Letters
Slowdown of the New Economy
"I can think of no better way to generate an economic downturn than to have the media convince everyone that there is one." MIKE MAHANNAH North Vancouver, B.C.
Will there be a recession [BUSINESS, Jan. 8]? The performance of the stock market provides an interesting view of business conditions, but that certainly is not a full measure of the New Economy. Savings are down. The money has to be going somewhere. My guess is that a great deal is being invested in real estate. There is only a recession in the eyes of the media. The stock market was overheated and is now in a correction mode. People will soon be back investing in stocks, looking for the bargains, those long-term favorites with high growth rates and low price-earnings ratios. FRED HELD Westwood, Calif.
Here's my explanation for the stock slump: At some point, one of the big players in the market got a little nervous and sold out to preserve a billion dollars in short-term profits. This scared all the rest of the big players, and like lemmings, they followed suit. It is these big players who cause the problems, not the little guys like me who have invested only a few thousand dollars. The big players could do all of us a gigantic favor by thinking long term like the rest of us, the little guys. MARK DORNBLASER Lafayette, Colo.
Yes, we should be concerned about the economy. However, it's human nature to ignore a problem, no matter how big, until it hits home. ENRIQUE SALAZAR San Ysidro, Calif.
It is irksome enough that George W. Bush's team is running around using "recession" to describe the state of the economy without TIME jumping on the bandwagon. In economics, half the game is expectations, and fueling thoughts of a recession will only lead to a self-fulfilling chain of events. The U.S. economy has been running on overwrought expectations for years now; it is only natural for it to slow down to a more stable, normal rate of growth. Confidence plays too large a part in the operation of our economy for you to partake in sabotaging it with negative cover stories. DANIEL HOLT Buffalo, N.Y.
Looking Forward to Laura
I just read your contrasting articles on the dignified Laura Bush [NATION, Jan. 8] and her ambitious, material-girl predecessor, Hillary Clinton. It's great to know there's going to be at least one adult in the White House again. BOB PUTMAN Schaumburg, Ill.
Prospects for Peace
President Clinton is to be commended for his efforts to bring peace to the Middle East [WORLD, Jan. 8]. However, Yasser Arafat knows that should he make even a single compromise to settle the issues between Israelis and Palestinians, he would not live to see another day. As I watch his attempts to make some kind of accord that will help end the violence, I can see in his eyes he knows he is a dead man walking. Given all that Israel has agreed to in order to reach a peaceful settlement, I almost feel sorry for Arafat. He lacks the authority to make peace. GARY HUYGEN Petaluma, Calif.
Both Israelis and Palestinians should accept the further compromises necessary to begin a viable, lasting peace. There is a tiny window of opportunity left, where these compromises are still, just, politically feasible. It takes courage, but both sides must move now to finalize a peace deal. TONY PUPKEWITZ Cape Town
Prescribing Pain Medicine
As a physician, I did not think your article about OxyContin, our company's drug that is prescribed as a pain killer, adequately distinguished between the dangers of abusing pain medications and the benefits of them when taken under appropriate supervision [DRUGS, Jan. 8]. Because of OxyContin's time-release formulation, patients with pain who take the drug do not experience the heroin-like euphoria you mentioned. Wrong perceptions about addiction--and mislabeling legitimate patients as abusers--can result in the unnecessary withholding of opioid medications from patients in need. You stated that Purdue Pharma is facing pressure from prosecutors to minimize forged prescriptions. In fact, the company took the initiative six months ago to meet with officials to assist efforts to stop illegal drug trafficking. You also suggested that several deaths in Maine were attributed to overdoses of OxyContin. However, I have confirmed that in almost every case, those who died had ingested several different pills, sometimes in combination with alcohol or illegal drugs. This would mean that these unfortunate deaths were not caused by any one drug, as you implied. J. DAVID HADDOX, D.D.S., M.D. Senior Medical Director, Health Policy Purdue Pharma L.P. Stamford, Conn.
Your article did a disservice to the many pain patients taking OxyContin. The problems of drug addiction and the diversion of opioids do exist. However, they should not prevent physicians from prescribing medications such as OxyContin to the 99% of legitimate pain patients who need it. The solution to the problem of illicit use is improved dialogue among doctors, politicians, and state and federal regulators to educate all in the proper use of pain medications. HOWARD A. HEIT, M.D. McLean, Va.
Proud of Blue's Clues
Your item about my forthcoming departure from Blue's Clues described me as bitter [PEOPLE, Jan. 8]. This is anything but true. For six years, with the help of an animated puppy named Blue, I have had the honor of serving as friend and teacher to millions of preschoolers. In this role, I speak frankly with a salt-and-pepper shaker, dress up as Elvis and search for cookies. I have been supported by an outstanding team, all of whom have the single goal of empowering children and teaching them to think, think, think. I am proud that Blue's Clues will go on without me; it will always be the best show on television for young children. Yes, I will be sad to hang up my rugby shirt; I have worn the green stripes with pride. I hope that the show's fans--those still in strollers, parents, grandparents--know that I am grateful for their unfailing support and will miss them greatly. STEVE BURNS New York City
An Unequaled Entertainer
"Hammy pianist..."? What a poor choice of words to describe humorist and pianist Victor Borge [MILESTONES, Jan. 8]. Someone who made hundreds of thousands of people dissolve into tears of laughter--over and over again--certainly deserves a better characterization. DONALD E. SCHMIEDEL Las Vegas
Remembering Robards
Robert Redford's piece on actor Jason Robards [EULOGY, Jan. 8] failed to mention that although he "had a difficult time getting work" after 1972, Robards did find the role of Jamie Tyrone in the 1974 revival of Eugene O'Neill's play A Moon for the Misbegotten. Robards was not only a presence on film but also a formidable performer onstage. ANNA DAVIES Chatham, N.J.
Cloning to Preserve
In your report on the cloning of a gaur, an endangered wild ox found in Asia, you noted that if the cloning attempt is successful, it could produce potentially unlimited numbers of endangered creatures [SCIENCE, Jan. 8]. While this statement may be superficially true, it is akin to saying a copying machine can turn a single lottery ticket into unlimited numbers of lottery tickets. But cloning is not a legitimate alternative to protecting as many genetic individuals as possible (especially if there are few of them) and also the habitats on which they depend. Once again the siren song of a technological quick-fix solution to a complex problem is too good to be true. EDWARD O. GUERRANT JR. Portland, Ore.
Protecting and preserving habitat are the most important and effective ways to prevent the extinction of wildlife. Anything less is futile. By failing to emphasize the habitat's crucial importance, you are helping to perpetuate the inexorable tide of species loss. JIM GAW Carbondale, Colo.
Beware, Laddie!
With just one sentence in his item on Madonna and Guy Ritchie's wedding in the Scottish highlands [PEOPLE, Jan. 8], Josh Tyrangiel managed to offend every Scotsman in the world. He said the "groom remained in his skirt." To refer to a kilt as a skirt is a deadly insult and one not taken lightly by a Scot. I think an apology is in order. SHELBY ("ANGUS MACRAE") SMITH San Antonio, Texas