Letters

A LEAP OF FAITH

"Could it be that Al Gore has found the most honorable, honest politician? Isn't that more important than Joe Lieberman's religion?" A. JAY BLOCK Gainesville, Fla.

You are right! Al Gore's pick of Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate is historic [CAMPAIGN 2000, Aug. 21]. This election will validate the maxim "regardless of race, color or creed." Never before have voters been given such power; the Gore-Lieberman ticket paves the way to electing, yes, an African American and, yes, a Hispanic to the highest political office. To minorities, I say, "Wake up. Your future is on the line." It's time. Electing them is just the beginning. LILLIAN KEFALOS Pittsburgh, Pa.

The selection of Lieberman, a devout Orthodox Jew, as Gore's running mate must scare poor Yasser Arafat to death. He may realize he had better strike a deal while Clinton is President because there may not be a better opportunity with Gore and Lieberman. Wouldn't it be ironic if the man who chastised Clinton for his sexual transgressions in the Oval Office became the catalyst for handing the President a much coveted alternative to his impeachment legacy as a Middle East peacemaker and possibly even a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize! RENO S. ZACK San Dimas, Calif.

Gore's choice was no more than a political decision to try to use a person with the mantle of Mr. Clean to distract voters from the Clinton-Gore dirt. After denouncing President Clinton but voting against his impeachment, will Lieberman now join Gore in declaring Clinton "one of our greatest Presidents"? That would be real chutzpah. FRANK L. FRABLE Aurora, Ind.

How quickly we all forget--even TIME. Admirable as Gore's selection of Lieberman is, the Senator is hardly the first Jew on a national ticket. That would be Barry Goldwater, the G.O.P. presidential candidate in the 1964 election. DON WATERS Ridgefield, Conn.

His father was Jewish, but Goldwater was reared as an Episcopalian, and he was a member of that church. Goldwater said he did not see himself or his family as primarily Jewish.

My only regret about the Lieberman nomination is that my parents didn't live to see it. PHILIP R. HOCHBERG Rockville, Md.

My roots lie in the pacifist Mennonite tradition. As a spiritual seeker, I have sojourned for a time with many other expressions of faith. My Mennonite, evangelical, reformed Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Quaker heart is warmed by Gore's selection of Lieberman. The integration of Lieberman's beliefs into his life sets a high standard of spiritual practice. Gore's choice exemplifies grace with grit. DORIS LIECHTY LORA Los Angeles

RELIGION ON THE STUMP

Am I the only democrat who is offended by Lieberman's wearing his religion on his sleeve [CAMPAIGN 2000, Aug. 21]? What ever happened to separation of church and state? This is more of a tent revival than an election. H. ALLISON HERGENROTHER Winter Park, Fla.

After Lieberman was tapped as Gore's running mate, he said a public prayer. The partisan audience seemed delighted. If the Republicans had chosen a vice-presidential candidate from, say, the religious right, and he immediately prayed in public, liberals would be outraged. Political correctness in America has fostered a tolerance for minority behavior that would not be condoned in the majority. DORIS O'BRIEN Vandenberg Village, Calif.

Your coverage of "the Lieberman factor" is valuable to your readers. Your poll reveals that significantly more people in the Midwest, South and West said the fact that Lieberman is Jewish would make them less likely to vote for the ticket. Yes, anti-Semitism is alive and well and living in America. JUDY LEVINE Arlington, Va.

COMMENTS ON CONTENDERS

You quoted Fidel Castro's remark on the presidential candidates: "Never, in times so complex and chaotic as these, have we faced two contenders who are so boring and insipid" [VERBATIM, Aug. 21]. Methinks if George W. Bush is elected, Cuba's Mr. Big Man may be eating his words. Then it will be adios, Fidel! VEE LAPHAM Schaumburg, Ill.

Hey, Fidel, at least we have a choice. MICHAEL DILLON Milwaukee, Wis.

TRANSGENIC FOODS

Enough with the hackneyed song-and-dance routine about genetically modified crops being designed to feed the poor and nourish the hungry [SCIENCE, July 31]. As one geneticist has put it, "The gene revolution, like the green revolution, is more likely to feed company pockets than the world's population." TERRANCE DOUGLAS West Vancouver, B.C.

As consumers, we have the right to know what we are eating. As creatures of the earth, we have the right to protect the natural gene pool. Despite what your chart indicated, we Canadians are not "somewhat in favor of GM foods." Our elected government officials may have been swayed by agribusiness money, but surveys have shown that the majority of the population is for the labeling of GM foods that are sold to the consumer. JOHANNE DION Richelieu, Que.

If the Third World does not curb its exploding population growth, no amount of genetically altered food will save it. Family planning that will result in fewer children will improve the standard of living far more effectively than enriched rice. EDWARD ROBB Vancouver

DIVIDED CITY

Why does Jerusalem's mayor insist on a unified Jerusalem when the city's inhabitants are not treated equally [WORLD, Aug. 7]? The city is already split. In [traditionally Arab] East Jerusalem, rubbish literally covers the ground. On the West side, however, the streets are clean and everything is conveniently available. My quality of life will never improve unless people have sovereignty over themselves. NADIA AWAD East Jerusalem

The stumbling block to peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians is more than Jerusalem. The desire for peace is deeply rooted in outlook and education. In the seven years since the Oslo accords, Israel has been hard at work educating its young about the need for peace and coexistence, but the Palestinian Authority has not chosen to go in this direction. Without belittling the difficulties of Jerusalem, I feel that what we teach our children is far more important than any land compromise. YONATAN ZUKOWSKY Pardess Hanna, Israel

BIASED AGAINST BRAININESS?

The article on John McWhorter's book Losing the Race [DIVIDING LINE, Aug. 7] has given me considerable food for thought. McWhorter presents a credible hypothesis that a "cult of anti-intellectualism" has affected blacks. That is an interesting perspective, but I hope it is wrong. Otherwise Africa's future is as bleak as its recent past! RICHARD HAVARD Johannesburg

BACKYARD INFERNOS

The fires in the Bitterroot area of Montana are not the whole picture [ENVIRONMENT, Aug. 21]. Living here in Missoula, we are surrounded by flames. Today the smoke is choking, and the air is very still. The people here and in all the surrounding communities know what the term neighbor really means. I also want to thank all the men and women who have left their homes to come here and save our backyards. I have talked to many on the front lines who are overwhelmed by the abundant wildlife we have here. I wish that they could see how beautiful it is--or was. Unfortunately, we will lose a lot of our wildlife, as very young animals are unable to flee and songbirds are silenced forever by the choking smoke. Thank God no humans have yet lost their lives in Montana. CATHI H. ALLEN Missoula, Mont.

Forrest Hayes, the retired district forest ranger quoted in your story, is right to criticize developers and Realtors for building homes near combustible landscapes like national forests, thus putting firefighters at unnecessary risk. Forest fires are devastating mostly to private landowners, the silly people who risked building their homes in heavily wooded areas, and to those who don't understand disturbance ecology. I chose to live in central Illinois, and if a tornado threatens my life and property, I have no one to blame but myself. PAUL K. STRODE Urbana, Ill.

TREASURE IN A BROTHEL

Thank you for your article on the Dumas brothel in Butte, Mont., and attempts to restore the 19th century building as a museum of prostitution history [AMERICAN SCENE, Aug. 14]. As a high school history teacher, I believe it is important to keep real social history alive. The treasures of our past (no matter how unseemly to some) must not be allowed to disappear. Too many people find history boring because they think it is all about presidential politics, acts of Congress and wars. And while those things are important, the daily lives and experiences of the men and women who actually built and settled this country are just as important. This is our past, folks! Let's try to appreciate it--for whatever it's worth. FRANK PORTO New Haven, Conn.

TALENT-SCOUT WEBSITES

Hats off to the pop-music websites Riffage.com and iCAST.com which specialize in finding unsigned bands and offer guidance in locating high-quality performers [ONLINE, Aug. 14]! I'm more than happy to see that real music will finally get a break. With the help of these websites, people will realize that the best music isn't necessarily found in record stores. JEAN-BENOIT FOURNIER, age 16 Cap-Rouge, Que.

BLAME FOR DEADLY TIRES

If it's true, as alleged by public citizen president Joan Claybrook, that for years Firestone has settled failed-tire claims out of court and included gag orders preventing plaintiffs from reporting the incidents to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, then the company is guilty of far more than making faulty tires [BUSINESS, Aug. 21]. Such behavior deserves legal prosecution, not just bad press and financial setbacks. Bankruptcy might suffice. Firestone's attorneys should be hung out to dry too. RON CARLSON Lakeland, Minn.

I own a tire dealership and have sold thousands of the Firestone tires subject to recall. Of all the tires sold and handled under warranty, not one has ever come through our store that would attest to the complaint that the treads peel off, the reason these products are being recalled. Bashing Firestone is malicious slander. The company's crime is having allowed its tires to be improperly installed on sport-utility vehicles. Ford opted to recommend underinflating the tires on its Explorer. But any backyard mechanic knows that improperly inflated tires can lead to failure, especially in extreme heat. DAVE CHENEY Watertown, N.Y.

DOUBLE FEAT

Richard Corliss's appreciation of Alec Guinness was beautifully written [EULOGY, Aug. 21], and it accomplished a nearly impossible feat: two artists were captured and revealed by his words. Guinness deserved that honor. PAMELA RILEY Arlington, Wash.