Letters

TIME 100: LEADERS AND REVOLUTIONARIES

Your issue on the great leaders and revolutionaries of the 20th century was quite absorbing as it highlighted those who imagined a better society and had the ability to lead people toward their vision [TIME 100, April 13]. Looking at the social upheavals of this century, one would conclude that we have not in any way completed this journey. TIME's leader of the next century will be the person who can envision and provide a society that ensures individual freedom and a better quality of life without relying on economic growth. Technology will improve our lives, but the true leaders will be those who are not afraid to deal with the concept of a finite earth. JOHN DYER Roanoke, Va.

You made me reflect on what makes a good national leader. I believe it is the person who embodies the spirit of a nation or age, has a vision of the future and yet has a clear understanding of the past, is charismatic and can inspire. It is a person who is not afraid to make unpopular decisions and take calculated risks if the situation warrants it. KENNETH L. ZIMMERMAN Huntington Beach, Calif.

This was TIME's most interesting and profound issue ever, in particular because of Walter Isaacson's article "Our Century... and the Next One." Isaacson concluded, "The ultimate goal of democracy and freedom...is...to nurture the dignity and values of each individual." To my mind that idea is more than an American political idea. It is the promise to obliterate racial and religious bigotry, hence to end most of mankind's current agonies. It is the mutual spiritual purpose for all human life. OLIVER ANDRESEN Schaumburg, Ill.

Isaacson missed one key point: The world, despite the upheavals and two world wars, has come full circle and after almost 100 years, finds itself at Square 1. This century dawned amid the evils of unrestrained capitalism, symbolized by the emergence of industrial giants and a landed aristocracy. The inevitable consequence was the rise of communism. Today, as the century draws to a close, we are witnessing not only the fall of communism but sadly also the collapse of social-welfare systems for the disadvantaged. Unbridled capitalism is showing its ugly face. Once again the worker of the world is insecure. MADAN SAULDIE Cologne, Germany

If, as Santayana said, those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, your issue is the perfect antidote. We are reminded of those who have led us to accomplishments and of the tyrants who brought on disaster. If we look at our past in this light, we will find your report a compass pointing us to a brighter future. JACK D. FOSTER Barnard, Vt.

Is it sheer coincidence that among TIME's 20 most influential leaders and revolutionaries of this century, six are Americans and half are English speakers? Should we believe that English-speaking countries naturally produce more influential leaders than, say, French- or Spanish-speaking nations? Did cultural bias influence your selection? REHA KESKINTEPE Geneva

Salman Rushdie was a shameful choice to chronicle Gandhi's life. Rushdie has lived outside India for most of his life. He should not be the one writing about a brave, inspiring and selfless leader. Sure, Gandhi is not short of critics, but he stood firm against the greatest power of the time and saw the realization of a free and self-ruled India. RAJESH L. MAHTANI Hong Kong

Richard Nixon should have received a higher standing than No. 15 in the historians' ranking of U.S. Presidents. While Nixon is the "most difficult President to assess," many will admit that he was one of the greatest foreign policy Presidents of this century. Also, I disagree that John F. Kennedy (No. 8) might have been "first tier" had he lived. The Vietnam War would have hurt him in the end, and he would probably have lost a bid for a second term. JASON HINDLE Keene, N.H.

TROUBLE WITH THE BOSS

Clinton may be the winner in the dismissal of the Paula Jones sexual-harassment lawsuit [NATION, April 13], but the judge's decision has set back the women's movement 50 years. Now any boss can ask a woman to come into his office, close the door, unzip his pants and ask her to perform oral sex. Even if she refuses and leaves, she can no longer claim outrage in a court of law. Unless this ruling is reversed, women in the workplace had better not go into the boss's office without a witness. If Clinton can get away with it, any manager can. JOSEPH F. PANICELLO North Hills, Calif.

Those who take morality seriously can't afford to let this battle be fought by proxy. Society has to face up to the unpleasant reality of a conflict between modernity and morality. We have to weigh choices and costs. SHARATCHANDRA D. JOG Mumbai, India

OBJECTIONS TO "JOE SIX-PACK"

In his interview with TIME, President Clinton referred to a private citizen as "Joe Six-Pack" [NATION, April 13]. I object to this characterization. Clinton's arrogance and obvious disregard for the average person is appalling. During the 1992 campaign, President George Bush called Clinton a "bozo." At the time, I thought Bush's comment was unstatesmanlike. But now I'm wondering if Bush didn't have a greater insight into Clinton's character than anyone imagined. LARRY MUNSTERMAN Pacific City, Ore.

What an unbecoming generalization is Clinton's use of the term Joe Six-Pack! I am appalled that Clinton would refer to me that way. Personally, I would have preferred "Jane Merlot." KAREN L. PEARSON Newport Beach, Calif.

A TEST FOR THERAPEUTIC TOUCH

The experiment by young Emily Rosa, testing whether the medical practice of therapeutic touch is effective [SCIENCE, April 13], underscores the fact that the mind and body combine to contribute to healing. TT may be total nonsense except when the patient believes in it. You can get the same effect by letting a patient pet and cuddle a puppy. The healing is real; it is caused not by waving hands or furry friends but by the power of the human spirit. Should puppies get paid $70 an hour for "therapy"? Doctors can't write a prescription for that--yet. STEVE STOVER Los Angeles

Even though the experiment seemed to show that the underpinning of TT, the manipulation of human energy fields, is bunk, you said TT nonetheless "sometimes works." Certainly there are anecdotal reports of its effectiveness, just as there are reports that Elvis is still among us. But anecdote is not evidence, and there are simply no credible data to support its continued use. A. CAREY CARPENTER San Marcos, Calif.

Emily's study had several crucial misinterpretations and misrepresentations of the therapeutic-touch process. The number of people tested was inadequate. Underlying the study is a gross misunderstanding of TT. It is not done with only the hands; it is an interiorized process called into being by compassion for someone who is in need and is coupled with a deep-seated, knowledgeable intentionality. The technique used in Emily's study comes close to being a parlor trick and in no way resembles TT either in concept or in practice. One wonders what was behind a respected medical journal's publication of this travesty of professional inquiry. DOLORES KRIEGER, Ph.D., R.N. Professor Emerita of Nursing Science New York University Columbia Falls, Mont.

For a postgraduate course in TT, just hop on a crowded bus. TARANJIT SINGH CHOWDHARY New Delhi

DON'T MIX KIDS AND GUNS

The appalling deaths of four innocent children and their courageous teacher in Jonesboro, Ark. [THE JONESBORO SHOOTINGS, April 6], remind us of the terrible price we all pay for the lax gun laws in our nation. We must look closely at children's access to firearms. Gun advocates repeat the mantra that if youngsters are properly trained in firearm use, they won't shoot people. The boys accused of the Jonesboro shootings were well trained, and they killed five people and wounded 10 others. You can teach kids how to use guns, but you can't train them not to be children. Allowing emotionally immature children access to firearms is opening the door to incidents such as the one in Jonesboro as well as suicides and unintentional shootings. I urge all Americans to reconsider the U.S.'s love affair with guns in light of this senseless tragedy. SARAH BRADY, Chair Handgun Control, Inc. Washington