On Choosing Our New Leader

To the Editors:

Your cover [June 21] says: "Our Next President (Pick One)." I say: No thanks.

Howard Evan Ignal Weston, Conn.

Where are the men of heroic proportions, soul-stirring, uniquely gifted, magnetic in inspiration, who can truly personify the leadership necessary to keep the U.S strong and worthy of world esteem?

There must be a "knight in shining armor" waiting in the wings of the political arena to truly inspire the American people.

Allan M. Pitkanen Northridge, Calif.

How did you ever do it? In your cover picture of the candidates you have a pose of Reagan looking sincere, Ford looking intelligent and Carter with his mouth shut.

Shirley K. De Groot Eureka, Ill.

Come November, it will be the liberals, not the conservatives, supporting Carter. When Jimmy Carter starts talking issues, it will be revealed that the only thing Southern about Jimmy Carter is that he is from Georgia and has a Southern accent.

I think I am a typical Southerner, moderate to conservative, and we cannot identify with or support the proposed Democratic platform or Jimmy Carter. Only a Reagan-Connally or a Reagan-Ford ticket can hope to win the South.

Tommy Thompson Stone Mountain, Ga.

As I studied the face of Jimmy Carter on the cover, these words suggested themselves: seriousness, humility, gentleness, thoughtfulness, warmth, trustworthiness, strength, compassion, concern.

What more could we ask for in a President of the United States?

Edwin O. Kennedy South Orange, N.J.

When it comes to the issues, Jimmy Carter is as fuzzy as a Georgia peach.

Shaun Burke St. Simons Island, Ga.

Carter's courting of the Jewish vote should bring a cry for equal time from the Catholics of America--his fundamentalist, evangelical "born again" Christianity is as foreign to us as it is to the Jews.

Ron Rothmeyer Dallas

Now if Jimmy Carter chose Jerry Ford for his running mate ...

Wallace R. Seder Beverly, Mass.

Help for the Drowning

I recall reading that S.I. Hayakawa [June 21] once suggested that, if a man were drowning 50 feet from shore, a Republican would throw him a 25-ft. rope and tell him to swim to the other end of the rope because it would be good for his character, whereas the Democrat would throw him a 100-ft. rope and run off looking for others to save.

A modern Republican would throw one end of the 25-ft. rope to a man in a rapidly rising hot-air balloon with the faith that the other end would trickle down automatically to help the drowning man.

Paul R. Shires Milwaukee

Congressional Capers

Re the congressional sex scandal [June 21]: it appears that certain members of Congress have finally adopted the hippie slogan of the '60s: "Make Love, Not War!"

Jon O. Carlson Mount Vernon, Ind.

Gee! If I had known how much fun it was going to be, I would have run for Congress years ago.

Donald W. Kingman Forest Park, Ill.

The self-serving cynicism of elected officials can be temporarily halted by simply voting every incumbent out. If there is a good apple in the smelly Government barrel, it's probably a kindness to get rid of him before he turns bad anyhow.

Besides, he needs to get out and rediscover his sense of smell.

Marjorie L. Reedy Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Those Swell Drivers

During my stay in New York City last November I was using around a dozen taxis a day. In every case the drivers were quick, friendly, and headed for short cuts, often apologizing for pitted roads [June 21]. I always got a smile.

New York taxi drivers, I think you're swell.

Nigel Morland Felpham, England

You castigate the New York City taxicab service. Admittedly, New York taxicabs are often dirty and sometimes the drivers are impolite. Nevertheless, in New York you can hail a taxi anytime you wish and be taken to where you want to go.

In Chicago, if you hail a taxicab, the driver stops and tells you where he wants to go. If you are fortunate, and his destination coincides with where you want to go, he will take you.

Louis D. Statham Lone Pine, Calif.

Him? Her? It?

The Loch Ness Monster [June 21] is one of the few intriguing riddles left to speculate over. New York Times, leave it (him? her?) alone!

I and many others prefer not knowing the solution.

Richard Swerdlow Sacramento, Calif.

To Understand

I must disagree with your statement that deaf students learn to lip-read "theoretically to make their handicap as unnoticeable as possible" [June 14]. They learn to lip read in order to understand speech. Salespeople, waitresses, bank tellers, etc. do not communicate with sign language.

Through lip reading and the use of residual hearing amplified by a hearing aid, many deaf people can communicate with hearing people--not only with other deaf people.

Linda J. Polter Monroe County Program

for the Hearing Impaired, Ida, Mich.

Adoption Tangle

In your story "The Bitter Legacy of the Babylift" [May 24], you identify me as "Lisa Brodyaga, 35, a lawyer in San Jose, Calif., who has adopted" My Hang. I cannot adopt My Hang, because, among other things, she may have blood relatives in Viet Nam who have not consented in writing to her adoption. My struggle over the past year has been to force the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the State Department and the private agencies who executed the "Orphan" Airlift to untangle the legal and human mess in the wake of the propaganda blitz.

More than a year after learning that My Hang may have living family in Viet Nam, I have made no progress toward locating them. Several hundred children are in situations similar to My Hang's. In some cases, name and address of parents are known, and it is clear that the parents never consented to the taking of their children. Even as to these children, INS, the State Department and the adoption agencies refuse to permit tracing of the families by the International Red Cross.

If the goal of federal agencies is to prevent the return of any of the children to Viet Nam, their position is remarkably effective.

Lisa S. Brodyaga San Jose, Calif.

On Bumping

Ralph Nader's "victory" [June 21] is not a victory for the rest of the flying public, who will eventually pay the $50,061 because the consumer always eventually pays for everything. The ruling does not go to the root of the problem. Airlines overbook because of no-shows, and no-shows occur because the practice is not penalized.

Passengers who do not have the decency to cancel unwanted reservations, or at least send word that they will board five minutes before takeoff, are contributing to unfilled planes and higher fares. A penalty for no-shows is the only rational solution.

George Vogel Newton, Mass.

I have always applauded Mr. Nader as the consumer's advocate, but having spent several years sweating away as a travel agent, I have no sympathy for his being bumped.

Why couldn't he have scheduled his rallies farther apart so as to avoid getting to the airport so late? No one has any business (barring emergencies) arriving so soon before takeoff. Not even Mr. Nader.

Karoline E. Esquivel Houston

Forget Democracy

When a nation has to battle for its very survival, concepts such as democracy don't mean very much to its people [June 21]. The last thing India needs today is a return to the pre-emergency chaos. Mrs. Gandhi has done more to move India forward than any previous leader (including her illustrious father

Jawaharlal Nehru) did since independence. Let's hope she continues to do so --elections or no elections.

Umang Gupta Cleveland

You say India could have achieved what it has without resorting to such "drastic emergency action," that this would have been possible by means of a "stronger leadership." This is strong leadership. It is the end that counts, not the means. Having been in India recently, I can say that compared to repressive regimes, India can hardly be said to have an oppressive government.

Sanjay Modak Englewood, N.J.

Death Warrant?

I am glad you put that question mark after the headline "Booze for Alcoholics?" [June 21]. What Rand scientists say may be possible, but for hundreds of alcoholics it is risky as all hell.

It could be a death warrant. I do not know of a single alcoholic who has successfully gone back to "social" drinking. I have known many who tried.

Judd H. Black Rochester

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