Letters
Season of the Shark
Thank you so much for your article on sharks [SCIENCE, July 30]. I am glad to see one of nature's most beautiful creatures finally portrayed in a scientific fashion, as opposed to the gruesome Hollywood film images. I am studying marine biology in college and, while diving in the Caribbean, have encountered several types of sharks. In every case in which I came upon a shark, it swam away. We humans are a much greater threat to sharks than they are to us. ANDREA C. LAMBERTSON Murfreesboro, Tenn.
I can't help thinking of attacks by sharks as their revenge for our overfishing some shark species to the point of near extinction and for entangling and slowly killing them with factory-fishing drift nets that sweep the seas. GILBERT SCHWARTZ Aventura, Fla.
As a scuba diver, I have had frequent and always exhilarating encounters with several species of sharks--sometimes as many as 30. As an astronomer, I have commonly and excitedly viewed dozens of beautiful shooting stars. Being bitten by a shark or struck by a meteorite would be extremely serious and possibly fatal. Yet given the probability, it appears that the greater danger for our anxiety-prone society is not in the seas or the stars but in ourselves. If we are overcome by the imagined risk of unlikely death, we may miss the elusive chance to live fully. (THE REV.) WILLIAM J. KEANE Branford, Conn.
The shark-feeding tours that you mentioned should be banned. Sharks are hardly demons of the sea, but it is dangerous for them to associate humans with the provision of food. Sharks now consider the sound of a boat engine a signal for getting food, and this is too risky to be allowed to continue. Ban shark-feeding excursions before it is too late. We don't need any more human or shark deaths. PAUL FUCITO Washington
While impressive, the pictures that accompanied your cover story contradicted the article's message that humans are most often inadvertent victims rather than targeted prey. In three photos, the shark appears as the aggressive killer the fearful public has always imagined. You should have chosen photographs that better depicted the misunderstood fish you wrote about. In this case, the pictures negated your thousand words. ADAM WYSE Delaware, Ohio
The media are to blame for the sudden fear that has resulted from recent shark attacks. As humans, supposedly being of high intelligence, we should know the ocean is the shark's territory, its home. We enter at our own risk. We know from common sense that sharks live in the ocean, that surfers resemble seals and that dusk is an inappropriate time to go swimming, especially alone. Sharks are fascinating creatures of the seas and should get some respect. KIM FRILEY Columbus, Ohio
--The ferocious-looking cover photo for our report on shark behavior elicited some rather, well, biting commentary from a few of you. "That TIME would demonize the majestic white shark to sell magazines shows true desperation," snapped a New Yorker. "You will only hasten its demise." A Seattle reader objected to "tabloid-news antics" and questioned why TIME "devoted a cover to shark attacks since, according to the article, dogs bite many thousands more people than sharks do." A tad more appreciative was a reader from Michigan who said he was "glad to see my lawyer made your cover."
Fatal Protest
In Genoa, where the G-8 meeting was held, protester Carlo Giuliani was shot in the head by a police officer [WORLD, July 30]. Giuliani should have been arrested, not murdered, by the police. If actions like this are not condemned outright by people and especially the media, they will continue to happen. EDWARD STAFFORD Dallas
Congratulations are in order for the police officer who successfully defended himself in Genoa. It seems to me that a violent, hooded thug got exactly what he deserved: a trip home in a box. JEFF WRIGHT Chicago
It is not only young, idealistic kids who are angry about globalization; it is well-educated people the world over. They can see that humans have failed to look after the natural world that sustains us. I am angry at the waste we have made because we were too apathetic and ill informed to do anything. I am a pacifist, but violence seems to be all this world responds to. TIFFANY GROSS Covina, Calif.
The growing number of violent demonstrations is a real concern. I am in favor of peaceful protests. After all, you can't shake hands with a clenched fist. JACK CHI Canfield, Ohio
Street Legal
Before President Bush legalizes the status of millions of illegal Mexicans in the U.S. [NATION, July 30], he needs to consider who is going to pay. The border states are already having a rough time providing medical care and education for the ever growing number of illegals. ANTONETTE CLARK Corpus Christi, Texas
"Out of the Shadows" was an apt title for your article on the initiative to grant amnesty to illegal Mexican immigrants working in the U.S. This proposal has brought the issue of the undocumented worker into the light. The unprivileged workers who impact Americans' daily lives deserve the rights and living conditions that most U.S. workers enjoy. Let's force one of America's shames out of the closet and keep the issue in the light. RODOLFO CONTRERAS Houston
Why on earth should Bush signal that it's O.K. to break the immigration laws of the U.S. just so he can make nice with Mexico and court some Hispanic votes? Did Bush ever think of the repercussions when illegal immigrants from other countries demand equal treatment? The U.S. already has enough social and environmental problems as a result of overpopulation. FRANCES WORTH Orlando, Fla.
Living in Oblivion
What is truly astounding about the situation involving Congressman Gary Condit [NATION, July 30] is not the scandal or the whereabouts of intern Chandra Levy but the audacity of any public figure, especially a politician, to be so self-deluded as to think he can escape the attention of the Argus-eyed media. When will these politicians learn that their every move is being watched, and any impropriety will certainly catch someone's attention sooner or later? To think otherwise is a high-stakes gamble that can, and often does, end up costing them their career. ALIDAD VAKILI La Jolla, Calif.
Profiles in Policing
As a former assistant chief of police, I found it interesting that your article on racial profiling by police departments was careful to measure many of the endless variables associated with it [TIME IN DEPTH, July 30] but did not mention the most important of all factors: leadership. Police leaders set the philosophy, the direction and the behavior of officers. Strong leadership makes clear that racial profiling, brutality and corruption will not be accepted. When these problems occur, you should first look at the department's leadership. THOMAS E. COURT Fayetteville, N.C.
The term racial profiling is misleading, as it implies that the profilers have set out to identify a particular group as deserving of suspicion. The practice can more accurately be described as behavioral profiling, notwithstanding a racially skewed result. What if it were statistically determined that men under 5 ft. 5 in. committed more burglaries than taller men? Would police be forbidden to pay special attention to the unexplained presence of short men in areas having a high incidence of burglary? Would this stature-identified category of men have a valid basis for claiming discrimination? The real issue is not whether profiling is bad or good but whether profiles derived from scientific studies lead inevitably to abusive police practices. BOB FLIEGEL St. Augustine, Fla.
If race is one factor that allows the police to identify possible criminals, it makes no sense to ignore it. That would be like telling a doctor to consider all the symptoms when making a diagnosis but not to use a thermometer. DANIEL MERCER Pennsauken, N.J.
Police are going to make arrests where the crime is, be it a black, Hispanic, Cuban or Asian neighborhood. Unfortunately, poverty breeds crime, and certain minorities fall into low-income brackets. But the belief that police will be fired for the slightest use of excessive force just isn't true. Since most police are subject only to internal investigations, they will not be held to the same standards of accountability as others. STEVE ROSS Winnemucca, Nev.
Give Him the Ball!
Michael Jordan is the most talented basketball player ever [July 30]. He amazes with his accomplishments as well as his dedication. Critics may say he is too old and can't match his previous success, but he strives to be the best he can be throughout his life. Michael Jordan loves the game. MOLLY McCANN Eden Prairie, Minn.