Letters

THE COLORADO SCHOOL MASSACRE

In her account of the rampage at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. [SPECIAL REPORT, May 3], Nancy Gibbs included stories of heroism and love that honored the young people involved. Through her writing, the impossible was achieved--I was able to feel hope instead of anger and hatred toward the murderers. Instead of obsessing and debating about the evil that has infected America, I began to feel pride in the youths who stood up for one another, for their teacher and for God. KAREN ERICKSON Albuquerque, N.M.

You just don't get it, do you? Guns are not the problem! It's lazy parents, violent entertainment and a lack of moral and spiritual grounding that are responsible for the subculture of death that exists among our youths today. If guns are the problem, why have school shootings not been going on since the founding of the country? Quit spouting that tired old antigun b.s. that contributes nothing. JERRELL A. PARKER Lewisville, Texas

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold could not have killed 13 other people and themselves if they'd simply been armed with baseball bats or knives. Mass murder requires weaponry that kills rapidly from a distance. Why do we make it so easy for those with dark fantasies to acquire the weapons needed to act them out? CAROL GRIZZARD Pikeville, Ky.

As a graduate of Columbine High School, I'd like to thank TIME for acknowledging that the questions surrounding this tragedy can't be answered by resorting to labels. This was an indefensible, brutal crime that will leave an indelible shadow over the town. But to assert a link between nonconformity and murderous tendencies is extremely irresponsible. Are we telling children they must all be alike? What all the school shooters seem to have in common is rage, much of which stems from their reputations as misfits. Social outcasts have always existed. But while kids have easy access to assault weapons, we can be sure to see more shootings. JENNIFER LYNN HUNTER New York City

There will be a lot of wringing of hands, whining and asking why, but the truth is that as long as we let society exist with no leadership, no morals, no ethics, no respect for others and contempt for family values, what we have just witnessed may be only the beginning of horrors we cannot even imagine today. You want to know where the problem lies? For most of us, the answer is no farther than the nearest mirror. DAVID WRAY Littleton, Colo.

I'm horrified to see the two killers on your cover. Shame on you for glorifying such people! MARGARETE BONNER Clovis, Calif.

Amid the highly charged fallout from Littleton, there is a growing political momentum to tighten the noose around the Second Amendment, which allows Americans to keep and bear arms. However, take a quick look around pop culture, and you will easily find examples of how violence is considered a creative outlet. Movies try to outdo one another in innovative gore, video games teach kids how to use guns, and the Internet is a wide-open forum. So while we're chipping away at the Second Amendment, why not peel back some layers of the First Amendment, which permits freedom of speech? Aren't we willing to subject movies, video games and the Internet to the same scrutiny as guns? SCOTT BLEDSOE Naples, Italy

LISTEN TO THE CHILDREN

Children and guns are not a perfect match [SPECIAL REPORT, May 3], so why do they keep showing up together? It just does not make sense to me. I used to love going to my school, a magnet public school. However, now I am afraid to go to school, for I know that things like the shooting of students can happen anytime, anywhere. RACHEL MORGAN, 13 West Hills, Calif.

Everyone's talking about the warning signs that the parents missed. But what were they supposed to notice? When parents complain about how moody and distant their teen is, everyone says, "Oh, that's just being a teenager." I know how easy it is to hide things from those around you. Parents, teachers and other adults see only the facade that you want them to see. If Eric and Dylan didn't want their parents to know what was going on in their lives, their folks wouldn't have been able to figure it out. SYLVIA ALBERT, 17 Northridge, Calif.

I attend middle school, and I have read about the many school-related acts of gun violence. I have also noticed that a lot of people are blaming these acts on a troubled childhood in which these students are singled out by their peers. But I believe that the main reasons for these crimes are the Internet and easy access to guns. The children of America should be the ones most involved in seeking out signs of a disturbed youngster. Students can observe things on a closer and more personal level than adults can. And people should be completely aware that this type of incident can happen anywhere. JAKE DOUGLAS, 14 Edison, N.J.

SHOWING THEIR SUPPORT

Your story "A Curse of Cliques" [SPECIAL REPORT, May 3] was illustrated with a photograph of my son and three friends at the vigil held the day after the terrible shooting at Columbine High School. The young people were extremely shaken by the tragedy and thought this would be a way to show their support and help with the healing. But I feel your article pointed a finger at our children and put the blame on athletes, hockey kids, preppies, cheerleaders, etc., for the actions of the two individuals who snapped and took innocent lives. I wish you would have been more sympathetic to our children and not printed a picture of my son above an article that blames cliques for this emotional time. My son is a caring athlete with a huge heart who has been deeply affected by this situation. NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST Arvada, Colo.

CORRECTION

The chart accompanying our report on genealogy [FAMILY, April 19] included an incorrect website address for Yad Vashem, the remembrance organization for the Holocaust. The correct address is www.yadvashem.org.il

LESSONS OF HISTORY

The fundamental issue in Kosovo is the rule of law--whether one group of people can rob, murder and displace another with impunity [WORLD, May 3]. Russia is another Slav nation, far more powerful, also chafing from its loss of empire. What lessons will it learn if nato fails to restore the Kosovar Albanians to their rightful homes? I am ashamed of Congress for its vote denying support. A victory is absolutely vital. GERALD K. MELIS Wardsboro, Vt.

Hitler was convinced that by blitzing London he would destroy Britain's will to fight. Now NATO has decided it can help the Kosovars by bombing Serbia. Do leaders ever learn from history? ANDRZEJ DERKOWSKI Oakville, Ont.

HITLER'S FAVORITE DISHES

In describing Hitler as a vegetarian, David Spitz repeats a common myth [NOTEBOOK, May 3]. Admittedly, the idea of a monster's eating only vegetables is an irony hard to resist. Nevertheless, there is evidence to the contrary. In her book Gourmet Cooking School Cookbook (1964), Dione Lucas writes of her days as a chef in a Hamburg, Germany, hotel before World War II: "I do not mean to spoil your appetite for stuffed squab, but you might be interested to know that it was a great favorite with Mr. Hitler, who dined at the hotel often." CAROL F. JOCHNOWITZ New York City