LETTERS

THE FORCE IS STILL WITH US

"In a world plagued by catastrophe and sometimes inhuman events, Star Wars gives us hope that good will triumph in the end." NEIL J. ZEMMEL Charlottesville, Virginia

The film Star Wars is not about video games and woozy echoes of love [CINEMA, Feb. 10]. It is a study of archetypes and an expression of the unconscious collective experience of humankind. Star Wars has it all: hero, villain, magic weapon, quest and heroine. We have been rewriting this story throughout time; only the names have been changed to modernize it. Shakespeare would have loved it. LISA BYRD Malvern, Arizona

When Star Wars first came out, I stood in line for more than three hours to see it. As the years passed, I couldn't wait for each sequel to come out. But the re-release of the original has left me disillusioned. The fact that I spent a sizable sum to go to a movie that I've seen dozens of times just shows the power of a great marketing campaign. For its backers, the rerelease means millions more in the bank--money that will come from those of us stupid enough to believe the additional footage is worth the hefty ticket price. The hype is sickening, and I am very disappointed in George Lucas, who, I now realize, only sees us consumers as dollar signs. RICH MEYER Bridgewater, New Jersey

I just saw Star Wars again, and I was awed not by the special effects but by the depth of the movie. Lucas has the ability to paint a story in large strokes and then fill in the details. His trilogy seems like an immense universe. The films fuel our imagination and become so much more to us than an adrenaline-packed blockbuster. No matter what anyone says, the new additions to Star Wars have enriched the original. The little details make it all the more believable. DON SIAS Salina, Kansas

Lucas' remaking of Star Wars is akin to someone's painting eyebrows on the Mona Lisa. Even worse, it took him 20 years to make the revisions. He should have used his energy to create prequels or sequels. We've been waiting for them for decades. SCOTT DAVID LIPPE Mineola, New York

Star Wars is simply William Bennett's Book of Virtues set in "a galaxy far, far away." Both are incredibly successful because our chaotic cosmos longs for the moral "force" of courage, loyalty, discipline, justice, love and faith. May those forces be with us all! JAMES WATKINS LaOtto, Indiana

Seeing the 20th-anniversary edition of Star Wars brought a wave of mixed feelings. I sat in a theater surrounded by an audience, the vast majority of whom were not even born when I first saw the film in 1977. I thought the scenes dragged in comparison to the manic action of today's sci-fi extravaganzas. I realized that not a single adult in the theater felt the way he did when he saw the movie for the first time. Not a single preteen managed to make it through without suppressing some yawns. The story of the good guys' triumph is too slow for the MTV attention span. So much has changed since 1977, when I sat between my parents watching the original! KENT MAY Idyllwild, California

How could you waste even a single page on such trivial nonsense as the regurgitated Star Wars? GEORGE N. BUTLER Boca Raton, Florida

A CHILD'S FERTILE MIND

Your report on the development of the human brain, "Fertile Minds" [SPECIAL REPORT, Feb. 3], was very interesting, in particular regarding the effect of external stimuli on the way brain cells proliferate and connect. As a mother of three small children, I welcomed the "hard facts" that prove what many mothers--and fathers--instinctively know: the more a baby interacts with its surrounding world, the more its capacity and will to learn and enjoy new experiences are enhanced. Articles published over the years have shown that neglected or abused children have developmental and behavioral problems. This is proved by the studies you mentioned. But you should have included the effects of overachieving parents on the minds and behavior of their offspring. You left the door wide open for parents to argue that the more a child is made to learn, the better his opportunities to "make it" in adult life. I am concerned that some parents will push this argument so far that their kids will become as "abused," in a way, as those who are neglected. Take away a child's childhood, and what is left? VALERIA SISTEK Founex, Switzerland

The feature on children's mental development should be filed in the reference section of everyone's personal library. You affirmed that the most important influences on a child's mental foundation are free and within reach of even the very poor. However, I must point out that all the white babies you showed were smiling or positively disposed, while the only black baby you showed was crying. Shame on you! JOHN EHI ADDEH Pau, France

WHERE HAVE THE HEROES GONE?

Which planet does Charles Krauthammer hail from? Certainly not Planet Earth. How can he blithely state that this is an "unheroic time" [ESSAY, Feb. 10] or that we have no heroic causes left since we are not in "danger"? He cannot seriously have 1997 in mind. Never in the history of mankind have the challenges, dangers, risks and threats to the very loss of life and resources been so imminent. One does not need a Ph.D. to be aware of the troubling and difficult problems our present generation faces and has the privilege of trying to overcome. FLORA BOURDEAU Brussels

"We have never known a time of such profound tranquillity at home and abroad," or so says Krauthammer. And he claims that Clinton is the "least consequential President in at least 60 years. But maybe it's not Clinton. It's the times." I disagree. A hero is a person who does something for people who cannot do it for themselves in times when others would not do it. America can be the savior to many poor countries in the world--in Africa, for example--by sharing its prosperity and helping those who cannot help themselves. The risk is that Americans not only have to be the guardians of peace but must also share knowledge and riches with others. The U.S. should pick a few suffering nations and guide them to overcome their problems. Clinton can be a hero not only to America but to the whole world. WILLIAM C. ADRIAANSE Parow, South Africa

Dear old Charlie bores me. His essays always disparage and never encourage. I understand why his views and Clinton's do not fit. It is because Clinton looks toward the children of America in order to give everyone a brighter future. I don't believe Clinton wants to be considered a hero in history books. I think he will be happy if he is recognized as providing the momentum that will give each individual the ability to live in a sound society on a sound planet. LOUIS DE BACKER Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

What makes Krauthammer believe that the "long twilight struggle against the common enemies of man, tyranny, poverty, disease and war" is already over? This is not any more true for the U.S. than for other countries. Krauthammer sees an end to the wars of this century. Where indeed is the end to bloodshed? There are plenty of wars going on in the '90s. There's more to be done for freedom than ever before. Helping the world rid itself of problems, which Krauthammer underestimates, does not require acts of high-profile heroism; there are certain things that should be done. And doing them has nothing to do with being a hero but with simply recognizing what is necessary. ANDRE FROMME Schloss Holte, Germany

While I agree with the broad thrust of Krauthammer's essay, I take issue with his statement that the cold war ended "with utter silence and not a drop of blood." Both the Western democracies (usually the U.S., Britain and France) and the communist regimes (the Soviet Union and China) used satellite countries as surrogate battlegrounds, since any direct conflict between the two blocs could have set off a final nuclear exchange. Furthermore, blood was spilled in great quantities during the Vietnam War. If this was not a conflict between the forces of democracy and and those of communism, what was? GUY HARRIS Bergen, Norway

COPING WITH CULTS

Members of the American wing of Scientology claim that discrimination against them in Germany is comparable to the Nazi Holocaust [WORLD, Feb. 10]. This comparison shows great insolence to the victims of the Holocaust. No Scientology members have been killed, tortured or imprisoned without trial by German authorities. Scientology is no religion at all. It is an economic enterprise with an extreme, dictatorial power structure, dedicated to extracting every cent of its members' savings. THOMAS BRANDLEIN Bamberg, Germany

It was frustrating to read about the discrimination taking place in Germany against the Church of Scientology because you failed to tell your readers exactly what it stands for. The vast majority of readers would have benefited from a few words of explanation about its tenets, so that they could better understand what all the fuss is about. TITO M. SIMONELLI Sao Paulo, Brazil

You did not mention the thousands of people whose lives have been saved by Scientology and who have benefited from its faith and beliefs. I have been involved with Scientology, and can speak only good of it. Today mankind needs a new approach to life, new principles to fight the general decline of values in society. Every individual would have a better chance if L. Ron Hubbard's thoughts were generally applied in all fields of life. ANTONIO MACIS Trieste, Italy

It would be a good idea for religious sects to be subjected to some sort of control. We have learned that the best religious fanatic can be a terrorist. AKANBI GABRIEL Essen, Germany

BLOOD HAZING

It is repellant that street gangs indoctrinate recruits with severe beatings, but it is more shocking to learn that the Marine Corps's "few and the proud" draw blood and inflict pain on new members [NATION, Feb. 10]. I am ashamed to think that a U.S. Marine would stoop to such gang mentality. PETER E. WEISS Holyoke, Massachusetts

What you wrote about was not "normal" Marine hazing. It was the special pinning ceremony engaged in by Marine Force Recon, one of America's toughest and most elite warrior units. These men are all volunteers and eagerly look forward to the day when they win their gold parachutist's wings. I doubt that many look forward to the "ceremony" that accompanies the wings, but all look back with pride on enduring it. The ritual is not unlike the ceremony that American Indians went through when they entered manhood. GARRETT C. DAILEY Oakland, California

When I was growing up, I recall hearing how barbaric the North Vietnamese troops were during the Vietnam War. The descriptions of their booby traps were unbelievably gruesome. Alas, now I find our own Marines have been every bit as barbaric and gruesome. It seems to me the U.S. Marines could indeed use a few "good" men. BOB MOFFETT Fairmont, West Virginia

As an ex-Marine, I realize civilians will never understand why the pinning ritual in the Marine Corps is condoned. I don't think an explanation is in order, because the military doesn't live by the same set of rules as the rest of society. The most tragic thing that has happened is that an undisciplined slob betrayed his own by making videotapes that were shown outside the barracks. GERALD SMETANA Chetek, Wisconsin

CONNECTING TO AOL

America Online chairman Steve Case grossly underestimates the problems at AOL and incorrectly overestimates the quality of its response [BUSINESS, Feb. 10]. The deterioration in service is far more pervasive than just a subscriber's inability to log on. When one is fortunate enough to connect, there are incredible delays and malfunctions. To get a simple response to an E-mail inquiry on AOL takes days--if an answer comes at all. I'm tired of setting my alarm for 3 a.m. so that I can try to connect--to cancel my subscription to the service. Ordinarily, I would have sent this letter by E-mail, but... RONALD SCHENK Dublin, Ohio

I'm quite disturbed by your unfounded and poorly researched assessment of Prodigy in "Where You Can Connect," your guide to the leading online services of today. Your negative comments appeared to be directed at Prodigy Classic, which is no longer our lead product. You made no mention of the new flagship product, Prodigy Internet, which was introduced in October to universally favorable reviews. The marketplace seems to agree that Prodigy Internet is a great value. In January, during our first full month of marketing, daily enrollments in Prodigy Internet increased more than 300%, establishing it as one of the U.S.'s fastest growing Internet service providers. GREG CARR, CHAIRMAN Prodigy Inc. White Plains, New York

HE'S NO RUTHERFORD B. HAYES

Comparing Bill Clinton to president Rutherford B. Hayes, as Hugh Sidey did, is absurd [THE PRESIDENCY, Feb. 10]. Hayes was a Civil War hero who was wounded five times, and when he served as Congressman and Governor, he was squeaky clean. Clinton does not even come close. He is a draft dodger and has been charged with questionable conduct. Maybe one could compare him to Richard Nixon. AL KOTYUK Spring Hill, Florida

UNBEARABLE THOUGHTS OF ARMEY

In your story on Franklin Raines, the new White House budget chief [NATION, Feb. 10], you noted that House majority leader Dick Armey likes to say his first waking thought is how to make the day unbearable for Democrats. What a succinct summation of much that is wrong in America's capital today! Our representatives in Congress should be concerned about the welfare of our nation, not the welfare of their particular party. They should wake up each day trying to make the day better for all citizens, not unbearable for their political opponents. LAUREL NICOL Cumberland, Maryland

EXPECTING A VISIT FROM TARZAN?

When I read the piece about applying the principles of feng shui to the Oval Office [NOTEBOOK, Feb. 10], I came to the conclusion that the practitioners of this Chinese art, which places an individual in harmony with his surroundings, prey on those who cannot think for themselves. So some people think the President's chi (Chinese for energy) is seeping out and suggest the drafty doors in the Oval Office be sealed to prevent the life force from escaping. But the idea that a fountain and plants be installed makes one expect Tarzan to visit, rather than political leaders. Those who believe in feng shui say it aims to create harmony between man and nature; however, others may laugh at the definition of harmony when they look at the asymmetrical placement of the furniture in the Oval Office proposed by the so-called feng shui master. Is it chi or cheesy? ERIC CHEUNG Lubbock, Texas

As a feng shui practitioner, I can confirm that the Oval Office is situated in one of the worst possible locations. Many straight lines carrying negative energy are directed at it. Pennsylvania Avenue slices right through the White House like a knife. The best corrective measure would be to construct a fountain in the area right outside the White House fence or in Lafayette Park to deflect the killing arrows pointed at the building. ANGI MA WONG Rancho Palos Verdes, California