D.C.
Battle of the Girl Dolls The success of Bratz dolls is indicative of what is eating away at our youth culture (“Get Ready to Rumble,” Dec. 11). I have watched the shelf space for these dolls grow so that they now surpass Barbies. Barbie used to be on the chopping block because of her unrealistic body proportions, but at least she was classy and career-oriented. Bratz wear too much makeup, and don’t do anything but party and wear skimpy clothes. Do parents buying these dolls want them as role models for their girls? Thankfully, my daughter and her friends are now interested in American Girl dolls. They are more expensive but worth every penny in terms of character and educational value.
Jessica Hurd
Bettendorf, Iowa
My mother recalls Barbie as “the first doll that could do things, instead of a baby you took care of.” That was the ’ 50s. In the ’ 80s, Barbie was a dentist, an astronaut and the incarnation of other roles that girls could aspire to. For all the criticism of her impossible figure, she maintained that aura of a self-sufficient female. Now I am saddened to hear that Barbie is caving to the competition from the Bratz dolls. As a mother of three girls, I try to instill in them a positive self-image and an age-appropriate style. Bratz dolls represent a culture that complains about female self-esteem and yet, as you report, gives them dolls that they “can’t take to school because they don’t meet the dress code.” Instead of complaining about how kids act and dress today, perhaps we should simply stop buying objectionable merchandise.
Julianne Westrich
Fairport, N.Y.
Your Dec. 4 article “A Latino ‘spanking’ " did not serve your readers well. It claims that Latino support for Republican candidates dropped 10 percent in this election, compared with 2004, because of Republican immigration policies. But support for Republican candidates fell across the board and at about the same rate among white voters and independents. Every exit poll showed that it was the war in Iraq and congressional ethical lapses that alienated voters, not immigration policy. Even polls of only Hispanic voters, such as that done by the William C. Velasquez Institute, found that immigration policy was not a decisive factor. No mention was made of the many candidates–Republican and Democrat–who successfully ran on a platform of securing the borders and reducing illegal immigration.
Rep. Lamar Smith
Washington, D.C.
In “CNBC, take two” (Dec. 18), we misidentified CNBC’s senior vice president for business news. He is Jonathan Wald.
In Tip Sheet’s holiday gift guide (Nov. 27), the photo on page 60 of Eva Zeisel’s Pinnacle Sugar & Creamer set made the items appear shorter and wider than they are. NEWSWEEK regrets the errors.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-12” author: “Artie Ivy”
Getting to Know Giuliani I am extremely hard pressed to understand why NEWSWEEK, along with most of the media, insist on worshiping at the altar of Rudy Giuliani, the hero (“Master of Disaster,” March 12). What did he do during the crisis of 9/11 that any other civic leader would not have done? Did he go into the crumbled buildings to rescue his “fellow Americans” like the truly heroic firefighters and police officers that day? Did he don a flak jacket and helmet and head to Afghanistan or Iraq? What exactly has Giuliani done to inspire such adulation? From what I’ve seen, he’s simply managed to capitalize on having been in the right place at the wrong time. Cathy Brennan Pittsburgh, Pa.
Rudy Giuliani’s performance was amazing during and after the horrors of 9/11, which devastated not only New York City, but also the nation and the world. But his serially cavalier personal life demonstrates a weakness of moral and emotional integrity. This doesn’t give me—a registered Republican—a comfort level that would allow me to vote for him as president. Mary D. Dunn Chelmsford, Mass.
I am a conservative but feel many conservatives have lost their bearings. What ever happened to keeping government out of the bedroom and out of the womb? I am not pro-abortion, but I get very annoyed when conservatives want government to meddle in individuals’ lives. I think many conservatives have forgotten about the separation of church and state. Therefore, Rudy Giuliani is my man. Steve Savage Marietta, Ga.
I suspect the farther from New York, the more heroic Rudy Giuliani looks. I’ve lived in New York for more than 40 years and have worked in government and as president of the New York Urban League. I can say unequivocally that Giuliani was the most divisive, racist, mean-spirited, inflexible mayor in the past 50 years. He was isolated by choice with a small group of longtime advisers who serve him to this day. His public disdain for the black community was deplorable. The murder of unarmed immigrant Amadou Diallo was emblematic of that period. Several unjustified shootings by the cops and constant harassment of young black men is a bitter memory. The notion that Giuliani could be president is offensive, and many of us wonder why this aspect of his history is so conveniently forgotten. Harriet R. Michel New York, N.Y.
Jonathan Alter insists on making “cowboy” into a derogatory word (“Wrong Time for an Urban Cowboy?”). What do you all think a cowboy is? Spend a week being a cowboy and see if you still feel like using the word disrespectfully. Patricia Laudon Casper, WYO.
Jihadists are not going away if and when we pull out of Iraq; they are definitely waiting to strike again. Rudy Giuliani is wise to acknowledge this and I give him credit for wanting the job of president. NEWSWEEK is right about reviving America’s prestige, but it has to be done without giving an inch to the enemy. As for his urban-cowboy style—it’s exactly what we’re going to need when fighting an enemy that buys one-way plane tickets and wants Americans dead. Giuliani’s got my vote! Bob Sidoti Pompton Lakes, N.J.
A Poet of Public Importance I want to thank George Will for his wonderful essay about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (“Longfellow: A Founder,” last word, March 12). In this age of sound bites and speeches tested in focus groups, it felt good to be reminded what real wisdom sounds like. I was inspired to pick up a book of Longfellow’s works and read it aloud to myself. Rereading “Paul Revere’s Ride” I felt so grateful for Longfellow’s ability to put our nation’s mythology into words so I could feel those old stories again as if they were fresh, and, for a moment, get lost in the sense that I knew what it was like to be there on that day and make that ride. Erica Steinweg University Heights, Ohio
America hasn’t been quite as forgetful about Longfellow’s 200th birthday as George Will suggests. In addition to celebrations, readings and exhibits in Massachusetts and the city of his birth, Portland, Maine, the blogosphere was filled with commentary and poems were read on NPR. The academic tide is turning with Longfellow’s getting serious attention in several recent scholarly books. Finally, trying to enlist Longfellow as a soldier in the (now very tired) culture war against modernism does him a real disservice. In many ways Longfellow was a typical, mid-19th-century New England liberal, but with a soft ideological touch. His real virtues were a capacious mind, great cultural sympathies, a feeling imagination and a superb ear. His sense of being an American—and there was no one whose Revolutionary pedigree was finer—never conflicted with his sense of being a citizen of the world. Richard D’Abate Executive Director, Maine Historical Society Portland, Maine
GM Takes On Toyota It was refreshing to see your comparison of Toyota and General Motors (“Comin’ Through!” March 12). Most surprising was to see an article that refuted the unabashedly free-trade views that are so often featured. You mentioned that Toyota has built plants in the United States, but neglected to point out that if it weren’t for voluntary export restraints, it would never have begun manufacturing vehicles in the United States. Evidently, “protectionist” policies like VERs do help provide American jobs. Darin Gilley Pacific, Mo.
I chuckled to myself when I read that General Motors is trying to launch an electric-powered vehicle. I found this particularly infuriating after having watched the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?” GM disregarded consumers who were leasing the EV1 prototype (which was already well developed), and ended up reclaiming and destroying every test vehicle people were already driving. And we wonder why GM is in such a financial crisis? I certainly do understand the difficulties it is in right now, but this total disregard of consumers led me to one conclusion: I will never buy a GM vehicle. Alex K. Manda Amherst, Mass.
A major reason Toyota can make cars for less than it costs General Motors is the Japanese government’s policy of maintaining an artificially weak yen. The subsidized yen gives the average imported Japanese car a $4,000 windfall cost advantage over a car built in America by a U.S. automaker. For higher-end Japanese imported SUVs—like the Toyota Highlander—and for almost the entire imported Lexus line, that yen subsidy can run up to $12,000 per car. GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler have proved they can compete profitably and successfully in markets on every continent. However, Toyota and other Japanese automakers are not competing fairly because their government effectively subsidizes its auto industry through the artificially weak yen. Such a policy continues to cost American jobs and hurts the U.S. economy. Stephen Collins President, Automotive Trade Policy Council Washington, D.C.
A Fierce Sex-Change Debate I was discouraged by the article about Largo, Fla., City Manager Steven Stanton, whose needs and perceived rights apparently were more important than those of his 13-year-old son (“A Case of Gender Blues,” March 12). How sad that Stanton could not postpone his needs until his son is older and more emotion-ally equipped to handle such news. It continues to amaze me that in such an enlightened age the focus seems to be only on the perceived narcissistic urges of the parent instead of the actual needs of the true victims of adult selfishness—their children. Keith J. Van Leuven Parrish, Fla.
For commissioner Mary Gray Black to say that Steven Stanton lacks integrity, trust, respect and confidence is like the pot calling the kettle black. He demonstrates exactly these traits in being honest with himself, his family and community. As more is learned about how hormones affect the brain of the developing fetus, this kind of hate and bigotry is unacceptable. Why do these people think they get a say in someone else’s life, anyway? Robyn Niblock Hollywood, Fla.
Americans Ignorant of Religion As an avowed atheist and believer in separation of church and state, I wholeheartedly support Prof. Steve Prothero’s suggestion of teaching religion in public schools as a means to better understand and effectively engage with the rest of the world (“The Gospel of Prothero,” March 12). Unfortunately, he undermines his argument when he favors a separate Bible course and then a rest-of-the-world-religions course. No religion should trump another. Lump all religions in one course, with all receiving equal billing and no proselytizing, and I’d be happy to sign on. Jeff Gusman Santa Rosa, Calif.
I would argue, conversely, that it is critically important to have a spiritual sense of God and ethical standards, rather than be well versed in the underpinnings of all religious doctrines in the world. Too many Americans feel they know everything they need to about Jesus and the Bible. Too many profess to be devout Christians, observe their Sunday obligations and claim to be saved, but seem to have a tremendous blind spot to the actual teachings of Jesus. These same Christians are quick to judge (first ones to cast a stone), and then wonder why Americans are so reviled in other parts of the world. I wish people would study what Jesus actually taught, rather than go through the motions of their religious doctrine. If they tried to practice what Jesus preached, they might have an entirely different sense of God and the world around them. Tom Caffery Orlando, Fla.
If Americans are ignorant of the facts behind religion, a goodly share of the blame belongs to mainstream churches and their ministers. Despite the fact that Americans are attaining higher levels of education, churches remain places to believe, not places to think. Ministers rarely challenge congregants to ask questions, do research, think deeply or explore other faiths with anything like an open mind. Rigorous thought is suspect. Intellectuals, especially intellectual women, are not particularly welcome. In my experience, ministers just want congregations to believe, obey and donate—generously. Dorothy LaBounty St. Louis, Mo.
Should Art Stay or Should It Go? I recently spent an afternoon gazing at the Elgin Marbles at the British Museum, and as a first-generation Greek-American, I couldn’t help but feel a certain ambivalence regarding the rightful ownership of these magnificent antiquities (“Whose Art Is It?” March 12). On the one hand, had foreign governments not gone and preserved these relics, they may have been lost forever; on the other hand, I felt that these marbles belong in Athens, where I was one of many visitors to the Acropolis who signed a government petition to have them returned. Perhaps leading museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum will be at the forefront of establishing policy that will resolve this very complex issue. Olga Polites Cherry Hill, N.J.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-08” author: “Edward Route”
Thanks for the excellent article on Johnny Depp (“The Pirate in Johnny Depp,” June 26). I hope Depp is aware of how much we in the industry appreciate both his talent and his integrity. He is rapidly becoming the actor on whom younger, upcoming actors strive to model their careers, much as he did with his own icon, Marlon Brando. One quick side note: while his dual performances in Julian Schnabel’s “Before Night Falls” were not mentioned in your article, it’s amazing to discover how many young performers rank it right up there with Depp’s performances as Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood and Don Juan DeMarco. Fans especially admire his performance as the transvestite prostitute in the same movie (for which he, amazingly, received no billing!), awed by his total commitment to the role and his complete truth without one false moment. This, indeed, should have been his first Oscar nomination and, in my opinion, should have won him the best-supporting-actor award. It was absolutely superb work from our most unafraid, original and inventive actor.
Hugh Harrison
Los Angeles, Calif.
Thanks for your interesting and insightful cover article on Johnny Depp. He proved that he is intelligent and thoughtful and not just another pretty face. I have enjoyed his fine acting over the years and look forward to the release of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” in order to continue this appreciation. Will the photograph of him lounging be available as a life-size poster any time soon?
Leslie Dean-Stokes
Burton, Mich.
You neglected to mention Johnny Depp’s post-9/11 comments about America in which he stated “America is dumb; it’s like a dumb puppy that has big teeth that can bite and hurt you, aggressive,” and “I’d like [my kids] to see America as a toy, a broken toy.” Depp also indicated that he prefers to raise his children in the south of France. Apparently, it is acceptable for Depp to make movies in Hollywood while at the same time publicly disrespecting the country where he was born and from which he reaps enormous financial benefits. Until Depp retracts his foolish statements, I will not pay a dime to see any of his films, no matter how wonderful an actor NEWSWEEK thinks he is.
Marc Tarrasch
Los Altos, Calif.
I could have never imagined that I would find heaven waiting for me in my mailbox. While I have always loved NEWSWEEK, never in my 46 years have I loved it so deeply. The only thing better would have been opening my door to find Johnny Depp standing there. Could NEWSWEEK arrange that?
Joyce Wright
Shelbyville, Tenn.
Katharine Hepburn’s career wasnot resurrected by “Bringing Up Baby” in 1938, as you stated in your “A Star Is Reborn” sidebar. In a now famous story surely known to every film buff worth his or her bleary-eyed soul, when Hepburn hit the cinematic skids, she sought out her friend, the esteemed playwright Philip Barry, to write her a hit. He complied, she proceeded to buy the film rights to “The Philadelphia Story,” an enormous success, and the rest is movie history.
John Nangle
Bronx, N.R.
Thank you, Anna Quindlen, for making such clear sense in “The Failed Experiment” (June 26). In a country that still allows corporal punishment in our schools yet talks about breaking the chain of domestic violence, it appears that the death penalty is yet another double message in a negative cycle. Killing an accused perpetrator lowers our country’s behavior to that of the criminal. Yes, an important reason to abolish capital punishment is that someone may be falsely accused. It may also be an easy way out for the individual who does not want to take ownership and face up to the committed crime. Some criminals can be future assets to society while incarcerated, or can at least engage in retributive activity that may help to heal the victim or family. But the most significant reason is that by sanctioning the death penalty we are diminishing our own ethical and moral development as we perpetuate an act of violence.
Robbi Miller
Indianapolis, Ind.
Anna Quindlen writes that the United States, along with three other nations–China, Iran and Saudi Arabia–are responsible for nearly all the world’s executions. What Quindlen does not mention is that in 2005, the United States executed only 60 people (according to Amnesty International). How many people are going to die today on our nation’s highways? Quindlen also uses the tired cliché that the United States is one of the few countries “that kill people to make clear what a terrible thing killing people is.” Murder and capital punishment are completely different animals. True, both ultimately result in a person’s losing his or her life, but one is a crime, and the other is the ultimate punishment for that crime. In putting a person to death, we are removing an individual from our society who has proved to be a dangerous person.
Jentry Thomason
Baton Rouge, La.
Brava to Anna Quindlen for being brave enough to discuss an issue that is more nuanced than this time of “us” and “them” attitudes generally permits. After 30 years of working with both inmates and victims of crime, I have seen that both do better when there is some combination of accepting responsibility and forgiveness. Without it, most families of victims have a difficult time getting rid of the poison of their hurt and loss, and most offenders do not learn the impact of their actions. We live in a culture where violence is so often shown as the solution to our problems–from road rage to an unprovoked military invasion of another country. Our media glorify violence, and finding peaceful solutions to problems is scorned. Quindlen is correct: if, unlike the rest of the democratic world, we continue capital punishment when it is believed that at least 12 percent of those on death row can be proved innocent if modern investigative techniques are used, what does it say about our society? One death of an innocent person convicted of a crime he or she did not commit should shock every American’s sensibilities. Or have we become so immune to needless violence and killing that we have lost our moral compass?
Cynthia N. Hull
Lake Wales, Fla.
Anna Quindlen says it is “bizarre circular reasoning” for a state to “kill people to make clear what a terrible thing killing people is.” But by this reasoning, it must also be wrong to deprive kidnappers of their liberty by incarcerating them, or to deprive thieves or embezzlers of their money or property by fining them. Any form of punishment deprives offenders of something of value. Just punishment seeks a proportionality between the offense and the punishment. For some instances of killing, anything other than the loss of the killer’s life in turn simply would not be just.
Richard Eggerman
Stillwater, Okla.
The headline to Anna Quindlen’s June 26 article reads the failed experiment, as though the death penalty were intended as utopian social engineering. It isn’t. It need achieve no result other than the execution of the guilty. For some crimes, it is the only possible legitimate punishment, whether by moral or civic standards. It demands the one thing that must be demanded of a free citizen, the standard by which his freedom is earned and by which its existence is proved: full personal responsibility. To cite deprivation or root causes in mitigation is an insult in a democracy. The only cause of crime is the decision to commit it, and the maker of that decision should be accountable for it. For murder in particular, no other sentence meets that standard. Having capital punishment proves that the United States still actually respects its citizens’ choices in doling out justice. Would that other countries followed this example.
Graham Barnes
Ottawa, Canada
All my life I’ve been learning that the American way to solve problems is to kill people. The young man I looked up to when I was a boy died outside Rome during World War II. Months after my 21st birthday, I was learning how to kill people firsthand on a bayonet course, but was lucky enough to serve my tour of duty in Germany and not Korea. I turned 40 during the chaos of Vietnam, and 60 just after the gulf war. Soon I’ll be celebrating my 75th, as thousands more women and men are dying to solve our problems with Afghanistan and Iraq. Yet the wars go on and on and on. As a young pastor, I had parishioners who included a reporter who covered 25 Pennsylvania executions and a prison superintendent who had to witness several others; the deterrent effect appears to have been zero. We may have become more efficient at killing, but the outcomes haven’t changed. On the evidence of my lifetime, the only guaranteed outcome of killing as a problem-solving method is more killing. Will we ever learn?
Rev. David A. Vogan
Bellefonte, Pa.
Data are scant to nonexistent for Afghanistan, but in other parts of the developing world, for every grade completed past the fourth, a woman’s wages increase by 20 percent, and childhood mortality and birthrate both drop by 10 percent (“A War on Schoolgirls,” June 26). Education is the antidote to hopelessness. Uneducated women remain under the domination of men, dependent on them for their safety, their security, their very lives. Should we be surprised that the Taliban wishes to prevent the education of girls?
Larry Donohue, M.D.
Seattle, Wash.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-31” author: “Mark Underwood”
It was easy to oppose Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, as he was a violent, ruthless, brutal terrorist operative of Al Qaeda (“Death of a Terrorist,” June 19). But with him out of the way, the job of the United States and its allies, despite what some may think, won’t be any easier. In fact, it may even be more difficult. Now we have to deal with bona fide Iraqi Sunni insurgents–not an outsider Jordanian terrorist–who have legitimate claims to govern Iraq, as they perceive themselves as nationalists fight-ing off invading foreign devils. They are a well-organized and well-equipped force that will not likely go away any time soon. Rather than fight and kill them, as we did with Zarqawi, the United States is eventually going to have to deal with them at the negotiating table and provide them with some role in the new Iraqi government.
Kenneth L. Zimmerman
Huntington Beach, Calif.
The jubilation over the killing of Zarqawi is understandable by those who believe that death is the ultimate punishment for an evil person. To be placed in solitary confinement or to be forced to live with incurable and unrelievable pain, as many nicer people are forced to suffer, is a much worse punishment than what Zarqawi was dealt. Everyone dies at one time or another, and few are allowed to choose when or how. I just hope that when my time comes, I will go out as easily as he did.
Gabe Hausmann
Annapolis, Md.
Seeing the face of Zarqawi’s corpse on the cover of your magazine reminded me of the medieval European practice of displaying the heads of executed criminals in public areas to keep the populace mindful of the immediate enforcement of “justice” upon criminals. The realities of war and his own horrible acts aside, does our national media’s crowing over Zarqawi’s dead face speak well of our ability to promote peace and democracy anywhere?
Jesse Koskey
New York, N.Y.
Your cover story on the fatal capture of Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi was informative and necessary, yet I do not believe that headlines reading how we got him and a demon’s heart reflect any better judgment of human life than that which terrorists themselves possess. Zarqawi’s death was necessary and well deserved, but your article reveals a more important issue: are we gradually transforming into a society that is as violent and merciless as the ones we claim to be ridding this planet of?
Luke A. DiIorio
Bethlehem, Pa.
I object to the use of the collective “we” featured on your June 19 cover (“After Zarqawi: How We Got Him. What We Learned. What Comes Next”). I had nothing to do with Zarqawi’s death, and I most certainly did not need to see pictures of his corpse every day for the past week in your magazine and elsewhere in the media.
Ron Chesbrough
Hastings, Neb.
The death of Qaeda terrorist Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi is great news, but not as significant as many would have us believe. Zarqawi wouldn’t have been so effective without the substantive support of Islamic governments–primarily Iran’s. Many have been misled into believing that the “success” of Islamic terrorism is due to a few “exceptional individuals” like Zarqawi and Osama bin Laden, and that killing such leaders will defeat terrorism. But in reality the “success” is mostly due to behind-the-scenes support of dictatorships like Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria. As long as terrorist-sponsoring dictatorships exist, an effective replacement for Zarqawi (and other dead terrorist leaders) will be found. In the aftermath of 9/11 President Bush rightly vowed to go after “all” the states that sponsor terrorism–which is the only way to defeat terrorism–but he has shamefully reneged. Meanwhile, Iran is building a nuclear bomb while the United States and Europe are hopelessly wishing for diplomacy and appeasement to somehow work. It’s time to realize who our real enemies are before it’s too late.
Glenn Woiceshyn
Alberta, Canada
Abu Mussab Al-Zarqawi may be dead, but it is premature for us to be dancing in the streets in jubilation. No one yet knows if his successor will be better or worse. Since the United States was responsible for his death, I worry that our country will become the focus of a retaliatory attack, or that U.S. interests will be targeted in other countries. No doubt, more troops will lose their lives. How can we ever completely fight off this deadly insurgency when new terrorists are being born every minute?
JoAnn Lee Frank
Clearwater, Fla.
It is not surprising that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is advocating environmental policies (“The Mean Green Machine,” June 19). California is the land of wildlife sanctuaries, vegetarian restaurants, animal-rights activists and nature stewards protecting redwoods, pristine habitats and the ocean. It is commendable that the governor is addressing ecological issues, but it is also imperative for his political survival. It is the people of California who merit accolades because, in general, they embrace nature conservation and harbor compassion for all creatures great and small!
Brien Comerford
Glenview, Ill.
I enjoyed “Second Time Around” (The Boomer Files, June 19). Both of my parents are baby boomers, and I have witnessed my dad, at 49, go from a lucrative career with a worldwide investment firm to growing and expanding his own business as an independent financial adviser. I have seen numerous baby boomers pick up their lives and start over at the halfway mark. This generation does not live in fear of old age or reinvention (they’ve managed to reinvent themselves and our society for the past 40 years); the only thing they fear is stagnancy. Kudos to every one of this generation who shows the rest of us that we need not fit into the predetermined stages and steps set forth by our grandparents–the future is what we make of it, whether we’re 25 or 55. For those of us just starting out, our parents are showing us that life doesn’t stall at the midpoint, but can be kick-started onto a new and exciting path for as long as one wishes.
Erin Bernard
San Francisco, Calif.
Linda Hirshman needs some real-world experience. I don’t know anyone, male or female, who believes his or her job brings “influence, honor … [or] a way of being political” (“Managing Mommies,” periscope, June 19). Their jobs mostly make them tired and stressed. I’m a stay-at-home mom with a college degree who performs a fair amount of volunteer work, mostly with children, which enables me to shape the world around me. I’m not against working mothers, because everyone makes her own choices, but the idea that I’m wasting my time is comical. I have the most rewarding job in the world.
Andrea DeHart
Olathe, Kans.
Linda Hirshman says a woman must have a career outside the home to “have work that brings you influence, honor, compensation, a way of being political and a hand in shaping the world.” This viewpoint is extremely skewed and goes against the entire concept of what feminism stands for. My understanding of feminism is that it’s the right for a woman to choose the path that is best for her, whether that be working a full-time job or being a full-time mom. It is women like Hirshman who give feminism a bad name. In response to her remark that women should be entitled to compensation, she is overlooking one fact: that compensation can be emotional as well as monetary in value. For me, being a stay-at-home mom is what I have always wanted to do. Knowing that I can wake up every day to take care of my family will be worth far more to me than any paycheck I have or would receive.
Nancy Drucker
Maricopa, Ariz.
Your fast chat with Linda Hirshman has left me boiling over. As a stay-at-home mom (and home-schooler), I expect to have my contributions to society overlooked and undervalued by society, politicians and even my own kids some days. But to hear Hirshman do so in the name of feminism–and in such a condescending manner–is too much. I am a loud and proud feminist. I have a bachelor’s degree and a well-trained mind. My job is both deeply intellectually challenging and mind-numbingly dull, depending on the task–just like every other job I have ever had. The only difference is that no one pays me to do this. Does that make my work worthless? Should I tell my son and daughters that child rearing is worthless? No. Because just like my own stay-at-home mother, and maybe even like Hirshman’s mother, I want to teach my children they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up–even parents.
Sarah Doolittle
Efland, N.C.
I don’t know why mothers who take care of their own children full time are such a threat to the Linda Hirshmans of this world. Why does Hirshman feel compelled to judge me? She should do her own thing, by all means–be influential and impressive and change the world if that’s what she wants. But she’s wrong to pretend that she knows what my life is all about. And she shouldn’t judge what she doesn’t know.
Maggie McGirr
Greenwich, Conn.
Linda Hirshman writes that women are “entitled to be analyzed as full members of the human species.” Agreed. But why does Hirshman use employment or career choice as the basis of full membership? Does this mean that if a woman has one or more children and lets someone else raise them so she can have her career, she is fully human? And the one who chooses to postpone or give up her career to raise her children is less human? Let’s not only ask the question “Who changes history?” but also the question “Who changes history for the good?” The person who was raised by his or her mother? Or the person who was raised by a stranger because Mommy chose (and was not forced due to economic conditions) to have a career?
Christopher Hearn
St. Johns, mich.
If we well-educated, highly paid mommies are to seek high-paying, prestigious work that makes our mark on history, will we not have to rely upon low-paid, no-prestige workers to take care of our children? And won’t they mostly be female? Or maybe we could just grow the kiddos in test tubes and raise them next to the lab rats. Thanks, but no thanks, Professor Hirshman; I’m happy to die anonymous.
Terry Windhorst
Needham, Mass.
I am a well-educated and proud stay-at-home mother who worked full time for 11 years before I decided to stay home with our two wonderful boys. I made this choice years ago, before I was even married or had children. I knew this would ultimately be the most important job I would ever have. No one ever had to convince me of this, nor did I ever think it would be a sacrifice, and my husband has supported me wholeheartedly. It is ironic that Linda Hirshman claims a stay-at-home mother does not have any “influence, honor” or a “hand in shaping the world around you.” I feel that my current life’s work is in deep contrast to this. My previous careers as a public-school teacher and a humane educator for an animal shelter have helped me to be a better mother. I have taken all my education, training and skills into my home and am now teaching my sons how to be compassionate, responsible and kind citizens. There is incredible influence and honor in this, and I feel strongly that I am shaping the world by teaching them my morals and values. I believe I speak for the thousands of stay-at-home mothers and fathers in this country when I say that this is very hard work. And I sleep very well at night knowing that I have happy, healthy and bright children because of the path that I have chosen.
Claudia Mishell
Aurora, Colo.
As a stay-at-home mom with a B.A. from a private college, I have used my “expensive degree” in a variety of “fantastical volunteer jobs.” I won a statewide award for high-school-parent newsletters, edited a local history book and our city’s Comprehensive Emergency Plan, wrote a centennial church-history book and am a founding member of a nonprofit organization that helps hurricane evacuees and other homeless families. I have had time to successfully lobby our city council for changes in the ethics laws, and to serve on several city committees. Without being trapped in the routine of a full-time job, I have been able to work a variety of part-time jobs of my choice. Each of these has been a terrific hands-on learning experience. As a family, we have chosen to live on my husband’s paycheck. It has not always been easy, but we have been able to live in the Bahamas, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C., and travel extensively across the United States without being concerned about how that would affect my career. My experiences have definitely brought me “influence, honor … a way of being political and a hand in shaping the world around [me].” Monetary compensation is nice, but it is not the only value in a rewarding life.
Susan Schultz Brown
Bremerton, Wash.
Yes, it’s easily understood that characters such as Superman represent popular fiction and culture. But what was clearly lost in the Beliefwatch column “Good Fight” (Periscope, June 19) is why anyone would try to deconstruct a comic-book character such as Superman in this way. What is good and pure about Superman is that he accepts all cultures and beliefs and does not hold a religion or set of beliefs above any other. He represents the better parts of humanity and is a role model of what we should aspire to be in his fight for truth and justice. To try and place Superman in a set denomination is a mistake and makes for a faulty metaphor. To admire Superman because he represents a greater good that is worth fighting for makes much more sense.
Geoff Mosse
Savannah, Ga.
Just a special note of thanks for your item on Lyme disease (“Bitten by the Bug,” TIP SHEET, June 19). Awareness and education are the best defense against a tick bite. On behalf of the public, as well as the tireless efforts of the Tick Borne Disease Advocates, we truly appreciate this wonderful article.
Lisa Messner
Sacramento, Calif.
While it was great of you to mention Lyme disease, the small amount of space allocated to the topic left a lot to be desired. Lyme disease is truly a debilitating and complex illness when left undiagnosed and untreated. Perhaps it was not the writer’s intention, but the article could leave readers with the impression that if they don’t have a rash at least the size of a half dollar, they don’t have Lyme disease. Figures vary, depending on the source, but many experts believe that up to 40 percent of those infected with Lyme never had a rash. My daughter never did, nor did my niece–both of whom became ill with atypical (and very different) symptoms, more than one year (and 80 miles) apart. My niece was not diagnosed for more than a year, and my daughter for two and a half years, despite their combined visits to a dozen different doctors for myriad symptoms. Because of the delay in treatment, it is taking a lot longer than two weeks for a complete recovery for both girls. In the meantime, my daughter has missed out on a huge portion of the last three and a half years of her 14-year-old life. That’s time she can never recoup–and all because too many people were clueless about Lyme disease.
Susan Fairbank-Pitzer
Danvers, Mass.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-28” author: “Ashlie Black”
Thank you for a fair and balanced look at “The New Greening of America” (July 17). What a thrill to have Republicans and Democrats embracing environmentalism. Granted, much of it may be economically driven. After all, $3-per-gallon gasoline has a way of turning the most diehard SUV-lovers into Sierra Club members. But whatever the reason, it’s a step in the right direction. Let’s not forget it was Richard Nixon who signed into law the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, and established the Environmental Protection Agency. And it was Teddy Roosevelt, the original Green GOP-er, who was responsible for our unrivaled network of national parks and wildlife refuges. Which all goes to prove that while our tenuous environmental situation may be “an inconvenient truth,” it’s a “truth” that transcends party lines.
Bob August
Republicans for Environmental Protection
Nashville, Tenn.
I know that global warming is bad and getting worse. Many days, I envision a future of storms, droughts, flooded coastlines, famine and disease, and am terrified that my children and grandchildren will have to struggle with the effects of runaway climate change. But your cover story gives me hope. Even without efforts by our leaders, Americans are taking action and making a difference. These people are what make America great–intelligent, innovative, caring people working at the local and corporate level to make the world a better place. Why should we take action to stop global warming? The reason is usually sitting across from us at the dinner table.
Nancy Nolan
Lexington, Mass.
Only in america do we get things backward. Organic foods are more expensive than fast food. Hybrid cars cost more than their gas-guzzling cousins. A house built with environmentally friendly material and solar panels would break the bank for an average family. That which is supposed to help us save the environment costs more than our current planet-destroying ways. Shouldn’t the opposite be true? Maybe we’re not all onboard with protecting our future because while we may not speak of a recession, we’re counting our pennies.
Cynthia Drenckhahn
North Bellmore, N.Y.
I was disappointed not to read of any realistic, economic solutions to reduce greenhouse gases significantly. Why not hybrid cars powered by hydrogen-fueled engines with a plug into our homes and offices to charge the battery? To generate electricity to produce hydrogen, why not use nuclear power? Unfortunately, the best noncarbon (i.e., non-greenhouse-gas-producing) electricity source–hydropower–is already developed to its max. Wind power is helpful but expensive and unreliable. Solar power is good for heating water and swimming pools. Western Europe safely uses nuclear power to a large extent, and Finland, Japan and China are building new plants. If mining accidents and air-pollution health effects are considered, nuclear power is safer than coal. There are plenty of remote places to store the spent fuel safely and environmentally. Hydrogen, electricity and nuclear power are truly “green.”
David Serell
West Richland, Wash.
According to recent researchconducted at the University of Chicago, switching to a vegetarian diet is as or more helpful than switching to a hybrid car. The study concluded that an animal-based diet accounts for significantly more fossil-fuel use than a plant-based diet, and emits much more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the practice of raising animals for food causes greenhouse gases even more dangerous than carbon dioxide, primarily methane and nitrous oxide. With the wide range of vegetarian options in today’s market, it is convenient and simple to switch to a plant-based diet.
Leslie H. Armstrong
Asheville, N.C.
Nicholas O’Connell is on to something real in his July 17 my turn essay, “The Pickup Game as a Model for Peace?” Our organization has used the healing power of soccer and God’s love in war-torn countries for the past 20 years. Our founder Russ Carr’s work with Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini in Rwanda exemplifies how enemies can come together. We drew tens of thousands of spectators at our last game to watch Hutu and Tutsi athletes play rather than fight. No one cared if they were Hutu or Tutsi. Whether they could kick the ball was the only concern.
George Caylor, Board Member
Sports Outreach International
Lynchburg, Va.
I applaud Susannah Meadows (“Murder on Their Minds,” July 17) for showing that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were not soulless, satanic murderers but tormented, mentally ill teenagers who were pushed to the edge. As a 17-year-old diagnosed with severe depression and social-anxiety disorder, I understand their plight better than most. For six years, my peers have ostracized me. I’ve been left out, laughed at, pelted with staples and rocks, been the object of countless rumors, been friendless and generally harassed by other kids. And for what? Because I’m shy, overweight and unpopular with the boys. At my lowest point, I made suicide plans, held a knife to my chest, mutilated my arms and legs with a razor, and yes, thought about exacting revenge on those who hated me. Thanks to medication and therapy, I am now recovering. But what I now know is that much of the responsi-bility for school shootings lies with the faculty. So many times I was harassed right in front of apathetic teachers who did nothing. Until schools make an effort to stop bullying, as well as provide adequate counseling services (truly, what saved me), shootings will continue. If faculty had done more to stop the bullying Eric and Dylan faced, perhaps Columbine would not have happened.
Chelsea Olson
Rice, Minn.
How interesting that an article on Columbine shooter Eric Harris, who provoked snickers, was followed just pages later by an article about North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, who provokes snickers. Isn’t it clear by now that we can no longer afford to snicker at people like them?
Roslyn Reid
Bernardsville, N.J.
In “Going Green” we wrote that by bicycling part of the way to work, Kelley Howell saved three fifths of a gallon of gasoline and avoided 15 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution. Several readers questioned how that amount of gasoline, weighing less than four pounds, could have generated so much CO2. The extra mass comes from the oxygen in the air. In the engine, each atom of carbon in the gasoline molecule combines with two atoms of oxygen to make carbon dioxide. Additionally, in calculating pollution from automobiles, scientists take into account the carbon dioxide emitted in extracting, refining and transporting the petroleum.
Our July 17 Leadership & Innovation Q&A with Mel Karmazin reported that Sirius Satellite Radio announced it had added 600,000 new subscribers in the past four months–exceeding the growth of its larger rival, XM, for the first time. In fact, the firm announced it had added 600,000 new subscribers in the second quarter, and had exceeded XM’s growth for the past three quarters, not merely the most recent. NEWSWEEK regrets the error.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-18” author: “Irene Trujillo”
George Fonseca
Mumbai, India
In Mukesh Ambani, India’s burgeoning billion people, most of them farmers, are seeing hope of lasting prosperity. Ambani has emerged credibly successful because he has focused on the core areas that need betterment so badly in India. His emphasis on farming is appreciated in a country where agriculture is the occupation of the majority.
K. Chidanand Kumar
Bangalore, India
Mukesh Ambani may be right in assuming, from the business point of view, that his proposed endeavors in rural areas would give a fillip to agriculture and generate rural employment. However, given the current imbalances in India’s agriculture planning, it would not be prudent to expect a dramatic change in the plight of the Indian farmer any time soon. Some years back, cash crops caught the fancy of Indian farmers and they invested in them on a very large scale. Then drought in some parts of the country and excessive rains in other parts, coupled with high debts, soured the dream. Many tragic and alarming cases of suicide have come to light now. With no proper government policy in place, Indian agriculture is in a perpetual state of decline. In such a situation, the odds seem to be stacked against the success of any big business ventures based on nothing other than agricultural inputs.
R. K. Sudan
Jammu, India
In reference to your cover story about Mukesh Ambani, I found your statement “about half of Indian homes do not have electricity” to be very amusing indeed. When will the Western media give up these outrageous stereotypes about India? We are neither an exotic country of snake charmers nor a backward country without electricity.
G. Balaji
via internet
I am not defending the alleged killings in Haditha, but, sadly, I think I can understand them (“Probing a Bloodbath,” June 12). After all, Iraqis do far worse to their own countrymen every day, carrying their outrages to ever-newer heights of savagery. Students going to exams are marched off buses and murdered in cold blood for belonging to the wrong sect; mosques, markets and restaurants are bombed; people are tortured. We have a few soldiers who, allegedly, lost it after their buddies and other soldiers were killed. For those who have forgotten or never knew their history, the Allies killed more than 30,000 in the firebombing of Dresden in WWII, and for no direct military reason. Abuses and violations of the laws of war have occurred in every armed conflict in human history, regardless of how well led or disciplined the troops involved were. Indeed, by the standards of past conflicts, U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan have behaved in exemplary fashion, using force in combat with unprecedented precision, minimizing collateral damage and civilian deaths.
A. Fine
San Francisco, California
It was chilling to read the victims’ accounts of what happened at Haditha. For the sake of the Marines allegedly involved and our country’s reputation, I hope it all proves to be untrue. However, I was disturbed to learn that this was the third tour of duty in Iraq for this particular unit. One tour of duty can result in such severe posttraumatic stress disorder that an individual may need to be sent home. It is hard to imagine the mental trauma the Marines on their third tour must be experiencing and how it affects their sanity. I believe a draft is necessary to lessen the burden of our troops. True or not, events like those at Haditha would be less common if more Americans helped shoulder the weight.
William W. Bruzzo
Orange, California
In “What’s Wrong With Russia " (July 17), you say, “What a change from a decade ago,” charging Putin’s Russia with backsliding on the advances made in the 1990s. This premise ignores the fact that Boris Yeltsin’s Russia was a time of chaos and corruption, led by criminal oligarchs who seized power and riches. In many ways, rolling back from the Yeltsin years should be seen as a positive development. As someone who has made more than 100 trips to Russia in the past 15 years, I can testify that this country has made breathtaking progress on the way to freedom and prosperity. This opinion is shared by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who recently commented that Russian leadership today rules “sensibly and [is] ever more forward-thinking.” Under Putin, personal incomes have realized average increases of more than 12 percent, and 7 million fewer Russians live in poverty today than in 2003. Perhaps people aren’t “interested in climbing up on barricades anymore” because their lives are more comfortable and safe. There are some troubling trends, and everyone should push Russia to ensure greater democracy and transparency. But by ignoring the progress that has taken place, you leave readers with an unfair, distorted view of Russia today.
Edward Lozansky,
President
American University in Moscow
Moscow, Russia
As a two-decade subscriber to NEWSWEEK, I could hardly believe my eyes while reading “What’s Wrong With Russia.” I have never seen more narrow-minded, biased journalism. Besides using pictures of shantytowns to represent St. Petersburg–one of the most beautiful cities in the world–the authors repeatedly come to the wrong conclusion that the real issue at the recent G8 summit was what Russia might be: democracy, kleptocracy or something in between. Yes, there are many reasons to worry about democracy in Russia, but there are also other issues that should have been addressed when the G8 summit was discussed. Russia is not a debt-afflicted state anymore. Its federal reserves are more than $300 billion today. Russia owns the world’s largest gas reserves, and its oil reserves are second only to Saudi Arabia’s. When it comes to skyrocketing oil prices and the predictable shortcomings in the world’s energy supply in the near future, Russia will become a major player on the global stage.
Zsolt Szeremy
Tata, Hungary
How could NEWSWEEK run a story on Russia today without reflecting on American “democracy”? A comparison would offer striking similarities. Vladimir Putin’s dictatorial practices are being exposed when a federal court tells George W. Bush that he is using power unlawfully in the name of fighting terror. The Kremlin appoints trusted men in key industrial positions; in America, big business largely determines the presidential election–and its favors are returned by lucrative contracts. Russia stopped selling energy to Ukraine at favorable prices after the latter decided to move into the Western camp. America makes use of information on all financial transactions by banks around the world, and threatens to boycott these institutions if they become involved in financial transfers to the democratically elected Palestinian government. There is one striking difference: Russia is trying to put its house in order; America wants to dominate the world. Where does the European Union figure in this picture? There aren’t many differences, except that we’re more like a satellite of the American administration. We need to put our house in order, too, and stick to independent stances on issues of justice and human rights before we get caught up in more American-created turmoil with Israel in the Middle East.
Leopold Vansina
Korbeek-lo, Belgium
Your article “What’s wrong with Russia” gives a negative, one-sided view of Vladimir Putin’s rule. This correlates alarmingly well with George W. Bush’s lashing out at Putin at the G8 summit about Russia’s not being democrat-ic enough–as if Bush would dare to address this topic after his military-dictated version of “democracy” in Iraq. At the core of the article’s negativity, through clever manipulation of visual images and sources of information, lie the same concerns of the Bush administration: oil resources and who controls what, this time in Russia. Under Putin’s rule, Russian oil, banks and industries are mainly under Russian control. It must be frustrating to Bush that the chances of an American monopoly in Russia are thus very slim.
Deborah Barnard
Stellenbosch, South Africa
The article “What’s Wrong with Russia” is misleading. It is not true that “drink-and-cigarette kiosks have been bulldozed, without compensation for the owners.” They were dismantled because they were selling illegal booze and people were getting sick from it. To quote rights activist Daniil Kotsubinsky as saying “Now [St. Petersburg is] one of the most corrupt, criminal and fascist cities in Europe” is to state a personal opinion with no concrete evidence, similar to my opinion that Bush is an idiot. It is true that “authorities are turning a blind eye to a nasty rise in hate crimes.” St. Petersburg has had several incidences of such crimes. However, these are isolated events. In general, people are good and friendly. Many of my American (as well as Arab and Ethiopian) friends have visited St. Petersburg. They were impressed with this city.
Alexandre Chakhnovski
St. Petersburg, Russia
In an interesting and well-balanced article, Anatol Lieven and Rajan Menon present “A Plan for Afghanistan” (July 31). However, they make both a factual and analytic mistake in their introductory paragraph, where they misreport President Hamid Karzai as saying that Afghanistan will keep asking for more and more U.S. troops to face the Taliban threat. During a recent visit by the U.S. secretary of Defense to Kabul, President Karzai and the secretary attended a joint press conference where the president was asked whether Afghanistan would want the United States to help more. He replied: “If the question is whether we still need American assistance, very, very much; whether we still need the American assurance, very, very much; whether we still need American participation, very strongly.” And he added: “Yes, much more, and we will keep asking for more, and we will never stop asking.” I wish to clarify that President Karzai, when asking for continued help, was addressing U.S. assistance in the wider sense, not just an American military presence in our country. Today Afghanistan is facing many challenges, and the security issue is but one of them. Terrorist violence in Afghanistan emanates from a wide range of factors including external influences, weakness of our security institutions, drug-related interests and economic underdevelopment, particularly in the southern provinces. To address this threat comprehensively we would depend on continued American assistance on all these fronts, not just the military front.
Jawed Ludin, Chief of Staff
Office of the President
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Kabul, Afghanistan
As a regular reader of NEWSWEEK, I found “Islam in Office” (July 3/July 10) especially interesting and informative. According to your coverage, in recent years some 500 Islamic banks have emerged in the gulf states alone, and Gordon Brown, the British chancellor of the Exchequer, wants to make London the global center for Islamic finance. I would add that Muslims are suffering enormously at the hands of others, including some of their own zealots. Yet if the current trends continue, Muslims could eventually owe a special title of distinction to George W. Bush for his unparalleled services rendered to Islam.
Asif H. Kazi
Lahore, Pakistan
Stephen Glain writes, “Ten Arab countries (Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait and Pakistan) … " But Morocco, Turkey, Iran and Pakistan have nothing in common with Arab countries except religion. If Glain does not make even this distinction, how can the reader be sure that the rest of the article is accurate?
Kaya Günday
Berlin, Germany
While I agree with everything Glain has written, he does himself a disservice by billing non-Arab countries as Arab. Having Turkish and Pakistani heritage, I can confidently declare that these two countries are neither Arab nor Arabic-speaking. Had you called them Muslim or Muslim-majority countries, you would have been accurate. Additionally, Iranians may not take kindly to being called Arab. It is equivalent to calling an American a Canadian. Otherwise, a good job on an interesting piece. Such articles show the practical nature of the religion along with the accomplishments of some of its greatest thinkers, even if we have to contrast these with the caliphate-obsessed agenda of the über -right-wingers of many Muslim countries.
Kamal T. Pirzada
chicago, illinois
Your claim that Jewish scripture does not address commerce is inaccurate. The Torah does discuss business practices, and the Talmud discusses commerce in painstaking detail.
Adam Singer
Via internet
In “Bound to the Tracks” (July 17), we said Golmud was the capital of China’s Qinghai province. In fact, the capital is Xining.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-14” author: “Susan Degennaro”
Thank you for the colorful photo of passengers crowded at Gatwick Airport (“The New Age of Terror,” Aug. 28). It brought real faces to the threat of terror and emphasized the individuals who have died by the thousands in mass-murder terrorism. Each passenger is alive because of good intelligence work. Thank God they survived that day and are not part of a memorial. The photo is a celebration of life, which touches my heart and reminds me why we continue to fight terrorism.
Ruth Gonzalez
Lake Oswego, Ore.
Who would have thought that a picture of something as simple as a plane in flight, featured on your cover, could be so ominous? I don’t know how we combat such a threat, but I shudder to think of the ways the Constitution will be ignored, all in the name of safety. Terrorists are winning for no other reason than because we are slowly giving up our way of life and the principles on which this country was built.
David Battistelli
Redford, Mich.
it was extremely depressing to read your cover story. Sadly, so many Americans still believe we are actually fighting terror by invading and occupying Iraq, a nation that never attacked or threatened us. As the article states, “Iraq continues to be not only a recruiting ground but also a training base for future terrorists.” To make matters worse, we’ve inflamed Muslims worldwide and alienated our closest allies. In the six years since the Bush administration took office, we’ve become the world’s most despised nation, squandered our incredible budget surplus to amass the greatest deficit in history, and made the planet far less safe than ever imagined after the cold war. Will our children ever forgive us?
John McEnrue
Kingston, N.Y.
Robert Samuelson writes in “Terror’s Economics” that the costs of the war on terror could be a minimum of $1.1 trillion in present value. But then he minimizes the impact on the economy: “Still, this spending is a tiny share of all federal spending.” He continues, “The result is that–so far–terrorism has been an economic blank.” So I ask, where did that $1.1 trillion come from? Last time I looked the national debt was $8.5 trillion! And the budget deficit already exceeds $400 billion this year. So we obviously don’t have extra money to sink into a war. That money must come at the expense of other things. Cuts were made this year in education, nutrition programs for women and children, job training, medical research and science programs. Also slated for cuts this year were the Environmental Protection Agency and the Small Business Administration, among others. So I ask again, how can you say that “terrorism has been an economic blank”?
Madelon Wetor
Fox Point, Wis
.
Anyone who believes confiscating a bottle of water from a 10-year-old heading to Disney World or forcing an 80-year-old woman to remove her shoes is going to make air travel safer is only kidding themselves. Enough already with the mindless scare tactics. I think the average American is well aware of just who should be profiled for suspected terrorist acts of murder and mayhem. Oh, forgive me for using the term “profiling.” That wouldn’t be politically correct, right?
J. J. Grimes
Watertown, Mass.
Thanks to Michael Gerson’s “the View From the Top,” we finally have some clear insight into the strategy of the “war on terror” and what the Bush administration is trying to accomplish. Although I typically keep a healthy dose of skepticism for this and every other administration, it is hard to argue with Gerson’s logic. And at least there appears to be a strategy after all. If President Bush could deliver his message with the same understandable logic and frankness he may find himself recouping a lot of lost support. Turning the page to see the face of Hizbullah’s Hassan Nasrallah only hammers home how radical Islamic leaders remain united in their hatred of us while our leaders are increasingly divided over how to deal with those determined to kill us.
Michael R. Gourley
Highland, Ill.
Michael Gerson’s piece on presi-dent Bush’s accomplishments and the lessons of “five tumultuous years” deserves accolades for eloquence, passion and loyalty to his former boss. But it also cries out for a reality check. After five years of such a “democratic idealism” and a “Bush doctrine … directed toward a vision,” what does America have to show for it? An Iraq on the verge of a catastrophic civil war, the Middle East Roadmap for Peace torn to shreds and North Korea and Iran–two of the three “Axis of Evil” members–totally out of control. Our nation is no safer and more divided than ever before and we’ve alienated our allies. In his zeal and devotion to the president, Gerson manages to make a virtue out of “cowboy diplomacy,” and a sin out of the “infinite patience of Europe.”
Dorian de Wind
Austin, Texas
For College-Bound Students I have always felt that the large eastern universities are sought after for no reason other than name (“25 New Ivies,” Aug. 28). When my children were applying to college we discovered that many prominent people went to state schools and did quite well. So I told them they could go to any college they wanted as long as it was in state. All three went to schools that offered excellent educations, lower tuition, smaller campuses and, best of all, teachers that are all Ph.D.s and do their own teaching–no grad students teaching like in bigger universities. My children are happy and doing well, all for about a third of what Harvard costs.
Nilsa V. Lobdell
Pisgah Forest, N.C.
I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised to see your articles on preparing for college. Instead of the usual assertions that students must have a near-perfect SAT, and have personally and courageously saved the lives of at least five people, I found a story admitting it’s fine to take the ACT, an admissions dean stressing that it’s all right to make mistakes in entrance essays and statistical evidence showing that going to college at all is much more important in life than what college you attend. Nothing breaks my heart more than to hear young people say they aren’t qualified for college because they are “average.” They doom themselves to lower incomes, smaller horizons and lesser lives. Thank you for showing plenty of other options.
Sarah Cavanah
Omaha, Neb.
Israeli prime minister Golda Meir said, “We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.” In your Aug. 28 article “The Real Nasrallah,” Hizbullah’s Hassan Nasrallah says, “We, in the leadership of Hizbullah, do not spare our children and save them for the future. We pride ourselves when our sons reach the front line. And stand, heads high, when they fall [as] martyrs.” Meir expressed a universal drive: continuation of the species. Nasrallah speaks of a principle contrary to the very essence of the life force on this planet.
Steve Campbell
Burbank, Calif.
What happened in New Orleans is a story that deserves to be told (“Spike’s Katrina,” Aug. 28), but I wish Spike Lee hadn’t overlooked the rest of the region. I spent three weeks in Biloxi, Miss., as a Red Cross volunteer and saw the most devastated parts of the coast. Miles of rubble were left in Katrina’s wake and many towns were totally flattened. What moved me most was the bravery, kindness, perseverance and survival mentality of those I met–people sifting through the ruins of their homes and a lifetime of possessions. Katrina was an equal-opportunity storm. It did not discriminate among rich or poor, black or white. I saw ruins of mansions and rubble of modest little cabins. The people of Mississippi and the Gulf Coast must not have their stories go untold.
Laurie B. Epstein Folsom, Calif.
The theory that levees in the Ninth Ward were blown up intentionally is by no means an “alarmingly popular notion in New Orleans.” And they weren’t dynamited to “preserve the city’s wealthiest wards by flooding its most blighted.” Lakeview is the city’s wealthiest ward, and it experienced an identical levee failure yielding the same results as the Ninth Ward breach. The major difference is that residents of Lakeview owned vehicles and had the means (credit cards, second homes, etc.) to evacuate. Those who relied on the government were subject to some horrible conditions. This Spike Lee film will most likely set New Orleans back yet again. Any time you present one side of any given story, it blurs the truth. That’s something we’re sick and tired of down here.
Eric Doyle
Laplace, La.
In “25 New Ivies” we said Notre Dame University is home to football’s legendary Fighting Irish. It is actually the University of Notre Dame
Allan Sloan in “The Truth about Buffett’s Tax Bill” (The Cruncher, Sept. 4) reported that Warren Buffett’s federal income-tax savings from his big charitable gifts will be about 0.0005 of 1 percent. The correct number is 0.05 of 1 percent.
“Troubled Time for Trees” (Periscope, Aug. 28) stated that American chestnut trees were decimated by Dutch elm disease. In fact, it was the chestnut blight fungus. And hemlocks are being killed by an organism called woolly adelgid, not woody adelgid. NEWSWEEK regrets the errors.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-13” author: “Guadalupe Arteaga”
I commend NEWSWEEK for asking whether young students are being pushed too hard scholastically (“Too Much Too Soon?” Sept. 11). As a father of four, I can provide a resounding “yes.” After experiencing this trend in both public and private schools, my wife and I are considering home-schooling our children simply to prevent their natural motivation to learn and wonder from being stolen from them. Families must stand up and advocate for our children. All the blame can’t be put on No Child Left Behind legislation. I fear that if the tide doesn’t turn, childhood itself may be what is left behind.
Sean Durham
Baton Rouge, La.
Good grief! It wasn’t important that I was reading when I was 5, but that I was being read to. Now, less than a year from my Ph.D. in biology, it certainly doesn’t matter that in fourth grade I wasn’t “succeeding” and was ultimately sent to a math tutor for help with fractions. Students need to learn first how to learn, and that learning is not only rewarding but something that can be pursued through life. I promise if they love to learn, they’ll learn to read. And figure out fractions, too!
Bronwyn Heather Bleakley
Ellettsville, Ind.
I’m a first-grade teacher in my seventh year in Los Angeles. I choose to teach in an urban, low-income, minority school because I was once one of the students I now teach with all my heart. However, I am saddened to see what public education has become. I had inspiring teachers in more than 12 years of public school who led me to a degree from Yale with a minor in education. Your article was right on target in voicing the heartfelt sentiments of teachers in the trenches. We need to redirect our nation’s education policy to a saner, more balanced approach, and we need to remember that first graders are still developing and learning to love school.
Chantel Mendivil
Los Angeles, Calif.
The question of too much too soon illustrates what happens when politicians try to fix something they know little about. The No Child Left Behind legislation assumes it is possible to codify the educational process and make students and teachers tow the mark. Wasn’t the generation now pushing overregulated schools the same one that got us to the moon and heralded the technorevolution of our modern era? Why would these folks deem it necessary to rewrite the process that fueled such marvelous achievements?
Lawrence D. Cullen
Buxton, N.C.
On the fifth day of school, when we still hardly know each other, my first-grade students begin their first round of literacy assessments. We have pre- and post-tests, subtopic and topic exams, and Roadmap for Learning tests every six weeks to ensure we’re on the same page districtwide. Making room for this testing has taken away the valuable, creative and fun projects that got me nominated and selected as Teacher of the Year. Now those projects are viewed as “fluff” we no longer have time for. My former students know it’s the fluff that taught them so many valuable skills.
Diane Cimino
Berlin, Conn.
As the director of a nursery school, I am only too aware that kindergarten is the new first grade. Often, our children will interview for kindergarten, and the admissions director will report back–with obvious derision–that the child isn’t even reading yet. What happened to our job to teach children how to socialize and be members of a group? Pretty soon our 2-year-olds will be expected to know letter sounds! What’s next? Teaching 9-year-olds to drive? What’s the hurry?
Wendy F. Levey
New York, N.Y.
“The New Naysayers” (Sept. 11) was the most thought-provoking piece on religion and culture I’ve come across in a long time. While I didn’t agree with every argument presented by the modern scholars who view atheism as a smarter approach, there was no avoiding the way their words kept forcing me to question elements of my faith. This is what great writing should do. After all, how can we grow if we don’t continue questioning the things we’ve been led to believe?
Corey Schubert
Rockledge, Fla.
In the 1988 campaign, the first George Bush was quoted saying, “No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots.” Imagine if that had been applied to Jews, African-Americans or any other group. In an age of increasing diversity and tolerance, atheists seem to be the only minority left that Americans can openly despise with impunity. If Richard Dawkins needs to get to know a few ordinary believers, shouldn’t believers also get to know a few ordinary atheists?
Karen Hwang
Watchung, N.J.
It’s interesting that people blame religion for the violence in the world. I tend to blame good old-fashioned greed, pride, jealousy and hatred. It seems that our species just hasn’t been able to kick these traits through natural selection. In fact, our atheist friends have had quite the track record when in political power. The regimes of Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot are responsible for the most brutal human-rights abuses in our history, as well as murdering and terrorizing millions. I’m not quite sure how all this helped preserve the gene pool, but I am willing to keep an open mind.
Andy Searle
Mundelein, Ill.
At the tender age of eleven i thought long and hard about the religion I’d grown up in and eventually became an atheist. Even so young I realized most people believe what they believe because it’s what their parents taught them. I would say that religion is responsible for at least as many heinous acts as munificent ones. Consequently, I’d rather be at the mercy of an atheist than someone who believed in a different god. I am fond of this bumper-sticker quote: “When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
Marc-Paul Lee
Evanston, Ill.
I was insulted that Jerry Adler ended his article by saying believers can take comfort in knowing atheism “barely amounts to a movement.” Atheists aren’t blowing up abortion clinics or stating that gays should be executed. We have done nothing to deserve the reputation we have.
Charles Kressbach
Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
Both the faithful and the atheists need to keep in mind the difference between belief and certainty. It is possible to believe there is a God or that no deity exists, but this is not the same as being certain. There is much about the origin and scope of the universe that we may never know for certain. I have no problem with any religion as long as it remains about belief rather than absolute certainty. Belief is compatible with respect and tolerance for other beliefs. Certainty is an arrogance that leads to intolerance, disrespect and, all too often, terror and war.
Ray Sachs
West Chester, Pa.
I’d like to offer my praise to Fareed Zakaria for his levelheaded and honest evaluation of the threat presented by Iran (“The Year of Living Fearfully,” Sept. 11). Without using extremist language or rhetoric, Zakaria points out that, rather than being an immediate military threat like Nazi Germany was, Iran is most dangerous because, like the former Soviet Union, its radical ideology and growing influence can help fuel and finance terrorist groups and upstart tyrannies across the world. As we’ve seen with Hizbullah, Iran likes to employ others to do its dirty work.
Andrew Valencia
Dinuba, Calif.
The insightful Fareed Zakaria misses the importance of nuclear weapons when he says, “Saddam, we were assured in 2003, had nuclear weapons.” In fact, in 2003 we were assured he had poison gas, aluminum tubes and ambition. George Bush’s initial use of the term “weapons of mass destruction” grouped nuclear weapons with mustard gas, creating a level of societal confusion so widespread that even Zakaria uses the term nuclear weapons as if it were synonymous with weapons of mass destruction. Iran is not Iraq. Tehran has an operational nuclear program, not just ambition and tubing. We must not confuse nuclear weapons with mustard gas. And we can’t confuse the danger posed by a despicable Saddam Hussein on one hand and nuclear Iran on the other.
Brad Sherman
Ranking Democrat, House Subcommittee on
International Terrorism and Nonproliferation
Washington, D.C.
Your depiction of Donald Rumsfeld’s address to the American Legion is inaccurate. On the perspectives page and in “The ‘Islamofascists’ " (Sept. 11) you misrepresent his remarks as having “compared critics of the administration to those who sought to appease Hitler in the buildup to World War II.” Rumsfeld did not say that. In fact, he never mentioned any critics of the Iraq war in his remarks. Instead, Rumsfeld’s remarks were an effort to remind people of the similarities between past and current periods in U.S. history. He warned against a mentality of dismissing real and gathering threats while focusing nearly exclusively on American imperfections–a mentality that could undermine our nation’s ability to prevail in what will be a long and difficult struggle against violent extremists. We invite readers to view the full text of the remarks at defenselink.mil/speeches.
Dorrance Smith
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-30” author: “Michael Mayo”
I am thrilled to be alive at a time when we have the technology to determine the status of an object billions of miles away (“Of Cosmic Proportions,” Sept. 4). The universe has been mysterious since the beginning of humankind. While it’s understandable that some people are disappointed Pluto is no longer a full-fledged planet but a dwarf planet, I’m sure there were those who felt the same about the moon’s not being made of cheese. There is no need for embarrassment when explaining to children that we’ve changed Pluto’s title. What an opportunity to show excitement for other astronomical discoveries there will surely be within their lifetime!
Celeste Peterson
Chicago, Ill.
While many people are not happy with Pluto’s demotion, the real story is how science changes in light of new discoveries. Since the discovery of Pluto in 1930, we’ve learned that, in fact, it is a binary object with a moon more than half its size. It is only the first of a class of objects discovered in the outer reaches of our solar system. The study of science is often contentious and interpretation of data is far from unanimous, but we can all agree that the universe is a much more interesting and complex place than previously thought.
Mark Moser
Hickory, N.C.
What kind of people are we to kick Pluto out of the solar system just because the poor fellow is small and has a slightly elliptical orbit? Maybe the astrophysicists who voted for the ouster were never kicked off a team for not being enough of a brute, but I know how it feels. Now are we going to hear that Rhode Island isn’t really a state but a dwarf state? Is the Jordan River going to be downsized to the Jordan Creek? I guess size does matter–a lot.
Steve Cavalier
Baton Rouge, La.
As a member of the international Astronomical Union who participated in the process of reclassifying Pluto, I was pleased to see NEWSWEEK’s accurate discussion of our motivations and the complications involved in defining a planet. However, I want to point out a second IAU decision regarding Pluto that was omitted from your report. While astronomers may have decided to demote Pluto from its planetary status, we did not intend to reduce its significance in our solar system. Immediately following our declaration of the eight planets, we created a new category of relatively large objects beyond Neptune’s orbit. As the first known member, Pluto holds a special position in this category. Since these Kuiper Belt objects have been less altered by the collisions that form planets, they hold fascinating clues to the early days of our solar system’s formation. Pluto may be more important to astronomers now than ever before.
Ginny McSwain
Department of Astronomy, Yale University
New Haven, Conn.
I cannot believe that after 76 years, astronomers have decided to call Pluto a dwarf planet. Since before my grandparents were born, Pluto has been recited in the familiar children’s verse of planets. To change that now won’t have much effect on children in elementary schools today, but for those who grew up with Pluto, often confusing it with the cartoon dog, it’s been engraved into our minds, making it harder to forget. When I grew up there were nine planets; when my children grow up there will be eight planets plus a hoard of dwarf planets. To me this is ridiculous!
Elizabeth Coleman
Richfield, Utah
It could be that Pluto is a planet that’s still maturing. With such a huge orbit, maybe it’s just taking longer to clear it of debris. In the past the area of the other planets’ orbits likely had their equivalent Kuiper Belts that were cleaned up more quickly for a variety of reasons. The same reasoning that claims a group of cells a few days old is still a human being could be applied to the claim that a cosmic body in the process of growing is still a planet. Pluto should be studied to learn how planets develop into the size they do.
Dan Thompson
Union, Ore.
Why all this fuss over Pluto’s losing its planet classification? Now Pluto can enjoy nondescript repose in the vast universe, oblivious to humankind. Attention should be focused on our planet with all its inconsiderate miscreants abusing it. Will God provide us a new one when we ruthlessly ruin and destroy this one?
Bob Amento
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Good grief. must everything be so complicated? If nothing else, let Pluto be the elected planet representative of all the other objects in the Kuiper Belt. A little cosmological democracy couldn’t hurt. I mean, who in the world (or the universe) wants to be called minor? The new definition for planetary status seems reasonably acceptable, but leave Pluto alone. Put an asterisk beside it if you must, and think of all the discussion it could generate. Gee, that can’t be bad for astronomy, can it?
Gary Hines
Gualala, Calif.
Thank you for the thoughtful article on the Pluto controversy. However, I thought more emphasis should have been placed on the sheer ridiculousness of many people’s reactions to the change in Pluto’s status. Even your Conventional Wisdom feature complained about Pluto’s being “booted out of the solar system by no-fun experts.” That kind of juvenile attitude toward science and scientists is, unfortunately, precisely the one that is shared by far too many Americans these days. People become enraged when science makes a decision or a discovery that they don’t like. They don’t like the change in Pluto’s status. They don’t like evolution. They don’t like global warming. But the fact is that science is not about giving us answers we like or want. I sincerely hope someday we can abandon this childish and ignorant attitude toward science.
Michael Manhart
Phoenix, Ariz.
Your article “When The Cameras Left” (Sept. 4), about Bronwynne Bassier, whom President Bush hugged and promised to help in the days after Katrina and who still waits for a work visa, crystallized a lot of my views. The Bush administration has spent six years focusing on “bring it on” and “shock and awe” rhetoric. For a country that can launch the Marshall Plan, put Americans on the moon, stare down communism and move thousands of military personnel and heavy equipment all across the Mideast, leaving New Orleans and the gulf region as an open sore is a global embarrassment. It doesn’t matter to me whether the folks are Republican or Democrat, Blue State or Red State–they are American and I am American, and they deserve better than the current leadership.
James Brannick
Elmira, N.Y.
It’s obvious that Katrina has devastated countless lives. Yet I find it hard not to judge 28-year-old Taphina Jefferson, who was featured clutching two babies on your cover when Katrina struck and was mentioned again in “New Orleans Blues.” Jefferson is only 28 and is a single mother of seven children! Yes, Katrina made her life much more difficult, that’s for sure. Your article was a case study on what was wrong in New Orleans well before the hurricane. How many other Taphina Jeffersons are seeking assistance in New Orleans because of their poor decisions? Now, that’s a troubling question.
Jon England
Kansas City, Mo.
If global warming is in progress, and the ice caps are melting, then sea levels are expected to rise by 20 feet in the next century. What does that mean for increased costs and the relative benefits of trying to rebuild the lower parts of New Orleans? Wouldn’t it be futile?
John D. Froelich
Upper Darby, Pa.
Jonathan Alter’s “still blind to the Poverty,” on the aftermath of Katrina, hit where it hurts the most–our current administration. Republicans continue to view poverty as the disease of lost self-esteem. However, despite whatever efforts they make to quell this image, conservatives in Washington still behave like Lady Macbeth, showing an arrogant confidence at leading the nation while cursing that “damned spot” of poverty that never seems to wash out. They had an enormous opportunity to show compassion after Katrina. Now they have only their rhetoric, while many of Katrina’s victims have nothing.
Frederik Norberg
Iowa City, Iowa
To blame president bush for our post-Katrina woes is wrong. Sure, he has made mistakes, but as the worst natural disaster in our history, Katrina introduced unprecedented challenges. Help has been sent, but our unique political climate slows its effectiveness. Blame the Corps of Engineers all you want, and justly so, but what about local levee boards that totally failed in their duty? The federal government erred, but local officials who should know the people’s needs erred worse. So don’t blame Bush. I’ve been living here 60 years and know firsthand the conditions that existed long before Katrina.
Gary Beauchamp
Laplace, La.
Last I checked, Mississippi seemed to be rebuilding just fine. New Orleans is a great example of failed liberal policies–from failed education to housing to welfare. If this were the Gulf Coast of Texas or Florida, quite a different result would occur–not because of the federal government, but because of the local citizens. It is not up to the Feds to solve every problem. Bush got the funding–he can’t pound the two-by-fours.
Fred Hammer
Parker, Colo.
I am surprised that the American Medical Association “applauded the FDA’s approval of Plan B as an OTC [over-the-counter] option” (“New Plan for Plan B,” Periscope, Sept. 4). With abortion and Plan B as backups against unwanted pregnancy, sexually active couples will now have little incentive either to practice “safe sex” or postpone sexual intercourse until marriage. Do the AMA and the American Pharmacists Association now believe that sexually transmitted diseases are not behavior related? That’s the message both these groups are sending to sexually active young Americans by their approval of this irresponsible FDA action.
Richard H. Escobales Jr.
Buffalo, N.Y.
The long-overdue FDA ruling on Plan B emergency contraception (EC) is great news for women and women’s health. But keeping it behind the counter will dramatically compromise timely access and EC’s potential to reduce unintended pregnancies. Comprehensive scientific data show EC is safe, effective and meets all FDA criteria for over-the-counter status–including self-indication of need, no potential for overdose and uniform dosage. The FDA has no legitimate scientific or medical basis for keeping EC behind the counter. The FDA’s own blue-ribbon panel of health experts voted overwhelmingly in favor of true over-the-counter access. Planned Parenthood will continue providing access to EC to all women–with the hope that one day every woman will have every chance to prevent unintended pregnancy.
Vanessa Cullins, M.D.
VP for Medical Affairs, Planned Parenthood
New York, N.Y.
Michael Gerson’s article (“A Delicate Balance,” Sept. 4) left me angry, frustrated and having difficulty finding the logic in his thinking. It is hard to understand why those who are already born somehow have fewer rights than embryos that will actually be discarded. People living with disabilities and diseases have already contributed to society and could continue doing so if given a new lease on life. Gerson speaks of scientists’ having been given time since President Bush’s 2001 speech to seek alternatives to embryonic stem-cell research. I can only say that these past five years would have been far better spent researching cures than trying to appease a minority of Americans.
Susan Hoefler
North Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Like Michael Gerson, I am struck by the fact that “American conscience remains on duty.” But what makes me aware of the influence of the American conscience has absolutely nothing to do with the debate about the future of unborn embryos, and much to do with Americans’ efforts to help people already born, but who are in desperate situations. The help Americans gave their fellow citizens in the wake of the Katrina disaster–collecting and delivering food and supplies to people in need, opening their homes to displaced families–is what reminds me that Americans are caring people. It would be nice if our government operated with the same conscience and compassion for living people, as it seems to show for the unborn. I am heartened that the American people’s conscience is still on duty. I’m not so sure about the conscience of our government.
Elizabeth Powers
Wynnewood, Pa.
Robert Samuelson touts the impact of Wal-Mart’s low prices on the average American family, but he fails to mention some of the indisputable bad deeds of the retail giant (“Wal-Mart’s a Diversion,” Sept. 4). Wal-Mart has routinely racked up millions of dollars in fines for everything from making employees work off the clock to authorizing underage workers to operate dangerous machinery. Wal-Mart also uses Medicaid as its de facto health plan for thousands of workers. CEO Lee Scott has said that in many cases Medicaid was “a better value” for his employees. Certainly Medicaid was never created to provide medical coverage for employees of the most profitable retailer in the United States. If you take families’ savings from those low prices and figure in how much those families are kicking into Medicaid to insure the health of Wal-Mart workers, you get a truer picture of how much Wal-Mart costs a community. It’s too bad Samuelson didn’t explore that.
Britt Whitmire
Browns Summit, N.C.
Robert Samuelson doesn’t seem to question why Wal-Mart refused to give him figures on insurance coverage. He evidently takes its word on average salaries without asking how many minimum-wage employees there are. He doesn’t ask about the charge of hiring illegal immigrants. He doesn’t compare prices from before smaller stores are run out of business and then after they are out of business. I have found grocery stores where I can get, on average, as good or better prices with better quality. I can get many hardware items cheaper at a local hardware store. Wal-Mart has done an excellent propaganda job of advertising low prices. And there are stories of disabled people’s getting minimum-wage jobs at Wal-Mart. Great, but many don’t work enough hours to qualify for any benefits. Wal-Mart even has people trained to advise the minimum-wage earners how to access tax-paid medical services–in effect having the taxpayer subsidize their employees.
Allen M. Clague
Harrisonburg, Va.
Another answer to the Sept. 4 ask TIP SHEET question as to why British drivers keep left is that back in the Middle Ages, when two mounted knights approached each other, they wanted their right arms in position to grab their spears or swords in case of trouble. This theory seems the most plausible to me.
Russell Bliss
San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
In “Of Cosmic Proportions” we identified David Stevenson as an astronomer at Cornell. He is actually at Caltech.
In “living legend” (“Music,” Arts Preview, Sept. 4), we reported that John Legend went to Penn State, when in fact, he attended the University of Pennsylvania. In “Worlds Away” (“movies”), Cate Blanchett said that “The Pianist” took place in Berlin. The film’s setting was Warsaw, though parts of the movie were filmed in Berlin. NEWSWEEK regrets the errors.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-16” author: “Linda Simon”
Fareed Zakaria has delivered yet another explosive article about the United States (“Can America Compete?” June 26). Since more than half the science laboratories in the country are staffed by foreign students and immigrants, it’s astonishing that America still leads the world in technology. What makes this country able to manage such a large pool of “foreigners” and yet get the best results? It has good compensation packages for jobs that attract professionals from all over the world. Job satisfaction comes from the pay one gets for the work, even if it’s a “McJob.” America has proved it can achieve the highest worker efficiency by providing the best compensation, even though many employees are exposed to high mental stress. And people from poor countries have the energy to take this job pressure.
Suresh Kumar Parappurath
Bangalore, India
In order for America and Europe to compete and actually maintain their standards of living, fair-competition rules must be enforced. These rules imply that Chinese and Indian workers should have the same standards of living, social conditions, freedom and democracy as their counterparts in the West. When all governments enforce fair-trading conditions, the whole world will benefit, including the currently underpaid workers in China and India, and these countries will become fair and respected trading partners.
Peter Tal
Grenoble, France
Both India and china are mentioned by economists and political think tanks as the economic giants of the future. While these countries have found it difficult to decisively unshackle themselves from the bonds of the past, Americans have quickly moved forward without getting bogged down by any obsolete baggage from history. Americans have created an atmosphere in which science prospers, and the rapid strides made in science and technology have catapulted the country into global leadership. Americans have excelled in fundamental research in these fields, and the initiative still lies with them. Indians have proved their mettle by posting phenomenal economic gains during the past decade and a half and taking center stage in the global competitive arena. The young in India have started dreaming and believing in themselves. However, many people want everything doled out to them without doing anything in return. The political leadership has not brought together what social scientists call the “two Indias”; the chasm remains as wide as ever. For the Chinese, it is marvelous to have recorded a yearly growth of 10 percent and to have maintained that tempo for more than a decade. But how long can they remain a closed society, and what will happen once they are forced to open up? Despite cyclical ups and downs, America is not slipping down the leadership ladder. Don’t be pessimistic, NEWSWEEK!
R. K. Sudan
Jammu, India
The 20th century was America’s century, but the 21st century could be a different story. There are a few developing nations working extraordinarily hard to overtake America. The United States continues to dominate in technology and innovation. But globalization has made it possible for other up-and-coming nations to emulate and improve on the United States. These nations have a large pool of talent with great potential. America’s biggest problem is that most Americans are basically complacent consumers in incessant pursuit of fun and happiness. Because this is compounded by the continued existence of large, socially marginalized groups of people, America’s social fabric is gradually unraveling. It is only a question of when.
Venze Chern
Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
I was surprised that none of those interviewed commented on a fundamental reason that the United States has difficulty competing: Americans know very little about the rest of the world. From what sources do most Americans get their news and views about the world? If we judge by the standards of the vice president, it appears that Fox News is their main source. Those of us living abroad are exposed to many international sources; when we come home to the United States, we have to hunt for international news.
Marty Rajandran
Geneva, Switzerland
Mexico’s presidential election (“The Shadow of El Norte,” June 19) proved to be a very tight contest between Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Felipe Calderón. According to the final count of the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE), Calderón had a lead of 243,934 votes (.58 percent of the total cast) over López Obrador. However, since many inconsistencies have been reported from both political parties and the public, it is necessary to take the next legal step and count ballots vote by vote. Legally, the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TRIFE) is the only institution capable of declaring a winner, and any candidate has the right to appeal to the TRIFE after the IFE’s count. But this is not a winner-loser question; what is at stake is a credible democratic process for Mexico, which will allow for a legitimate government. Thus, we demand a vote-by-vote recount. We insist it is not a question of who is eventually declared the winner; it is about granting legitimacy to the next president, and respecting the vote of the people in order to preserve political stability and democracy.
Juan Franch
Via internet
Thanks for confirming the sad reality for us: Mexicans like me who love our country have acquiesced, even before Carlos Salina and NAFTA, in the conversion of Mexico into the “de facto economic colony of the United States.” We were impotent then, and now we realize how difficult it would prove to reverse the process. That is why I voted for López Obrador. It may be no more than my expression of wishful thinking. But your writer is right: this is “a bitter pill for a nation that has suffered so much at the [imperialist] hands of the United States,” not for decades, but for centuries. For more than 40 years now, I’ve been convinced that we’re no more than third-rate gringos in a colony just south of the U.S. border. And let’s stop spreading the lie that López Obrador will try to “bait his counterpart … in the chest-thumping manner of [nutty dictator] Hugo Chávez.” He is not Chávez’s lackey.
Maria Soledad Cervantes-Ramirez
Mexico City, Mexico
for a long time the Mexican people have been struggling for democracy–first against the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which committed fraud in every single election, and even now, when nothing has changed but the name of the party, the National Action Party. It is obvious that it is doing everything it can to prevent López Obrador from winning. Ever since the beginning of the campaign, it has been trying to frighten people with lies and hate, spending billions of dollars on hostile TV spots, using federal resources to buy votes. This time we trusted that we would be heard, counted and respected. We had a massive turnout to express our electoral choices, but as soon as the votes were counted, the problems started. The methods they used to orchestrate this fraud were not only the old ones invented by PRI (we have found ballots in the trash; people were threatened and not allowed to vote), but the new cybernetic tools from the IFE, the institution that is supposed to ensure the transparency of the process. As it showed during its campaign, it doesn’t have the votes, but it has the power to make them up. It refuses to follow the law, proclaiming itself the winner with a questionable nonofficial result, the PREP (Preliminary Results Program). The implications of this fraud go beyond the social and political consequences. They are evident to anyone who has basic knowledge of math, statistics or social processes.
Blanca Salces
Mexico City, Mexico
in an Aug. 14 article on CEO compensation (“Are They Worthy?”), NEWSWEEK International asserted that I am sponsoring legislation to exclude tax deductions for CEO compensation that exceeds 25 times that of the lowest-paid worker. This is wholly without basis. I have introduced and am pushing for adoption of a bill that would require corporations to make public the compensation packages of top executives and require that these be subject to shareholder vote. The requirement for information is similar to what the Securities and Exchange Commission has just promulgated, but my bill goes a step further in requiring that shareholders get to vote on the packages. My bill neither deals with tax deductions nor in any other way purports to prescribe what are appropriate compensation levels. That is, I am seeking to have this be a decision of the shareholder–not of Congress, the Internal Revenue Service or any other outside body.
Rep. Barney Frank
Ranking Democrat
House Financial Services Committee
Washington, D.C.
I thought your coverage of the World Cup (“The Winning Strategy,” June 26) was terrifically entertaining. The tournament got really exciting, and we saw it all–new, young players; dazzling goals; a flurry of cards, and refined cheating by the Brazilian and Italian teams. Ghana and Switzerland proved to be the surprise packages of this year’s World Cup. The former thrashed the much-fancied Czech players, while the Swiss went out without conceding a single goal in regulation time. The Asian teams, unfortunately, did not perform that well. I thought South Korea’s early exit was a real dampener. Togo should take home the fair-play award after its touching gesture in the match against South Korea.
Subhobrata Basu
Kolkata, India
After reading “Hail to the Kings” (June 12), I feel more comfortable expressing my feelings toward the Brazilian team. I do not support it, and not just because it failed to win the 2006 World Cup, but because it became an arrogant and self-serving team. Football has been changing. Now you can find skillful players everywhere, and nobody is invincible. The World Cup proved that working hard is a way to achieve success. How can we forget German coach Jürgen Klinsmann’s leadership and the German collective spirit? And the Italians claiming the title for the fourth time?
Carla dos Santos Pinto
Porto Alegre, Brazil
Your story on Libya quotes a lawyer for the families of victims of the Pan Am Flight 103 blowup over Lockerbie, Scotland, as saying that America’s Congress might block the normalization of U.S.-Libya relations unless the families get their total compensation of $10 million each (“Not Yet a Friend,” June 5). I hope that Congress is equally forthcoming in compensation amounts for the 24 victims of the Marine shoot-out in Haditha, Iraq. Currently, amounts ranging from $1,500 to $2,000 each for 15 men, women and children have been paid out by the Marines. Relatives of nine other victims were not paid anything, as they were described as insurgents.
A. J. Akhtar
Karachi, Pakistan
Michael O’Hanlon writes in “not for the Fainthearted” (June 12) that the Western Sahara is a nation-building “success.” Unfortunately, this is not true. Morocco continues to illegally occupy much of its territory, and daily protests for in-dependence are met with severe police repression. Meanwhile, about 200,000 refugees have lived for more than 30 years in the harsh deserts of Algeria because they are unable to return to their homeland. The United Nations must consider nation-building in the Western Sahara an abject failure until its territory is no longer occupied, the refugees are returned and its citizens have been provided with the long-promised opportunity for a referendum to determine their international status.
Imran Shafi
London, England
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-24” author: “Kenneth Mancine”
Anja Schluifelder
Augsburg, Germany
Smaller cities are youthful, vibrant and full of life, unlike megacities, which have grown old, weak and dysfunctional. No wonder, then, that small towns and cities are rocking the world over. These cities shouldn’t follow their bigger counterparts in overgrowing.
K. Chidanand Kumar
Bangalore, India
As a frequent visitor to Kazakhstan, I found your swipe at its new capital condescending (“Money Changes Everything”). Throughout civilization people have built beautiful cities with ever taller buildings as monuments to their wealth and success. The Kazakhs are no exception. Having bravely built their nation in just 15 years since their country’s independence from the Soviet Union, they deserve a capital that testifies to their extraordinary history and culture.
Patrick Robertson
London, England
Longer driving commutes such as 90 minutes (“Tailing the X-Commuter”) take their toll: fewer hours of sleep and increased stress. A breadwinner’s heroic sacrifices for the family look great in the short run. In the long run, they mean more time off for illness and greater costs for doing business. Increasing the number of long-distance drivers is not necessarily a step in the right direction, as NEWSWEEK seems to imply.
Richard Lyons
Soka, Japan
What Went Wrong in Haditha At age 43, I’d have thought nothing short of a beating could make me cry (“Probing a Blood Bath,” June 12). But the events that led to the death of innocent Iraqis, infants and elderly alike, in Haditha last year, made me weep–and I am not Iraqi. What on earth did children have to do with planting IEDs? These killers should not be handled with kid gloves; they must be brought to international courts for severe punishment to deter such inhuman occurrences from happening again.
Joe Mindria
Kampala, Uganda
The marines accused of killing Haditha residents after an IED bomb killed one of them made me wonder: did they go to Iraq thinking they can be cowboys? Why is war upheld in America as something to brag about? (The quote from Gen. Jack Keane, “The United States Army does big wars. We do them better than anyone … " made me cringe.) Hasn’t America been in enough wars to be tired of bloodshed? But maybe we shouldn’t blame these Marines wholly for their conduct in Iraq; rather, we should blame their parents (for not explaining to them the horrors of Vietnam), or their grandparents (for not telling of the atrocities of World Wars I and II), or even President Bush (With comments such as “We’ll dig them outta those holes, we’ll find those terrorists,” how can you not feel like you’re about to play a game of cowboys and Indians?). I’ve been an exchange student in Germany for a year, and now I’m a student in Japan. In these countries, there is a consensus that war should be avoided at all costs. My Texas upbringing was different. We Americans think that we have a moral commitment to take care of things outside our borders. And that attitude is communicated to our youth, our troops, and Marines like those in Haditha. We have no humility, we think we are the best.
Alisa Livingstone
Nagoya, Japan
What happened at Haditha is a sordid, shameful tale of the world’s most powerful troops going berserk and killing unarmed civilians under its occupation in cold blood. That the patrolling party lost its cool because of provocation is no defense since forces of occupation always face hatred and disdain. Abu Ghraib and Haditha make one wonder if this “disciplined and humane force” was any different from the lawless militias operating in some African countries. The question for U.S. leadership is how to stop another Haditha from taking place in the future. With no signs of a stable and effective civil administration in place in Iraq, the possibility of such events happening again is alive. Such actions give a fillip to the insurgency and put Prime Minster Nuri al-Maliki in a bind. The inquiry ordered by him could antagonize Americans and impair his position.
R. K. Sudan
Jammu, India
As an Iraq war veteran, I applaud the effort to expose the truth about events in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is painful to read of the atrocities committed by some of our troops. Exposing this abuse is necessary for justice to be carried out and gives credibility to the principles we espouse as a nation. We need to practice what we preach. Your coverage is important to that process–yet another truth needs to be “outed.” It is the ignored truth of trust built and positive accomplishments achieved when Iraqis and Americans have worked together in nation building. I know about that because I was involved in it. We veterans of these operations ask ourselves why it is unreported in the media. We have returned to find that our friends know nothing about the good that we and the Iraqi people have done together. Let’s tell the whole truth. Haditha and Abu Ghraib are only part of it.
David R. Ellis
Quakertown, Pennsylvania
When an IED killed one member of a team, the rest of them snapped. In a wartime situation, the stress is unbearable. These men should not be charged with war crimes. If they were civilians, would they have killed a whole slew of innocent families? I doubt it. They have been placed in a position where anyone can be the enemy. There is paranoia, there is fear and there is a struggle for survival. They did the only thing they knew how to do, and that was to kill anyone suspected in the murder of their comrade. The Haditha slaughter is a tragic episode in the Iraq war, but the members of Kilo Company do not deserve prison time, they deserve therapy.
Paul Dale Roberts
Elk Grove, California
Overwhelming evidence indicates that we do not have enough troops to do the job in Iraq, and yet the U.S. government is reducing the forces deployed there. Doesn’t it realize that this leaves the remaining troops in an impossibly stressful situation? These young people are expected to bring order to a country where civilian and enemy look exactly the same–where something as simple as driving down the street gets them and their friends killed–and they are expected to do so with fewer and fewer troops to watch their backs. How can we expect these soldiers to deal with these kinds of pressures? How can we be surprised when they snap? If the government wants to avoid more Hadithas, it either needs to send over all the manpower we’ve got and give the troops a real shot at securing Iraq or bring everybody home. Something in between has not been working.
Jennifer A. Clark
Los Angeles, California
The Truth About Women’s Health Thanks for your article “the quest for Rest” (May 8). Recently I almost drove off the road while taking my husband to work. This had happened several times so I went to see my physician. She asked me if I snore and when I said “yes,” she set me up for a sleep study at our hospital. I was fitted with my CPAP mask and have been sleeping great ever since. I am now more awake in the mornings without fear of falling asleep while I drive. I hope more women will see their physicians if they have any of the symptoms mentioned in your cover story. Keep up the great work and continue to report on stories that can help us all live a better life.
Marti E. Newman
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
As the mother of a 4-month-old, i thought I was staring at my life when I opened my mailbox and saw your cover photograph: the crying, inconsolable child, the husband who can inexplicably sleep through any amount of commotion going on around him and the gaunt face of an exhausted woman sitting up wide awake. I, too, have come to know the meaning of light sleep and the inability to fall back asleep once awakened. Between working full time outside the home, trying to spend as much time with my daughter as possible and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, I am in survival mode every day. What doesn’t get done during the day plays itself out in my head at night. Couple that with the demanding needs of a baby and I am lucky to hit six hours of sleep a night. I spend the early-morning hours answering work e-mails, picking up around the house and staring at the beautiful face that got me into this mess in the first place. And like most mothers, I wouldn’t give her back for a million good nights of rest.
Nichol Harris
Minneapolis, Minnesota
We thought you got your cover picture all wrong. In our house it went like this: Baby cries; Mom awakes; Mom jabs Dad in ribs; Dad gets up and takes care of Baby; Mom goes back to sleep.
William and Pam Yovic
Kildeer, Illinois
So I roll out of bed at 2:35 in the morning, unable to sleep because of the steady diet of “things to do” that parade through my mind courtesy of being a Fortune 50 corporate attorney equipped with a BlackBerry and a Treo PDA, in addition to a wife, two preteen kids and some newly discovered midlife-crisis hobbies, only to see your cover wondering “Why Women Can’t Sleep.” Hmm, how ironic. Two Pop-Tarts and a glass of orange juice later–good article. Thanks for keeping me company.
David P. Chameli
via internet
You failed to discuss thyroid disease as a common cause of insomnia in women. When I was 35, I started suffering from profound insomnia. For several years, doctors prescribed antidepressants and sleeping pills to alleviate the symptoms, but most of these medications didn’t work. Finally, a primary-care doctor figured out I had an autoimmune dysfunction: hyperthyroiditis, or Graves’ disease. I am now 43 and am finally able to sleep, thanks to the help of a dedicated endocrinologist.
Diana Docktor
Denver, Colorado
A whole bunch of us postmenopausal post-breast-cancer women cannot sleep, a side effect of our estrogen-suppressing medication. Being mentally addicted to the medication Ambien CR is a fact of my life, but I do manage to sleep every night. Let’s hear it for drugs–er, medication.
Karen Morton
Walla Walla, Washington
Before I finished reading the first page of your cover story, my eyes welled up with tears of relief and appreciation. My youngest child is 4 years old now. Five years ago, when I suffered through clinical depression–when I spent hours lying in bed, hiding under the covers and wishing the day would end so I could go back to sleep–I thought I was going crazy. The only thing that kept me going was the idea that my oldest child would be left motherless if I wasn’t around. Thank you for finally acknowledging that depression is a disease in a well-read and well-respected international forum like yours. Too many of us double our grief with feelings of guilt because, as everyone advises us, this is supposed to be “the happiest time.” I am passing this article on to everyone I know.
Susan N. Ledesma
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-19” author: “Morgan Lotthammer”
I have never been one of Billy Graham’s followers but have always been an admirer (“Pilgrim’s Progress,” Aug. 14). Whatever controversies he may have had a part in throughout his earlier years created a man whose mature wisdom should be the mandatory moral menu for today’s Christians. To admit fault in one’s own life, as Graham has done publicly, and change for the better, goes beyond being admirable. Graham’s faith of today is a most appropriate final chapter in the life of the world’s most recognizable Christian.
Robert Hoefs Port Washington, Wis.
Billy Graham has caused more damage to the United States than any man of his generation. He has made fundamentalism socially acceptable. As a result, we have a president and a religious right that think loving Jesus Christ excuses any action. Since faith, not reason, is the foundation for all religions, I would ask: how does the method by which you acquired your beliefs differ from the method by which Muslim jihadists acquired theirs?
Ernest J. Zenker Mandeville, La.
I appreciate your well-researched and respectful article about Billy Graham and I understand the necessity of asking his opinion on whether good Jews and Muslims, etc., will gain heaven. While I agree with Graham that God gave his son for the entire world and that he loves everyone, it was Jesus Christ himself who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” and, more pointedly, “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Other world religions are man’s attempt to reach God. Christianity is God’s attempt to reach down to man. Everyone is issued an invitation to heaven through Christ’s atonement for our sins. It is our decision to accept the invitation or not.
Erica Parkerson Charlotte, N.C.
Billy Graham seems like a decent and dedicated man with the humility to examine and reassess his beliefs and actions. That doesn’t change the fact that he and others like him have exerted inappropriate influence on politics and government specifically precluded by the Founding Fathers. Hobnobbing with politicians, they create the impression of heavenly approval of policy. As parts of the world again collapse into wars of righteous religious rivalry, I must wonder why some Americans don’t see it is vital to avoid the disaster of government by religious sect.
Marilyn Goodman Yaphank, N.Y.
At a time when there is so much that is truly newsworthy, I find it disturbing that issues affecting us as a nation, like Hizbullah’s growing popularity in the Middle East and Fidel Castro’s ill health, are featured only second to a Billy Graham cover story. Perhaps instead of an in-depth article on the aging Graham, you could do a feature on a scientist like Stephen Hawking, who is changing our lives in very real ways that will help us evolve as a society.
Shawn Smiley-Green Herndon, Va.
As one who has become increasingly skeptical of all political and religious figures, I found Billy Graham’s authenticity and humility reassuring. His openness in sharing the evolution of his beliefs can serve as a great lesson to all of us. Here is a man who is certain and rock solid in his convictions about faith, yet chooses not to judge or demonize others and allows room for those who have different beliefs.
Jack Carbone St. George Island, Fla.
I enjoyed the excellent article on Billy Graham. But his son Franklin Graham is quoted as referring to Islam as “a very evil and wicked religion.” He says the God of Islam and the God of Christianity could not be the same because the God he worships does not require him to kill people. I think the younger reverend should read the Old Testament as a reminder of what God has called upon his followers to do in his name. I realize Franklin Graham is his own man, but perhaps he should seek his father’s advice on spin control.
Anthony C. Finney Oak Park, Ill.
I was overwhelmed by NEWSWEEK’s generous coverage of the life my wife, Ruth, and I are experiencing as we grow older. “Pilgrim’s Progress” was an apt title for the article. Like every other Christian, I see myself as a pilgrim journeying through life, looking expectantly to what God has promised in the future and yet yearning to be faithful in the present. Jon Meacham worked diligently to understand how my thinking on certain issues has grown over the years, and I commend him for seeking to capture my commitment to the Gospel I have always preached. The world is constantly changing, and I am only one in a long line of men and women who have sought to relate God’s unchanging truth to the challenges of their time. As I grow older, my confidence in the inspiration and authority of the Bible has grown even stronger. So has my conviction that only Christ can give us lasting hope–hope for this life, and hope for the life to come. As the Bible says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Billy Graham Montreat, N.C.
Call It Brotherly Love Andrew Koritz Krull’s essay on brotherly love was right on (“Celebrating the Pity of Brotherly Love,” My Turn, Aug. 14). My older siblings and I took turns providing tickle torture and pounding and pinching sessions. My brother’s favorite form of affection was his “alien hand,” which would attach to my face whenever the mood struck. My parents thought we couldn’t possibly love each other and certainly wouldn’t grow up to be friends. Thankfully they were wrong. We have all benefited from our siblings’ positive influence and have supported each other through good times and bad. Children have weird ways of showing love, but underneath the bruises, it’s there.
Wendy Lutzke Manitowoc, Wis.
Andrew Koritz Krull promises to follow his brothers’ examples in avoiding alcohol abuse and other fine lessons, but I certainly hope he doesn’t repeat their cycle of cruel, painful and perhaps injurious excessive horseplay. His romanticizing of their “tough love” is sadly reminiscent of domestic abuse, where the victim invents all sorts of excuses for the perpetrator.
Howard Schranz New York, N.Y.
After reading Mark Starr’s Aug. 14 Boomer Files article “My Favorite Years” on sports memories of baby boomers, a flashback surfaced. The year was 1960 and I was a big-time, 10-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates fan in southwestern Pennsylvania. On Oct. 13, 1960, the Pirates were playing game 7 of the World Series against the same “hated New York Yankees” that Starr mentions. I ran home from my third-grade class just in time to see Bill Mazeroski hit a bottom-of-the-ninth dinger to beat the Yankees 10-9. I bolted outside to celebrate and heard people cheering and horns honking in the small town of Connellsville, 50 miles away from Forbes Field! Thanks for rekindling one of my favorite sports memories.
John Silcox San Diego, Calif.
Mark Starr’s list of favorite boomer sporting events brought back many memories for this 1951 boomer. But one was conspicuously missing. Who could ever forget Jack Nicklaus’s phenomenal win at the 1986 Masters? He was 46 at the time and most had written the Golden Bear off the charts. But Nicklaus awoke from hibernation to provide one of the most thrilling sporting events of the 20th century. I was on the edge of my seat for his entire back nine. I’m surprised Hollywood hasn’t jumped on it. The right screenplay and you’d have a great flick.
Craig W. Spitzberg Dallas, Texas
The Aug. 14 interview with Shimon Peres, Israel’s deputy prime minister, about the need for Israel’s tough stance against Hizbullah was illuminating (” ‘We Are at War’ “). But it would have had a greater impact had you put this man in a context that few are familiar with. Peres created the Peres Center for Peace, which raised billions to create an economic infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank so Palestinians could build an effective state for themselves, and which has fostered cultural and economic relationships with Israel’s Arab neighbors. Peres, who has been called a “peacenik” and an appeaser, is probably Israel’s most pragmatic and optimistic activist for a workable peace. But even he has to realize that Hizbullah, and Hamas, for that matter, are out for one thing only: the eradication of Israel and its Jewish citizens.
Sharon J. Kahn New York, N.Y.
Your “100-calorie snack attack” article (Aug 14) highlights the convenience of packaged snack foods, but buyers should be aware of the price they’re paying to have a snack company weigh out 100-calorie portions. If you check the supermarket shelf, you’ll notice that the price per ounce of the minipacks is three to four times the price of a normal-size package.
Jon Appelbergh Manopac, N.Y.
As a vending-machine operator, I’m happy to see food manufacturers really listening to consumers. The 100-calorie snacks are helping clean up the industry’s image of just pushing “junk food.” With all the vending-food restrictions in schools, the 100-calorie snacks enable us to offer more healthy choices for students. Employers are also asking for healthier choices for vending machines in break rooms.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-07” author: “Samuel Tidwell”
If George W. Bush is feeling the “Weight Of The World,” he need only gather Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld and have them look in the mirror (“Weight of the World,” July 31). Their failed policies and arrogant attitudes have resulted in widespread devastation in the Middle East. Iraq appears to be a lost cause, and Israel seems to have unequivocal U.S. support to spoil opportunities for lasting peace in the region. These policies have resulted in windfall profits for oil companies, and have caused hardworking Americans to dig deep into their pockets to pay $3 per gallon for gasoline and $2.50 for heating oil. The world doesn’t much like America these days (with the possible exception of the oil-producing countries), and we have this “bring it on” president to thank for it. The real disappointment is that Congress has not held Bush and his cronies accountable. History will do that most certainly.
Ken Cameron
Denmark, Maine
“Weight Of The World”? Really? The weight George W. Bush carries is not a concern for the world, but a concern for political victory. It is no accident that his primary adviser is an expert at putting a political spin on every event. Whether it’s pre-emptive war or the use of embryonic stem cells, the priority is always to cater to Bush’s political base. I sincerely wish it were the weight of the world that Bush felt as he flies safe and secure on Air Force One. I wish he really felt the weight of thousands killed in Iraq, of an Africa torn by disease and starvation, and of his own nation forced to prize security over liberty, secrecy and falsehood over honesty and honor.
Joe W. Walker
Gresham, Ore.
The only weight on Bush’s shoulders is the possibility that his personal comfort might be compromised. However well he may have “managed” the crisis in the Middle East, it was obscured by his petulance, impatience and immaturity. As you reported, he could not find the time or inclination to discuss the situation in full with his fellow leaders. He was also concerned about being well showered and staving off boredom. Furthermore, he did not give the global community the courtesy of a closing statement. The American public is not unreasonable in expecting that its president do the job he was elected to do.
Scott A. Johnson
Seattle, Wash.
I read your behind-the-scenes article about President Bush at the G8 summit and on Air Force One. Unlike that portrayal, my firsthand experience with the president points to a serious and determined leader. As a chaplain working in New Orleans recovering the bodies of those who perished in Katrina’s wrath, I had a chance encounter with him at the command center in Baton Rouge. I watched as our president comforted those under considerable duress with exchanges of real encouragement and resilient determination, instead of taking a golden opportunity to shift blame elsewhere. Not simply because of his political office, but through his personal integrity, this man rises above so many. In the face of extreme adversity, Bush’s relaxed and reassuring demeanor effectively models how unpretentiously heroic a president can be.
Rev. William J. Keane
Branford, Conn.
No, the “weight of the world” is not on President Bush. It is on the citizens of Lebanon, Israel, Iraq and elsewhere who have been killed, maimed and blasted from their homes by wars they never asked for.
Robert P. Duncan
Madison, Ala.
Mary Blair Immel’s July 31 My Turn, “I’m Old–And I’m Just Fine With That,” is just what the doctor ordered for this 85-year-old lady. Since I read it my steps seem lighter, my backaches fewer, and I am close to developing an attitude. Like Immel, I also have been called “young lady” many times, in addition to “sweetie,” “honey” and “dear.” I can handle that, but I do feel down when people assume that because I am old, I won’t be here long. Make no mistake. Many of us oldsters, despite our outward appearance, still have a lot of life left in us. I have survived the Holocaust, lived through the London Blitz and served in the British Army during WWII for five years. To younger eyes the flame may seem dim, but the candle, though flickering, is far from out.
Frances Nunnally
Richmond, Va.
I was dismayed by the tone of Mary Blair Immel’s response to being referred to as a “young lady” at a home-improvement store, and her lengthy insistence that she was not old. I have frequently used that same designation when addressing or talking about some of my parishioners; it is always meant as a term of endearment, and no one has ever taken offense. More often than not, I get chuckles of delight from these “more experienced” people. Wouldn’t it have been much easier for Immel simply to smile, thank the young man at the store and get on with her life, rather than carry on like the cranky old lady she insists that she’s not? God bless her, but methinks she protests too much!
Rev. Michael D. Reddig
Cambridge, Md.
My son participated in the press conference with the president as a baby born from a surplus embryo, so I am not unbiased on the issue of embryonic stem-cell research (“It Was the Veto of a Lifetime,” July 31). I care about those suffering from life-threatening illnesses, but I emphatically disagree with providing a taxpayer-funded incentive for the destruction of embryos. George W. Bush did not stop research on embryonic stem cells. His veto simply means that taxpayers won’t be forced to pay for it. We believe that with more awareness about the adoption of embryos, more people will want them to be used for what they were originally created for–producing children. Jonathan Alter ends his article belittling the life of what he calls a “protoplasm no larger than [a] period.” Yes, it is small, but genetically complete and exactly the way Alter began his life.
J. J. Jones
Houston, Texas
As someone with type 1 diabetes, I have held out hope for a cure for 22 years. The low blood sugars and occasional seizures still happen as I try to maintain good control, work hard to stay in shape and watch my diet. Jonathan Alter’s point is acutely accurate. “Pro-life” should stand for a cure to ease millions of people’s suffering from deadly diseases today. I can handle it if my life is cut short, because I have no other choice. But for President Bush to veto a bill that 70 percent of Americans support, one that would move medicine forward and could save millions of lives, is too much to handle. He had a choice, and he made the wrong one.
Joe McVein
North Bend, Wash.
We honor war dead for sacrificing their lives for others. But suggest that embryos be used to save lives and people object. They’re offended that embryos die so others may live. Why is it honorable for soldiers to die for others, but wrong for embryos to save lives? Some claim, “This is different.” Actually, the differences are important. Embryos denied for stem-cell research will be destroyed anyway. If an embryo is life, then what better way to honor it than by using it to offer life to others?
William A. McCartney
Delaware, Ohio
That “piece of protoplasm” Jonathan Alter so callously diminishes is undeniably the very beginning of human life. Even science cannot deny that fact. If allowed to nurture in a woman’s womb for nine months, this “piece” of humanity would, with luck, live until old age and die a natural death. Alter is not the only one with a life-threatening illness. I am dealing with two right now and have loved ones with serious diseases. But our lives are no more precious than those of the tiny beings whose advocates are their only voices. Adult stem cells and umbilical cords are definitely the way to go.
Anita Bonnanzio
Larchmont, N.Y.
Bush’s veto is very misguided. How can research that uses would-be discarded embryos and may possibly save lives be considered murder? I have always been religious and pro-life, but to me the “pro-cure” movement is a much-needed blend of morality and logic. My brother had childhood leukemia, and there is no way I would ever understand that his life has the same value as a discarded embryo from a fertility clinic.
Natalie Stephan
San Antonio, Texas
I was intrigued by Jonathan Alter’s concern that the veto “may well doom thousands to die prematurely.” As a hospice nurse, I have learned that most of our choices regarding modern science and medicine are rooted in the notion that in the United States we simply must live longer. We expect science to cure every health problem. But demanding that everything be fixed allows us to wear blinders as we step on a rather dangerous path. I attended several sessions on stem-cell research conducted by a medical ethicist and asked what would be wrong with using existing fetal tissue that would be destroyed anyway. Her answer was to ask what researchers would do if that tissue showed promising results. The answer was simple: create more. Suddenly that slope looked very slippery.
Margaret Terranova
Florissant, Mo.
To date, 128 of 400,000 surplus embryos have been implanted. If the others are not implanted or used in research, they will be lawfully tossed in the trash. Is this the preferred solution? Looks like we need only 399,872 wombs to gestate them, so instead of decrying funding for stem-cell research, why don’t volunteers offer their wombs to save these embryos?
Mary Harshbarger
Boley, Okla.
In addition to condemning Bush for his veto on stem-cell research, how about certain companies that have patents on human genes and are now preventing scientists from doing lifesaving work unless they pay costly fees or royalties to use the genes? I don’t hear anyone voicing angst in this arena, and it has more impact on the public than stem-cell research.
Julia Gangloff
O’Fallon, Ill.
“A Debit-Card Nation” (July 31) missed an opportunity to warn consumers about the perils of overdraft loans provided through debit cards. It says one of the virtues of debit cards is that you spend only the money you actually have, but most banks now allow customers to use debit cards even when they don’t have enough money in their accounts. Instead of rejecting a transaction, the bank covers the draft with a loan and charges a fee of $25 to $35. The interest rate often exceeds 1,000 percent, turning your debit card into the most expensive credit card on the market. Banks can enroll their customers without asking them, fail to disclose the interest rates and often don’t warn customers before charging the fee.
Eric Halperin,
Director
Center for Responsible Lending
Washington, D.C.
While Christina Aguilera laments that “people take sex far too seriously,” I contend that she and her ilk take sex far too lightly (“Red, Hot & Blue,” July 31). Sex has been relegated to a meaningless recreational activity in which others are exploited by selfish pleasure seekers. Popular culture ignores the very real and serious consequences of sex, including heartbreak, regret, depression, STDs, HIV, unwanted pregnancy and abortion. Even if Aguilera can sing, as a human being she is, sadly, just another self-serving exhibitionist who does not care about her influence as a role model for young girls and women.
Carol Saucier
Cockeysville, Md.
The June 26 graphic “Tales Of The Tape” accompanying the “Doubts About Duke” story drew on reporting from the Raleigh News & Observer that should have been credited as source material.
In “A Blue-Blood Battle Royale” (Aug. 7), we misidentified a picture of Brooke Astor due to inaccurate information provided by the photo agency. The image labeled “Astor modeling a gown in 1948” was of Minnie Cushing Astor. NEWSWEEK regrets the errors.
Editor’s Note:
Editor’s Note : Due to a production error in our Aug. 14 issue, two letters were cut off and are reprinted here in their entirety:
That “piece of protoplasm” Jonathan Alter so callously diminishes is undeniably the very beginning of human life. Even science cannot deny that fact. If allowed to nurture in a woman’s womb for nine months, this “piece” of humanity would, with luck, live until old age and die a natural death. Alter is not the only one with a life-threatening illness. I am dealing with two right now and have loved ones with serious diseases. But our lives are no more precious than those of the tiny beings whose advocates are their only voices. Adult stem cells and umbilical cords are definitely the way to go. Anita Bonnanzio Larchmont, N.Y.
I was intrigued by Jonathan Alter’s concern that the veto “may well doom thousands to die prematurely.” As a hospice nurse, I have learned that most of our choices regarding modern science and medicine are rooted in the notion that in the United States we simply must live longer. We expect science to cure every health problem. But demanding that everything be fixed allows us to wear blinders as we step on a rather dangerous path. I attended several sessions on stem-cell research conducted by a medical ethicist and asked what would be wrong with using existing fetal tissue that would be destroyed anyway. Her answer was to ask what researchers would do if that tissue showed promising results. The answer was simple: create more. Suddenly that slope looked very slippery.
Margaret Terranova Florissant, Mo.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-18” author: “Billy Coffland”
Never before in the history of moviemaking has a human tragedy of this scale been transformed into something so touching (“Natural Born Heroes,” Aug. 7). So powerful is the interpretation of the 9/11 disaster that it speaks volumes about the cinematic skill of Oliver Stone as a director. I’d like to thank him for choosing courage over controversy in “World Trade Center.”
Kris Sahay Manitoba, Canada
Why should Hollywood be any different from politicians, oil companies and arms contractors? 9/11 has been used to fuel political campaigns and to justify war, torture and domestic spying. So of course Hollywood sees no problem in making millions off it. Here’s a thought: What if we refused to turn our national tragedy into a war cry or campaign slogan or record profits or cheap entertainment? What if we simply mourned our dead with dignity?
Paul Lemrise Jr.
Cary, Ill.
Oliver Stone’s “World Trade Center” trailer opens with the statement that it has been “approved for all audiences by the Motion Picture Association of America.” I question the MPAA’s authority in determining whether all of America is ready for exposure to this movie preview. As an occupational therapist, I counseled patients for whom life, as they knew it, ended on 9/11. Their stories gave the disaster a sickening reality. Many survivors still grieve deeply and suffer flashbacks of burning flesh, suffocating dust, falling bodies and dismembered limbs. Those who waited for loved ones are also survivors, and many still struggle with memories of worry, grieving or saying goodbye on cell phones. While the movie’s positive story line and inspirational message will certainly bring closure and hope for many who choose to see it, for others, acceptance and healing can’t be rushed.
Sandra I. Bostwick
Parsippany, N.J.
The opposite tone of two articles in your Aug. 7 issue shows how little America has learned from 9/11. In the report on Oliver Stone’s “World Trade Center” we get a deeply emotional story of individual suffering and heroism as buildings collapse. In the story on Lebanon (“The Wider War”) we get a callous uninterest in individual suffering and accompanying heroism as buildings collapse on innocent civilians thanks to American bombs delivered by American airplanes, albeit piloted by Israelis. Why is the suffering that matters only our own?
David Allen
Romney, W.Va.
I am not a New York City firefighter or police officer. I didn’t know a single person who was killed in the inferno of 9/11. I am, however, a New Yorker, and my city was attacked on that nightmarish day. When I saw the picture of Oliver Stone standing on the “set” of his latest film, my blood ran cold. I watched those buildings go down less than five years ago. For Stone to take this tragic event and turn it into what amounts to entertainment for profit–while there is still a scar in lower Manhattan–is unconscionable. I understand that the film is memorable and honors the heroes of that day as well as the victims. There will be a time when things settle down and such a film may be appropriate. But now is way too soon.
Jonathan Frisch
Brooklyn, N.Y.
In the graphic “Inspired by the Unthinkable” (Aug. 7), you identify Paul McCartney’s “Freedom” as the first among artistic responses to the 9/11 attacks. But on Oct. 13 of that year, on the radio series “A Prairie Home Companion,” Garrison Keillor sang “The Bravest,” a salute to the New York firefighters who responded to the World Trade Center assaults. It’s a simple and powerful song written by noted folk artist and songwriter Tom Paxton. I wish every firefighter could hear it.
Geoffrey W. Sjostrom
Chicago, Ill.
We were pleased to read “How American Myths Are Made” (Aug. 7), which touched on a matter receiving growing attention in psychological research. But stories about 9/11 aren’t told just by filmmakers like Oliver Stone. Every American has a story about that day. As psychologists interested in ways people make meaning of their experiences, we have been studying stories people tell about 9/11. In our nationwide sampling of Americans, collected within two months of the terrorist attacks, we found that individuals who crafted stories of national redemption–a style of storytelling that recent research suggests is particularly American–were psychologically better off than those who storied the events differently. This work reminds us that we all shape national myths, and that the way in which we tell these myths matters for our psychological well-being.
Jonathan Adler
Northwestern University
Evanston, Ill.
Michael Poulin
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, Calif.
Although creating a story line may be comforting to the people of a nation coping with tragedy, mythologizing our history hinders our ability to analyze current events and respond to them in a wise manner. Mythology glosses over imperfections and leads to feelings of superiority. This perverted sense of our role in the world greatly weakens democracy because it allows our leaders to merely evoke myth rather than present hard facts. As painful as it is to take a good look in the mirror, it will make us more rational and therefore a stronger country.
Julian Kauffmann
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Jonathan Alter complains that Democrats are shooting themselves in the foot by targeting Joe Lieberman, who does, after all, vote with the Democrats 90 percent of the time ( " ‘The Putting of First Things First’,” Aug. 7). Alter argues that the “romance of the antiwar left” backfired in 1968 when Democrats voted for long-shot Eugene McCarthy, sending Richard Nixon to the White House. Alter counsels Democrats to save their ammunition for Republicans because “job one” is electing more Democrats. However, neither Democrats nor Republicans care as much about their party–both of which have betrayed them–as they do about putting America back on the right track. They want representatives who will work for the country for a change, not for their party’s special interests. Recent polls show the public’s approval rating of Congress at a dismal 36 percent. Only 29 percent of people questioned in states with the 50 most competitive seats indicated that they would vote for the incumbent. Americans are fed up with politics as usual.
Dan Brawner
Lisbon, iowa
Jonathan Alter is correct that Democrats need not repeat the error of 1968 and need not worry about ideological purity. These are sound negative guidelines. But the Democratic leadership also needs something positive that will provide it with a basis on which both to criticize Republican nonfeasance, misfeasance and malfeasance and to offer specific programs for which it stands. That could and should be the United States Constitution, which gives guidance for what the Democrats can promise to do and also provides an indisputable standard against which to measure specific programs, policies and behaviors of the present administration and of the Republican-dominated Congress.
Gerald A. Press
New York, N.Y.
Anna Quindlen’s Aug. 7 column, “Live Alone and Like It,” spoke to me. I am a single mother of an almost-adult child. I am also a teacher, which means that during the summer I find myself alone in my quiet house–a lot. I have cleaned and painted and organized everything that doesn’t move and have puttered to my heart’s content. My windows are open, the cicadas are buzzing and I am just so happy to be here listening to these sounds of summer. I, too, worried that perhaps I should schedule something, host a luncheon, meet colleagues from work. Instead, I will pour another glass of iced green tea and read Quindlen’s editorial for a luxurious second time.
Anne Harris
Goldens Bridge, N.Y.
When my husband and I moved into our house in 1963, we had a busy, growing family. After our children left the nest we didn’t experience the so-called empty-nest syndrome, and when my husband died, I dealt with the loss but remained in the home we built together. If people ask whether I’m lonely in that big house by myself, I tell them exactly what Anna Quindlen wisely states–that there’s a “difference between [being] alone and lonely.”
Ruth E. Lax
Dallas, Texas
To this man in his 60s who is a son, husband, father and grandfather, Anna Quindlen’s embrace of solitude rings hollow. Solitude? My parents, in their mid-80s, just dropped by unexpectedly for dinner. The oldest of our four moved in last year with her two daughters. My wife and I just returned from two weeks at the lake house with the girls. Our eldest son married and bought a house less than a mile away. He and his wife are on their way to dinner. Our other two children live within an hour’s drive and visit at least once a week. As the oldest of seven children, I am within an hour’s drive of most of my siblings and see their children and grandchildren regularly. Can I hear myself thinking? Probably not. What I hear is the generation before me and two generations after me loving life and loving me. Life is good.
Bob Kling
St. Charles, Ill.
I just finished reading Anna Quindlen’s column in a home devoid of other sensory stimuli, except that provided by the bells tinkling on the collars of my two cats. I’m 46, I’ve never married and am childless. I adore living alone, and I’ve been doing it since 1992. Lest we think that this is, indeed, the slippery slope toward “that old woman down the street with the weedy yard and the decrepit house,” I’ve always asserted that, being a true extrovert, I need to live alone in order to replenish that source of energy that makes me a champion social animal. As a regional health-care-services director, I make business presentations across the nation. I date, hike, have a yoga practice, belong to a reading group and take care of an ailing parent in the next state. I have a lot of love and friends and happiness in my life. I’ve chosen to live alone as a way of maintaining my spiritual connection in and to this huge life with which I’ve been blessed.
Traci Townsend
Carmel Valley, Calif.
I find it impossible to feel sorry for the poor brides suffering from “postwedding blues” (“A Veil of Sadness,” Periscope, Aug. 7). We seem to have lost focus on what is important. Too many people use weddings as showcases for themselves instead of celebrations of their commitment to each other. I have been under the impression that the real “star” of the day should be the love of the bride and groom for each other. Unfortunately, this phenomenon looks like one more example of how overindulged children become young adults who expect to have everything that they think they want, only to find out that, because their desires are shallow, they are unsatisfied. Poor babies! My advice? Grow up. Think of what is really important. Get a grip on reality!
Sue Burkett
via internet
Some brides spend eight to 12 months and lots of money planning for one day, only to realize shortly thereafter that being married takes serious work. Unfortunately, too many immature–not necessarily young–Americans don’t want to spend the work required to make a marriage last.
Susan Ciconte
Milwaukee, Wis.
Editor’s Note : Due to a production error in our Aug. 14 issue, two letters were cut off and are reprinted here in their entirety:
That “piece of protoplasm” Jonathan Alter so callously diminishes is undeniably the very beginning of human life. Even science cannot deny that fact. If allowed to nurture in a woman’s womb for nine months, this “piece” of humanity would, with luck, live until old age and die a natural death. Alter is not the only one with a life-threatening illness. I am dealing with two right now and have loved ones with serious diseases. But our lives are no more precious than those of the tiny beings whose advocates are their only voices. Adult stem cells and umbilical cords are definitely the way to go.
Anita Bonnanzio
Larchmont, N.Y.
I was intrigued by Jonathan Alter’s concern that the veto “may well doom thousands to die prematurely.” As a hospice nurse, I have learned that most of our choices regarding modern science and medicine are rooted in the notion that in the United States we simply must live longer. We expect science to cure every health problem. But demanding that everything be fixed allows us to wear blinders as we step on a rather dangerous path. I attended several sessions on stem-cell research conducted by a medical ethicist and asked what would be wrong with using existing fetal tissue that would be destroyed anyway. Her answer was to ask what researchers would do if that tissue showed promising results. The answer was simple: create more. Suddenly that slope looked very slippery.
Margaret Terranova
Florissant, Mo.
In “Progress in a Cauldron” (The Last Word, Aug. 14) Golda Meir is inaccurately identified as Israel’s prime minister during the 1967 Six Day War. In fact, it was Levi Eshkol.
In “An Itchy Trigger Finger” (Aug. 7), we mistakenly identified the GED as General Equivalency Degree. It stands for General Educational Development test.
The scanning electron microscope photograph of a stem cell in Periscope’s July 31 Conventional Wisdom Watch should have been credited to David Scharf/Science Faction–Getty Images. NEWSWEEK regrets the errors.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-02” author: “Ricky Porcher”
The Politics of Evangelical Faith As a young evangelical Christian, I am thankful for Michael Gerson’s article on the broadening perspectives and visions of Christianity (“A New Social Gospel,” Nov. 13). I have long been frustrated that my Christian label tells others that I think they are wrong, and becomes more of a political statement than a reflection of what is in my heart. When I mention that I went to a Christian college, people’s assumptions about my beliefs and character are disheartening. Voting is a struggle, because neither party truly represents what I want for the world ahead of me. I am grateful for the churches, like mine, that have finally placed importance on social justice. I’d prefer that my label speak more to who I am trying to help, rather than who I supposedly condemn.
Meghan Ober Newburyport, Mass.
Michael Gerson warns against stereotyping evangelicals, yet he stereotypes liberals as lacking social concern and interest in truth. In recent years it has been liberals leading struggles against poverty, medical underinsurance, global warming and overpopulation, and for social justice, women’s rights, environmentalism and civil liberties. We welcome evangelicals and conservatives aboard on these issues.
Kenneth A. Stevens Savage, Md.
after we’ve been distracted by the noise and rancor of the religious right’s political machine, it’s refreshing to be reminded about what real, tangible good can be done in the name of religion, particularly in the developing world. Expending so much energy on school prayer, “intelligent design” and gay marriage in the face of genocide and slave trading in the Third World is the moral equivalent of trying to enforce vegetarianism when most of the world doesn’t have enough food to begin with. What the religious right is choosing as battleground issues in U.S. elections are luxury issues. College-age evangelicals are beginning to understand this with a compassion that knows no national borders and has a healthy skepticism toward what wealthy authority figures say. I am an atheist. But I’m also a realist, and I realize religion has the ability to inspire hard, constructive work among believers who want to help others and alleviate suffering.
Pablo Hidalgo San Francisco, Calif.
Religious people, even those with a science background like mine, may find Sam Harris’s “The Case Against Faith” offensive. I do not. Early Christians were the atheists of their henotheistic society. Religious reformers have often been labeled as godless heretics. Harris calls for “wisdom and compassion.” The author of the Book of James also called for a religion of compassionate action. Jesus Christ commended the Gentile centurion, mingled with the ritually unclean and continually criticized the religion of those who did not walk their talk. Harris is in the same tradition of religious reform. As far as dismissing religion by argument goes, however, there is little likelihood of that happening any time soon. Like music, religion is neither disproved nor supported by argument. As long as there is compassion and kindred spirit, religion will continue.
Richard L. Rose Alexandria, Va.
Isn’t it a pity Sam Harris couldn’t have warned Martin Luther King Jr. about the folly of religion? Or Mother Teresa, so that she might not spend her life helping the outcasts of Calcutta? Or Gandhi, who was assassinated for his efforts to free India? All these religious folk, according to Harris, were ignorant and misled, and showed the dangers of religion.
Donald W. Morgan Rocky Hill, Conn.
Lisa Miller’s excellent article “an Evangelical Identity Crisis” unwittingly perpetuates what I call the “abortion myth,” the fiction that the religious right galvanized as a political movement in response to the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973. As I demonstrate in “Thy Kingdom Come: How the Religious Right Distorts the Faith and Threatens America,” the Southern Baptist Convention adopted a resolution in 1971 that called for the legalization of abortion. The Roe decision met largely with silence from evangelical leaders; a few registered mild disagreement, but a significant number, including the redoubtable fundamentalist W. A. Criswell, actually applauded the decision for marking the appropriate distinction between public policy and personal morality. Despite the recent efforts of Richard Land and other leaders to style themselves the “new abolitionists” and align with the 19th-century opponents of slavery, the religious right organized in the late 1970s to defend Bob Jones University–the fundamentalist school in South Carolina–against the efforts of the Internal Revenue Service to revoke its tax-exempt status because it banned interracial dating and marriage. (The IRS had determined that any organization that engaged in racial discrimination was not, by definition, a charitable organization and was not entitled to tax-exempt status.) Only after evangelical leaders had organized to resist the IRS on the Bob Jones matter did they look to address other issues. Abortion was cobbled into the political agenda of the religious right in the late 1970s, in preparation for the 1980 presidential campaign, not as a direct response to Roe v. Wade . Compounding the “abortion myth,” the leaders of the religious right anointed Ronald Reagan–a divorced and remarried man who, as governor of California, had signed a bill into law legalizing abortion–as their political savior in 1980.
Randall Balmer Professor of American Religious HistoryBarnard College, Columbia University New York, N.Y.
I am very happy for evangelicals and other conservative Christians to practice their beliefs. I also respect their right to follow leaders who live in wealth and privilege while others struggle to survive. But I do not respect their unrelenting, obsessive need to force their beliefs on others. My mind, body and personal beliefs are mine, not theirs. If all that wealth and time could be used for true Christian charity instead of in attempts to change the Constitution or deny equal rights to other Americans, the amount of good that could be accomplished would truly be a miracle.
Lynne Park Pollock Pines, Calif.
New Testament accounts of the life of Jesus Christ show a gentle, humble, loving, tolerant, kind man. Some Christian religious leaders don’t resemble Christ at all, and they want to run our government. It was Christ who said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” I take that to mean separation of church and state.
Maggie Croft Idaho Falls, Idaho
If a man like Ted Haggard, a true believer with so much to lose, cannot turn away from his biological nature, how should any gay person be expected to (“A Pastor’s Fall From Grace”)? It is time for Christians to take a closer look at their belief in the sin of homosexuality. Conservative theology allows leaders to cherry-pick which Bible passages will be held as sacred dogma and which will be considered antiquated rules of a bygone culture. The Bible offers no internal guidance to tell the difference. Declaring homosexuality a sin ought to be as morally outmoded as the Biblical prescription to keep slaves (Lev. 25:44-46) or to stone your wife on your wedding night if she is not a virgin (Deut. 22:20-21). A more compassionate and truly moral theology could have saved Haggard years of self-hatred, embarrassment and suffering.
Jill McCormick Colorado springs, Colo.
My heart bleeds for the Rev. Ted Haggard. I’m a Christian who’s learned in my 79 years that homosexuality is the way some are born, not a chosen lifestyle or a sin. Things could have been so different if Haggard had been allowed to be the person God made him instead of fighting it all his life. He still could have used his organizational skills and charisma to God’s glory. Churches need to wake up to what they’re doing to the homosexuals among them. Accept them, don’t crucify them.
Jean Lichti Bainbridge Island, Wash.
Jesus Christ preached compassion and forgiveness and condemned judgmentalism, but said nothing about homosexuality, so I disagree with James Dobson that the Ted Haggard revelations have “grave implications for the cause of Christ.” If this incident leads us Christians to be more loving and forgiving and less judgmental, then the cause of Christ is glorified.
Joan Jacobson Lakewood, Colo.
Screening Airline Passengers Anna Quindlen appropriately lambastes the government’s ludicrous response to the air-safety threat of terrorism (“Taking Off Your Shoes,” Nov. 13), but misses the pithiest point. The goal of terrorists is large-scale disruption of mainstream society to lower it to their level of misery. Beyond that, they have no clear vision. The spectacle of so many “bedraggled and beaten-down travelers at security checkpoints” submitting to humiliating absurdities hands them an easy victory without having to actually blow up any airplanes.
Rick Rhoden Jackson, Miss.
Anna Quindlen has written what we are afraid to say, at least while in the “security” line. Airline screening and carry-on restrictions are a waste of time and resources. We parade like sheep through a system that is intrusive and inconsistent, all to promote a false sense of security. How long will we be willing to do this?
Caroll Visintainer Denton, Md.
Readers can empathize with the hassle of having personal belongings scrutinized intensely, but to demean the efforts of Transportation Security Administration screeners and portray them as untrained “low-wage line workers” is disrespectful. I should know. My mother, a former schoolteacher and marketing executive who has a master’s degree in public administration, is a TSA screener. After months of intensive training, she took the TSA post to serve her country and to help put her daughter through a private university. She is often treated with disrespect by crabby patrons, but with a smile she brings dignity to the job. I’m proud of people like my mom who make a difference in the fight against the invisible enemy of terrorism.
Francesca Jarosz Springfield, Ill.
As I looked through my purse on a recent flight, I was shocked to see that the pair of scissors I’d placed there weeks before was still there! The scissors had made it through the TSA screening while my 1.5-ounce hair-spray canister had not. Like Anna Quindlen, I realize a plane is far more likely to be destroyed as a result of loopholes in cargo security than by a hijacker making it through passenger screening. Yet we still get on the plane. While I laud the efforts of the TSA to keep us safe, I am also fearful. We are not in control. We won’t see the next threat until after it’s manifest. And yet, we must continue to travel. To work. To live.
Lisa W. Hoeschele Syracuse, N.Y.
College Grad Meets Real World As someone about Caitlin Petre’s age, I was dismayed to read her Nov. 13 my turn, “The Lessons I Didn’t Learn in College.” Not all college grads are–as her story might lead us to believe–unable to function in the real world. Not knowing how to fill out a tax form or find an apartment is a symptom of having everything handed to you on a silver platter. I worked through school, completed my first W-2 form at 16 and fought for scholarships that funded my college education. Had I not learned to be as independent as I am, I bet I wouldn’t be running my own business three years out of college. As a recent grad, I certainly don’t want to be pigeonholed alongside Petre or her ilk.
Ryan S. Eanes Brooklyn, N.Y.
Are you kidding me? Caitlin Petre gets a 3.9 average in college while not having to hold a job and has the gall to say the school has the obligation to teach students how to be functionally literate? I thought hard work, determination and natural curiosity were requisite skills of those in college and out. If you don’t know what a W-4 or a Roth IRA is, then look it up. If you don’t know how to use Excel, take a class or practice with it. I bet she knows how to work her MySpace page and post YouTube videos. Did college teach her these skills?
Vince Belur Wilmington, Mass.
I’m in my 50s and have been saying since I graduated from college that there should be mandatory classes for all high-school students on how to open a bank account, manage credit cards, rent an apartment and fill out tax forms. Teaching life skills should be a requirement of our education system like reading, math and science. Many people never get to college, but we all have to deal with these issues.
Leslie Calhoun Irwin, Pa.
Colorful Memories In 1968, Brian Williams was the “last kid in [his] class” to have a color TV (“A World of Color,” Nov. 13). My family also got a color TV at that time, and I was sure we were the last to reach the milestone. That belief was shattered 14 years later on Christmas Day when I was visiting the home of my college girlfriend (now my wife). Her brother went out to the shed to retrieve the “big gift”–a 13-inch Sony color television, the family’s first color TV. The dancing and jubilation of the four siblings conjured up scenes of starving war refugees greeting the arrival of food aid. Today we have more than one color TV, but the original Sony still sits in the bedroom atop a VCR flashing 12:00. It could be 24 more years before high-def arrives.
Jonathan Arnow Lexington, Mass.
Clarification In “An Evangelical Identity Crisis,” we said Clarence Darrow routed William Jennings Bryan in the Scopes trial. The jury originally returned a guilty verdict against Darrow’s client, John Scopes. But Darrow, who thoroughly upstaged Bryan in the courtroom, had asked for that verdict so that he might pursue the issue on appeal, and Darrow eventually triumphed.
Corrections In our Nov. 20 Conventional Wisdom, we said that Vice President Dick Cheney had received sympathetic treatment in multiple appearances on Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor.” In fact, Cheney has never appeared on the show as vice president.
In the graphic “A Range of Voices Under the Revival Tent,” accompanying our Nov. 13 cover package, “The Politics of Jesus,” we misidentified Chuck Colson. While Colson runs a program that ministers to prison inmates, he is not an ordained minister. NEWSWEEK regrets the errors.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-05” author: “Harvey Biggs”
Harold Ford Jr.’s campaign to become the first African-American from the South elected to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction will be a gauge of the progress Tennessee has made in race relations (“The Path to Power,” Oct. 30). If Ford can win 40 percent of the white vote, I think it will prove that the deciding factor is issues, not race. Ford’s political savvy, strong character and progressive ideas enhance his candidacy, and if he’s elected, his good will and keen intellect will serve Tennessee and America well.
Paul L. Whiteley Sr.
Louisville, Ky.
One word stood out in your profile of Harold Ford Jr. and his U.S. Senate campaign in Tennessee: calculating. Every move Ford makes seems calculated to advance himself, not his state, nation or party. Much is made of his support for the Iraq war and his conservative social views, but consider his vote for bankruptcy reform while he represents a poor district that leads the nation in bankruptcy filings. That cannot be construed as anything but a gift to banks and credit-card companies that can better fuel his future. In a political landscape marred by a Republican Party that has become hostage to ideologues, Ford represents the reverse: his sole allegiance is to what will get him elected.
Michael Clark
Memphis, Tenn.
In your article on Harold Ford Jr., you write as if you’re amazed there are religious Democrats with family values. I agree with the Republicans on education, late-term abortion, gay rights and immigration. Although I grit my teeth on the positions Democrats hold in those areas, I remain a card-carrying Democrat because my Bible is explicitly clear on feeding the hungry and clothing the poor. However misguided Democrats’ attempts are at times, they seem to have more empathy and concern for the working Joe and the truly needy. Republicans seem to be all about hype and protecting the assets of the rich. A conservative Democrat running for office is a fantasy come true for me.
Jean Bolton
Kent, Wash.
As a young, politically minded, Southern yellow-dog Democrat, I obviously want to see my party regain control of Congress. To that end, I would vote for basically any Democrat, save a candidate I felt absolutely did not represent the ideals and principles of our great party. Reading about Harold Ford Jr., I began to get that feeling. You say he voted with Democrats 85 percent of the time, but the one thing that jumped out at me was how he seemed to pride himself on being a conservative. I cringe at the thought of my party pandering to conservatives, hoping to gain their votes. We need to elect people who will represent our liberal values without compromising their beliefs for the sake of bipartisanship. I would sooner vote for a yellow dog than a so-called Democrat who would attempt to write discrimination into the Constitution and legislate my uterus.
Natalie Worlow
Jonesboro, Ark.
Your cover asks: “would a democratic majority go wild, or govern from the middle?” Go wild, as in Social Security, universal health care, a fair mini-mum wage, enforcement of antitrust laws and a tax code that doesn’t savage the poor and middle class in favor of the wealthy? Would that be a Democratic Party gone wild? It would be a Democratic Party with a spine.
David Abraham
Albuquerque, N.M.
Anna Quindlen’s essay is absolutely correct (“The Hillary Questions,” Oct. 30). I am a liberal and a diehard Democrat. While I may not agree with all of Hillary Clinton’s votes (the vote to go to war with Iraq being the prime example), I know that as a moderate, she will further my liberal agenda more than any “compassionate conservative” from the Republican Party. And I know that, unlike Al Gore and John Kerry, she has the charm and personality that win elections.
David Smiley
Tallahassee, Fla.
Anna Quindlen is falling into the trap of all ideologues when she pushes for Hillary Clinton to run for president. Clinton cannot win. I live in Ohio, a key state, and there is no way she could win this state. She is not just opposed here; she is hated. I would love to see Clinton become president, but it will never happen. Republicans are cynically delighted at the prospect of a Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama candidacy. Democrats have to be realistic and run a candidate who will actually be able to win.
John E. LeMoult
Xenia, Ohio
Anna Quindlen’s exhortation of Democrats to get behind Hillary Clinton as the front runner is dangerous advice and misses the important nonideological objection to her candidacy. Come 2008, we will have spent the past 20 years being led by either a Bush or a Clinton, and the country will be desperate for new leadership. Despite her qualifications, Clinton cannot provide that fresh start. And the sooner the Democrats realize this, the better chance they’ll have of taking back the White House.
John Kovacevich
San Francisco, Calif.
Atheist author Sam Harris makes a strong case when he criticizes established religions for the harm they have caused and for the dangers they now present (“Beliefwatch: The Atheist,” periscope, Oct. 30). And he is correct that belief in God is irrational and cannot be proved by reason or current evidence. However, it is just as irrational for Harris to advocate atheism, a certainty that no God exists. An atheist can no more prove there is no God than a believer can prove God’s existence. The only alternative based on reason is agnosticism, the belief that it is impossible to know whether there is a God without sufficient evidence. It does not deny the possibility; it is uncertain.
Michael Lurski
Bethlehem, Pa.
Lisa Miller describes atheist author Sam Harris as an “unlikely infidel” due to his “soft-spoken, thoughtful” demeanor and pleasant manners. Did she honestly expect a raving lunatic at odds with everything around him? Miller’s comments may well have been a tongue-in-cheek jab at the more closed-minded among us, but it bears mentioning in plain terms that it is this sort of prejudicial attitude toward nonbelievers that keeps their voices from being heard and prevents intelligent discussion about things like “intelligent design.”
Phil Caraway
Philadelphia, Pa.
As an atheist, I was dismayed by your description of atheist Sam Harris as an “unlikely infidel” because he is “soft-spoken, thoughtful and intelligent.” Imagine the outcry if NEWSWEEK had said these things about a Christian, Jew or Muslim. We deserve the same freedom of religion as everyone else–including the freedom to believe it’s all bunk and not be denigrated for it.
Ruth Ellis Haworth
Ontario, Canada
Designers obsessed with vanity sizing (the resizing of women’s clothing so smaller sizes fit larger women) do a disservice to women on two levels (“Skinny Is the New Fat,” Oct. 30). First, using the SizeUSA statistics, the average American woman, at 5 feet 4 inches and 155 pounds, is actually overweight based on BMI calculations. So, for a size 16 woman to fit into a size 10 dress endorses a false sense of good health. Second, vanity sizing makes shopping for clothes on the Internet and in catalogs absolutely impractical. While men can buy shirts and pants based on specific measurements, women must take three sizes of the same pants into a dressing room to see which one actually fits. I don’t care if I’m a size 2 or a size 8. Please just develop universal sizing that allows me to buy clothes as easily as my husband does.
Karen P. Lindsey
San Marcos, Calif.
For every anorexic celebrity who needs the new 00 sizing, I would venture that there are at least 100 women trying to squeeze into their vanity-size 12 jeans, feeling outraged that the fashion industry has passed them by but heedless to their future of heart disease, diabetes and more. Paralleling the relentless “thinner is better” message of fashion and celebrity is the even more insidious culture of nonstop overeating and inactivity, which has resulted in obscene obesity rates with health problems that eclipse the damage done by the under eating of a visible few. If we took half the energy we do tsk-tsking too-thin girls and went for a jog instead, we’d be a much healthier, happier nation.
Carol Davenport
Santa Fe, N.M.
Nicole Richie is not a style icon. No amount of denials from her will change what is plain to everyone who can see: she is an ill young woman who needs professional help. To think that in her physical condition she is a role model to anyone is to realize how skewed our perspective on the human form has become. Ribs are not a fashion accessory. I am a 27-year-old, 5-foot-6, 145-pound woman. I am a bit smaller than the average American woman, but certainly nowhere near the skeletal proportions that pass for desirable in today’s thinness-obsessed world. I am also a high-school teacher who sees on a daily basis the negative effects these skinny celebrities have on our young men and women. I plead with the standard setters in Hollywood and elsewhere to consider the effect they have on the very attentive public. People come in all shapes and sizes. It would be nice to start acknowledging that fact.
Jennie Gartner
Rutland, Vt.
I applaud your Oct. 30 periscope item “Danger on the Road: Texting While Driving.” All too frequently I encounter drivers who are moving too slowly, swerving or running red lights–and, upon closer examination, I discover that they are texting. Twice I have sent text messages from the road and nearly rear-ended a car both times. Now I no longer text while driving, and I have a hands-free device for my phone. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and (as of July 1, 2008) California are the only states to ban handheld cell-phone use while driving. Until other states follow suit, we will continue to see people wreaking havoc on the roads.
Ellenor J. Honig
Atlanta, Ga.
I don’t know why former bush aide David Kuo was so shocked by the administration’s failure to deliver on its faith-based promises (“Breaking the Faith,” Oct. 23). I’ve thought for a long time it was obvious that the evangelicals and other highly political social conservatives have been played like a violin by the current administration. Let’s see: the GOP has held the White House, Congress and Supreme Court for six years, and the only significant piece of social legislation the evangelicals have been given is the ban on embryonic-stem-cell research. How could that be?
Eve Fisher
Madison, S.D.
President Bush’s positions and policies ought to be evaluated on their merits, not on the allegations of the embittered former deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, David Kuo. He is eagerly embraced by the enemies of evangelicals and others. On issues deemed vital, evangelicals know who their friends and allies are, just as their opponents know theirs. Robert E. Hayes
Long Beach, Calif.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Frank Price”
As the father of an 11-year-old girl with autism, I’ve witnessed the progress in the early detection of autism and the development of preschool and elementary-school programs to mitigate its impact (“What Happens When They Grow Up,” Nov. 27). By comparison, as my daughter approaches adolescence, I’m shocked to see the relative dearth of quality services for those in middle school and beyond. Many therapy providers and teachers prefer working with young children–not older ones who face more intractable challenges and are more physically imposing. As a result, autistic teens and adults often languish. We urgently need programs for social and learning opportunities during the latter school years and adulthood, properly targeted job training, independent and supported living arrangements, insurance and financial planning.
Russell Vakharia
Torrance, Calif.
It is true that autism covers a broad spectrum of challenges. Luckily for me, my 7-year-old son came with many more gifts than challenges. Yes, autism is a social disorder, but I find it frustrating that much of the advice I receive focuses on how to help my son not stand out. This is the reality of the world we live in, and I do my best. But I can’t help wondering if a high-functioning autistic could find the cure for cancer or solve global warming. We’ll never know if they are too busy calculating proper eye-contact ratios and handling the sensory torture of wearing the clothes to fit in instead of what’s comfortable. When all is well, my son fixes our broken appliances, tells the electrician what he did wrong and takes good care of his younger sister. When he’s stressed out, he washes his hands until they bleed. Instead of teaching our kids how to chit-chat, I’d love programs to teach neurotypicals that their quirky peers are worth knowing. My son can’t always answer well-meaning strangers in the grocery store, but he’s smarter than anyone I know.
Holly Castille
Pflugerville, Texas
The problems your cover story describes are only the tip of the iceberg. Even children like mine, who are mildly affected, experience profound rejection at school. Our 13-year-old son is very bright, but he was bullied so badly and so ignored by teachers that we were forced to home-school him. If public schools are any indication of society’s treatment of people with autism, then the future is very bleak indeed. Many teachers have no clue how to help, so they blame the child for not being able to tolerate crowds and teasing. It is the child’s fault that he cries easily and does not adjust well to change. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, which is supposed to help children with special needs, is not enforced. Schools practically laugh at you when you request accommodation. I applaud the attention you’ve given to autism, but I’m doubtful of its making any difference in my lifetime. If our problems are so vast now with our son, I cannot bear to think about his adulthood.
Rebecca Smith
Baton Rouge, La.
The focus of your autism article could not have been more in tune with what special-needs families face today. My parents’ and my greatest fear is what my 18-year-old sister with Down syndrome will do when she’s no longer eligible for schooling. Learning, homework and other activities have been a positive force throughout her life, and she’s grown accustomed to daily routines of being challenged to grow mentally and socially in a specialized academic environment. Whether our loved ones have Down syndrome, autism, mental retardation or simply learning disabilities, our families have the same concerns and wants for these children: personal happiness and self-worth. Reading about families banding together to face daily issues on a local and regional level is uplifting and reassuring. But we are in dire need of government funding to implement working solutions in our communities. It breaks my heart to read about elderly parents wondering what will happen to their disabled children when they pass.
Bethany Cortese
Boston, Mass.
I want families of autistic children to have hope for the future. It’s all their children have. My 35-year-old daughter couldn’t say a three-syllable word by the time she was 18. When we retired, we moved to a house where there were sidewalks and a grocery store on the same side of the street. Robin got a job bagging groceries, and my husband became her “job coach.” Saying “paper or plastic” was our goal. We started treating Robin like an adult, and slowly but surely she made progress. She has continued to improve with diet, vitamins and language therapy. Today she is in her own condo, is a cashier at the same store, drives to work in her own car and sings in her church choir. She comes to our house for dinner nightly, and I closely monitor her success. She is proud of her accomplishments and likes being independent in her own space. I never dared dream such success for her!
Ann Millan
Clearwater, Fla.
Thanks for your well-researched article on the shortage of services for adults with autism. My 30-year-old daughter is one of those victims who fell off the face of the earth when she turned 21. Massachusetts, like most states, has laws that mandate services for children, but not adults. When Katie aged out of the school system, she was lucky enough to find a group home. However, the experience soon turned into a nightmare. I was horrified at what I came to learn of how she was treated in her first and second group homes. As a single mother, I pulled her out of the system, left my job, bought a house, hired a staff and set up my own program. In our third year, we are hailed as a model by state officials and families with autistic adults. Now we’re helping other families work through the complex system of laws governing housing and services for this population–a patchwork of revenue mentioned in your article. Seeing Katie smile as she does her daily paper route and runs errands for her house makes the journey worth all the sleepless nights.
Anita Perkins
Founder, Katydid Foundation
Newburyport, Mass.
As a 38-year-old with Asperger’s syndrome, I’m disappointed you didn’t discuss the growing autistic advocacy movement that holds that autism is simply a different way of being and should be treated as such. We find the concept of a “cure” for our condition as offensive as African-Americans would find the concept of a “cure” for dark skin. But more important, though your article was about autistic adults, you didn’t interview any high-functioning ones. I don’t think anyone is better qualified than an autistic adult to inform people about the many widely held misconceptions about our condition.
Parrish S. Knight
Silver Spring, Md.
As a nine-year breast-cancer survivor and a naturopathic physician specializing in women’s health care for more than 20 years, I agree that Suzanne Somers’s bioidentical-hormone bandwagon is overzealous at best and possibly dangerous (“Questionable Claims,” Periscope, Nov. 27). I am aware of no convincing evidence that taking estrogen in any form, even herbs, is safe for breast-cancer survivors or women at high risk of estrogen-related malignancies. Is looking “forever young” worth the risk? I don’t think so.
Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, N.D.
Edmonds, Wash.
I applaud Suzanne Somers for writing about hormone-replacement therapy and bioidentical hormones. It’s been more than 40 years since the women’s liberation movement began, and the medical establishment has done little to help menopausal women know if hormones should be taken and for how long. Perhaps Somers’s book will spur much-needed research to give us some definitive answers.
Christina Miller
Seal Beach, Calif.
In “A Renewed War Over ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ " (Periscope, Nov. 27), you report that the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and gay vets hope they might make some progress in Congress at a time when the military “can’t afford to turn away the willing and able.” The Pentagon discharged 742 service members for homosexuality last year–less than a tenth of 1 percent of the uniformed personnel in the armed forces. More than 90 percent of them “told,” since they wanted to receive an honorable discharge. What a scam. Let’s hope the new secretary of Defense can bring that 742 down to almost zero. He should implement the option Congress has given all secretaries of Defense since 1994–going back to asking about sexual orientation as part of the enlistment process and keeping gays from joining in the first place. That will return us to the policy before President Bill Clinton, which meant gays had to lie to join the military. Prior to Clinton, barring homosexuals was presidential policy, but thanks to Clinton, it’s now federal law.
Cmdr. Wayne L. Johnson
JAGC, Navy (Ret.)
Alexandria, Va.
Your article states that “gay British soldiers serve alongside Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan, sharing quarters.” American soldiers also serve alongside other American soldiers who are gay and in the same situations. The Pentagon’s archaic policy does not prevent gays from serving in the military. They always have served and always will, for the same reasons anyone else serves. Most young commanders and troops have no problem serving with a fellow soldier regardless of sexual orientation, race, creed or religion. The problem lies with the stodgy cold-war thinkers at the Pentagon, who should have retired long ago. It’s time for a more attuned generation to take over.
Jeff Jackson
San Diego, Calif.
I applaud Jayne Steiner-Kanak on her splendid account of celebrating the holidays this summer with her terminally ill mother (“An Unseasonably Warm Thanksgiving,” my turn, Nov. 27). As someone involved with caregiver issues, I emphasize the importance of celebrating the moment. Steiner-Kanak provided a valuable lesson for caregivers: think zany, not zealous; think “want to,” not “have to.” Caregiving should not have to be a catastrophe. With the right attitude, it can be turned into a celebration.
Chloe JonPaul
Bowie, Md.
As I browsed all 14 pages of your “Holiday Gift Guide Special,” with prices ranging from $2 for a Superfast Match Box Jeep Wrangler to $2,500 for the sublime Sharp Aquos LCD, I wondered how many readers actually bought any of the magazine’s suggestions (“Untangling the Holidays,” Tip Sheet, Nov. 27). All the while I felt quite smug and glad to be only window shopping. Because instead of shopping frantically, I methodically plan and shop for those on my list all through the year. Not only does it beat the hustle and bustle, but it allows me the leisure to try and get it right. Needless to say, this year’s holiday shopping is all wrapped up.
JoAnn Lee Frank
Clearwater, Fla.
A brown mink handbag? A gray fur coat? A mink and leather bracelet? And a briefcase made of 100 percent alligator? Is this really NEWSWEEK’s idea of what readers want to see on anyone’s holiday shopping list? Your readers are sophisticated, well informed and compassionate. This is a Santa list we can do without.
Jennie Taylor Martin
Virginia Beach, Va.
Here we go again with another attempt to generate acceptance of a dollar coin (“Change: A New Currency for $1 Coins,” Periscope, Nov. 27). First, it was a reduction in size from the traditional “silver” dollar to something resembling a quarter. Then a change of color to “golden” was identified as a way to encourage acceptance of the coin, but it tarnished easily. Now the idea is to change the portrait on the dollar coin every few months, similar to the quarter-coin program. The only way a dollar coin could gain acceptance would be if vending machines regularly accepted the denomination. Without a commitment on the part of vending-machine manufacturers, the dollar coin will continue to remain as unused as the equally rare half-dollar coin. To further encourage the use of such coins, the dollar bill could be removed from circulation, as it was long ago in Canada.
Daniel B. Lovgren
Elk Grove, Calif.
The overriding reason that previous dollar coins didn’t catch on is that people regarded them as novelties, not as “real” money. You never got them at the bank unless you asked for them, and then the tellers had to hunt for some. The Federal Reserve needs to require banks to take a significant percentage of their new $1 currency in coins, and ask them to give out coins first and use paper bills only if they’re specifically requested. They need to run ads that show people using the coins as real money and that point out that a $1 coin is more convenient in a machine than four quarters. Since the demise of the penny seems inevitable, that will free up one slot in cash registers.
Shari Prange
Bonny Doon, Calif.
In his Nov. 27 letter, Prof. Randall Balmer attempts to perpetuate an inside-the-Beltway urban legend that the rise of the religious right was a reaction to IRS efforts to revoke Bob Jones University’s tax-exempt status because of racist policies. I was a foot soldier on the ground in the mid-’70s, having been pro-life since my teens. I also rejected racism as a grievous sin and regarded the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as a personal hero. It wasn’t Roe v. Wade, but the 1.5 million to 1.6 million abortions a year it quickly spawned, that drove previously uninvolved evangelicals and Roman Catholics by the millions into politics between 1976 and 1980 in support of strongly pro-life candidates like Ronald Reagan. Most of those people had never heard of the Bob Jones case, and if they had, most would have rejected the university’s policies. Also, I worked for W. A. Criswell from 1975 to 1988, and he changed his mind in the mid-’70s–appalled by the millions of babies being killed–and became unequivocally pro-life, as indicated in the notes to his “Criswell Study Bible” (1979). Southern Baptists did pass a pro-choice resolution in 1971, but after a conservative rebellion against such liberal positions prevailed, the convention overwhelmingly passed strong pro-life resolutions in 1982 and 1984.
Richard Land, President
Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Nashville, Tenn.
I was very unhappy with your representation of me in “The New First Grade: Too Much Too Soon” (Sept. 11). I was happy to speak to your reporter on this important topic and I believe the article highlighted an important issue, but the things that were printed did not reflect the entirety of my sentiments. I was critical of the mandated curriculum at my daughter’s Oakland, Calif., kindergarten. I felt it was at odds with the developmental needs of many children. I thought, however, that her teacher was wonderful, indeed heroic, under the circumstances. My daughter loved her teacher, too. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply false.
Tiffany Aske
Via Internet
In “The Forgotten Battleground” (Nov. 27), we said that Britain lost the Boer War. In fact, it lost the first Boer War in 1881 but prevailed in 1902.
In the “splurges” section of Tip Sheet’s “Holiday Gift Guide Special,” the price for the vermeil double-tassel crystal necklace by Erickson Beamon is $755 (212-643-4810 for more info). The mini leather key chain in the “Fashion for Her” section is by Il Bisonte ($88; 212-966-8773). The designers of the ties pictured in the “Splurges” section are, clockwise, from top left: BCBG, Valentino, Banana Republic, Duncan Quinn. The red shoes pictured in top of the week are called “Wherever” by Christian Louboutin ($495; christianlouboutin.fr). NEWSWEEK regrets the errors.
title: “Letters To The Magazine” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-23” author: “Joe Hill”
It is a grand irony that Bush I is now coming to salvage the presidency of Bush II (“The Rescue Squad,” Nov. 20). Just five years ago, in the afterglow of his September 11 performance, some commentators argued for the coronation of George W. as likely one of the best presidents in U.S. history. Now his stock sinks to the level of one of the worst presidents, if not the very worst. Tragically, he’s taken the country’s reputation with him. Now George H.W. Bush and his insiders are working to offset egregious leadership mistakes and a profoundly bad legacy. We can be grateful for any salvaging he and his team can manage if it brings into order the messes of the son and his constellation of disastrous advisers.
Stephen J. Nelson Providence, R.I.
I am by no means a supporter of our president’s policies, but I think your cover is a cheap, demeaning shot at him. The fact that George W. Bush has finally called on some seasoned diplomats and politicians does not justify using two unrelated photographs to make him look like a small boy in the background with his father looming large in front. Your cover appears at a time when our country’s image has already suffered too much. I think Bush has followed a foolish course in international relations, undoing years of good will in much of the world, but we should be looking for an intelligent way out of this mess, not for childish editorial expression.
Chuck Jones Cedar Grove, Tenn.
I am a boomer and a conservative. However, when I pulled the lever for some Democrats and independents this election, I certainly was not signaling my desire to return to the policies of Bush 41 and his “Rescue Squad.” It is a mistake to read the results as either a rejection of conservative values (look at the state initiatives and the moderate Democrats who were elected) or a desire to return to the ideas of Bush 41 or Newt Gingrich. Both parties need to come up with a new contract with America, setting forth our future role and recognizing that today’s America and our world are very different from those of even a decade ago.
Paul Hudnut Ft. Collins, Colo.
The influx of democrats into the House and Senate was a much-needed breath of fresh air (“Behind Their Smiles”). Now issues like abortion, same-sex marriage and the war in Iraq can be debated with more equal representation on both sides of the aisle. I am proud to see Nancy Pelosi make history as the first female Speaker of the House, a reminder that women can hold important government positions. It will certainly be interesting to see how the Democratic majority interacts with President George W. Bush, but I hope that the new “blue” House will start setting our nation straight both at home and overseas. Darrian D’Olio Voorhees, N.J.
after reading “the prodigal returns,” and with all the criticism President Bush has received the past few years, many people will jump at the opportunity to scrutinize him yet again. They might feel that as an adult–let alone our president–he should be able to handle his own business without running to Daddy for help. I, however, am impressed by the president’s recent course of action. With an entire country watching, he has set aside his pride and admitted he could use some help. That’s a plea no one should feel too proud to make. Kudos to the president.
Dani Hirsch Philadelphia, Pa.
Ironically, the one member of his father’s administration whom President George W. Bush did have on his team during his first term was Colin Powell. If only he had listened to Powell’s advice regarding Iraq then, he wouldn’t need the rest of his father’s men now to help find a way out of Iraq, and our country wouldn’t be bogged down in a war we had no business starting in the first place.
Martha K. Everett Bowling Green, Ohio
Thank you for one of the most precise and accurate dissections of the midterm elections (“Out of the Gloom, a Silver Lining,” Nov. 20). The death of the conservative movement can trace its onset to the 1992 GOP convention, when religious zealots hijacked the party. That’s when I stopped voting Republican. The Newt Gingrich “Contract” of 1994 only tempo-rarily masked the growth of religious fundamentalism and its influence in politics. Despite the outcome of this election, religious conservatives will probably require a second decisive loss in 2008 to finally realize that the hate-filled movement they created is as dead as the morally bankrupt government they have left us.
Michael J. Harley Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Jonathan Alter’s article is a little over the top, if you ask me. The era of conservatism is not over. The Democrats retook control of Congress for precisely two reasons. First, the difficulties in Iraq. And second, the Democratic Party–at least the candidates offered to the public–has moved significantly to the right. Jon Tester, Heath Shuler, Jim Webb and Bob Casey are basically moderate Republicans in Democratic clothing. The election was a vote against the president and the rubber-stamp actions of his Republican Congress. I’m a Republican who’s glad the Demo-crats won, because I think it will bode well for a return to conservatism and energize Republicans to go out and vote. Constant success breeds complacency.
Stephen Wall Nashville, Tenn.
Speaking as a “dittohead,” i can tell you that George W. Bush and the current Congress were never considered conservative by dittoheads. Bush spent more money than any Democrat to date. We didn’t like that. He never acted on immigration. We didn’t like that. He didn’t get the ANWR deal done when he had a Republican House and Senate. We didn’t like that. So the moral of this election is that conservatism is not dead at all–we just need to find new forces to carry the flag and not burn it.
Greg Klug Indianapolis, Ind.
I’d call myself an independent, but I’ve almost always voted Republican. Jonathan Alter expresses the very reason I did not vote Republican this midterm election: the Terri Schiavo case. It wasn’t the war, it wasn’t the economy–it was Schiavo. For Gov. Jeb Bush and President George W. Bush to interfere in this personal and private family matter, to have embroiled the nation as they did, cost the Republicans my family’s two votes.
Lindy Garrard Riverview, Fla.
Today’s technology is extraordinary. Laptops, BlackBerrys and iPods are a few examples of modern innovations that make our days flow a bit more smoothly. “New Flights of Fancy” (Nov. 20) illustrates another astonishing convenience. Virtual Earth 3D lets us fly through entire cities with the click of a button. Rather than looking at a colored piece of paper with lines running in every direction, we can examine a realistic depiction of a city. The topography of the earth is at our fingertips.
Alexandra Carlton via internet
Your article on the emerging abilities of Google Earth and Microsoft’s Virtual Earth to let users explore cities in 3-D is fascinating. But it strikes me that this virtual navigation could be a great productivity improvement for terrorists who traditionally send out scouts to research and photograph possible targets. Scouting online would provide them safety, reduced costs and little risk of being observed looking suspicious. I hope someone has realized this possibility and is considering ways to prevent unintended consequences of this marvelous capability.
Margaret Holton Norwalk, Conn.
I was particularly moved by Tina Mihin’s “Why I’ll Always Wave the Flag of My Father” (My Turn, Nov. 20). I also lost my father to lung cancer this year and couldn’t help but think of him. At 17 he was so eager to serve his country that he joined the merchant marine, and he went on to serve in the Army during the Korean War. He took great pride in his military service and proudly flew the American flag, reminding me and my siblings how important the efforts of our military were and are. Though we were at opposite ends of the spectrum politically, my dad and I saw eye to eye when it came to honoring our armed services and the great country we live in.
Carrie Peck Glenside, Pa.
Tina Mihin’s essay was extremely poignant to me, as I had just buried my father, Melvin Warke, a WWII veteran of the Battle of the Bulge. He always flew “his” country’s flag and wore a flag lapel pin. At his funeral, WWII members of his VFW post prayed over him and served as an honor guard. With the dignity and frailty of age, they saluted and folded the flag and played taps as a parting salute to a fellow soldier. My dad asked that only the words sergeant in the army be engraved on his tombstone. Flying our country’s flag is the least we can do for that generation of heroes.
Melody Montgomery Danbury, Conn.
In “The Worst of Both Worlds” (Nov. 13), Robert J. Samuelson is critical of Sir Nicholas Stern’s recent report urging strenuous action on global warming before it is too late. Samuelson seems to think we should reduce global warming only if it is cost-effective. He waffles between scorn for the idea of global warming and tepid proposals for its mitigation. Samuelson, like many others, has utterly failed to grasp the scale of the impending events. Try to imagine the enormous cost to infrastructure with even modest increases in sea level. Think of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans, and magnify that by who knows how many thousands. Then spread the damage over many decades. Rising sea levels will be only one effect of global warming. We simply cannot afford ambivalence like Samuelson’s.
Hans Ibsen Nelsen Vashon, Wash.
Robert J. Samuelson sneers at the British government’s Stern report forrecommending global actions that we can’t be certain will curb global warming. At its core, his argument is that global warming is too speculative to do much about. He rails against the report for lack of candor and realism without acknowledging that, in reality, global warming forces us to make enormous speculative bets whatever we do.
Jeremy Sherman Berkeley, Calif.
In “How the West is Being Won” (Nov. 20), we erred by reporting that Denver will be the site of the Democratic Party’s convention in 2008. Denver and New York City are both sites under consideration, and an official decision has not been made.
In “How to Sell Plastic CD’s in a Digital Era” (Periscope, Nov. 13), we said Walgreens was selling 1,000 copies a week of Olivia Newton-John’s latest album. In fact, it was selling 1,000 a day. We also said that Barry Manilow’s sale of 43,000 copies of his latest album on QVC put him nearly halfway to a gold record. For an album to be certified gold, it must sell 500,000, not 100,000. NEWSWEEK regrets the errors.
