Letters

America Digs Out--and Digs In

"I would not have gone to Vietnam if drafted. Our national interests were not at stake then. But would I fight now? You bet." DENNY FREIDENRICH Laguna Beach, Calif.

Nancy Gibbs put words to the feelings many of us have not been able to express adequately [MOURNING IN AMERICA, Sept. 24]. She captured our raw emotions, our evolving realization that the comfortable life we had been accustomed to changed forever on that fateful Tuesday. I don't want to take a moment or a person in my life for granted. I wrote a note to a cousin I haven't seen in years, thanking him for the job he does every day as a fireman. Bless you, Nancy, for stating so eloquently what we have been groping to say. WENDY MULLINS Severn, Md.

I found the courage of New Yorkers and others who had to face directly the events of Sept. 11 heartening and laudable. As for the rest of the world, those fortunate enough to view these events from afar, I am not so sure. Although many tangibles, from blood to money, were readily forthcoming, it seems many people have demonstrated a distinct lack of courage on two fronts--their financial security and personal safety. The stock-market plunge and the huge decline in air travel were another victory for the terrorists and well beyond the carnage and human misery of the actual event. So when ordinary people ask, What can I do to help? the answer is to have the courage to continue your life as before, including travel and investment. GREG SCHOENAU Saskatoon, Sask.

All Americans, I hope, are ready to heed the words of Winston Churchill: "Victory at all costs, victory in spite of terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival." To accomplish this victory, freedom-loving people throughout the world will have to be willing to sacrifice comfort, finances, superfluous liberties and perhaps even their lives. We must learn to be patient instead of arrogantly demanding, forgiving instead of litigious, and cooperative instead of contentious and divisive. It is the hour of course corrections, balance, discernment and wisdom. May we rise to the occasion with a new appreciation of what it costs to be free. TERESA NEUMANN Lebanon, Ore.

During the past few years, Americans have been reminded of the fortitude, resolution and sacrifices of the Greatest Generation, those who went through World War II. I will follow their example. On Sept. 11, we were given lessons in courage and heroic love. I will take them as examples. Those who are working in the rubble teach us daily lessons in true grit. I will learn them. In the name of the fallen, I will walk justly, fear no evil and continue to sing America's songs. JUDITH P. AUSTIN Arlington, Va.

--Was something missing from our cover headline "One Nation, Indivisible"? Many of you thought so. "You should have included the words 'under God,' just as in the Pledge of Allegiance," wrote a disappointed reader from Maryland. "It may seem trivial to the media, but the U.S. was founded on faith in God." "Never in the history of our country have we needed these words 'under God' more than now, but you didn't have the heart to include them," wrote a man from Georgia. And a Pennsylvanian warned, "I think we have been shown, big time, what happens when we leave God out of our lives."

The New Face of Terror

Parasites have always circled civilization looking to steal wealth from those who produce it. But these terrorists do not seek riches for themselves [INSIDE THE CONSPIRACY, Sept. 24]. They would just as soon live in a cave. They only want to destroy the wealth of others. These terrorists do not seek freedom from domination. They would like to deny others liberty, and seek glory in death. They hate us for our virtues, for our success, our free spirit, our benevolence and our innocence. We are dealing with the worst form of envy, the most vicious form of evil--human evil that will not be appeased. ROGER PARIAN Savannah, Ga.

As a longtime pacifist, I have always deplored our tendency to dehumanize and demonize our adversaries. Not this time. By savagely slaughtering thousands of innocent people, the terrorists have forfeited their membership in civilized society and deserve the same regard a bug zapper shows a swarm of stinging insects. RICK ANSORGE Macungie, Pa.

Reality Bites

Roger Rosenblatt's commentary "The Age of Irony Comes to an End" cut through the facile playfulness of our postmodern world [VIEWPOINTS, Sept. 24]. Not only did 6,500 die, but postmodernism itself perished on Sept. 11. The idea that meaning is an individual construction and that there is no universal truth came crashing down forever. Our forefathers knew there is a universal standard of right and wrong. Today, no sensible American will dare dispute it. P. ANDREW SANDLIN Coulterville, Calif.

In response to Rosenblatt's essay, I offer this thought. The "Age of Irony" was captured brilliantly on Seinfeld, the funniest sitcom of the '90s. The last episode, so disliked by the show's many fans, featured jail terms for the four principal characters--a telling indictment of their ineffable shallowness and that of the decade. The show and the '90s were about nothing. Certainly it's unpleasant being scared of terrorists, but it's about time for life in America, once again, to actually be about something. EDWARD SMITH Belleville, Ill.

What Price Security?

The safety of American citizens and the security of our nation require a restriction of our precious individual freedoms until the threat of more terrorist attacks is eliminated [PRIVACY VS. SAFETY, Sept. 24]. If civil libertarians don't like the idea of the Federal Government monitoring more e-mails or requiring a national identification card, I propose they move to Afghanistan. CARLOS J. DOMINGUEZ Miami Beach

I am deeply disturbed by reports that many Americans would be willing to sacrifice their dearest rights in the fight against terrorism. In these difficult times, it would be wise to remember the admonishment of Benjamin Franklin, who presciently observed that those who "can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." STEVEN A. COSTELLO Lake Jackson, Texas

Tighten Up and Fly Safe

The stringent security procedures followed by Israel's El Al airlines prompted you to ask, "Is This What We Really Want?" [AIRLINE SECURITY, Sept. 24]. Let me hasten to answer yes! That's exactly the kind of security I want from any airline I fly. Perhaps passengers who object to earlier check-in times and the bother of being searched and questioned can fly together on a separate plane. Please, don't let their reluctance to be inconvenienced endanger the rest of us. BETH JOHNSON Lederach, Pa.

Surely the expense of placing at least one armed air marshal on each plane, reinforcing cockpit doors and instituting thorough and efficient screenings of passengers before they board is a small enough price to pay for air-travel safety. Americans should not have to fear and avoid flying! N. HARRY GARTZMAN Philadelphia

Unforgettable Images

The heartbreaking pictures in your early edition devoted to the Sept. 11 tragedy [SPECIAL ISSUE] conveyed in sharp, vivid detail the chaos and horrific scenes of an unforgettable day. I will take this special issue and put it in a safe place. When my friends or relatives complain about minor, incidental inconveniences, I will retrieve it and place it on a table in front of them. I will not utter a word; it will speak for me. Thank you, TIME, for this brilliant but profoundly sad issue. JOE TROIANO Havertown, Pa.

Humanity's Generous Nature

Thanks for the articles on individuals who were involved in the disaster [THE VICTIMS, Sept. 24]. Each of their stories helped make the situation more real. The reports often brought tears to my eyes but bolstered my confidence that there is so much that is generous and heroic in our fellow human beings when a challenge arises. May the deaths of 6,500 people prompt us all to work toward a more peaceful world. WILLIAM A. GROSS Albuquerque, N.M.

Bless the Animals

Heartfelt thanks to Jodie Morse for the article "Paws in the Dust" [THE VICTIMS, Sept. 24], about Dr. Larry Hawk's efforts to rescue and revive the thousands of pets stranded after the disaster. Once the shock of seeing the towers collapse had subsided enough to allow me to think, my first thought was for the children who were orphaned; the second was for the pets left behind by this terrible tragedy. I know the human toll is beyond understanding, but these people loved their pets, and the animals adored them. What an amazing man Hawk is to put aside his grief over the loss of his sister aboard American Airlines Flight 11 and focus on the care of animals so in need of his help. REBECCA WHIPPLE Lakeland, Fla.

Innocent Victims of the Past

In Doris Kearns Goodwin's essay comparing the World Trade Center tragedy with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor [ESSAY, Sept. 24], she wrote that the terrorists "targeted ordinary civilians...working in their offices, walking on the streets." She might have noted that the U.S. targeted and killed immense numbers of civilians when we used atom bombs on two Japanese cities at the end of World War II. In the midst of our grief and outrage, Americans need to examine our conscience and perhaps thereby temper the magnitude of the U.S. response with the humane values of justice, proportion and compassion. BILL EVANS Pueblo, Colo.

A Different Kind of Response

Why not use sonic booms on Afghanistan [RETALIATION, Sept. 24]? Supersonic jets could crisscross strategic areas every 30 minutes for days and weeks. No one would sleep, rest or function normally until the terrorists were turned over. Loss of life and property destruction would be avoided. I believe people would soon beg us to take those terrorists away. DONALD E. NOBLE Stuart, Fla.

We should bombard Afghanistan with tapes of the music the Taliban has banned. We should drop musical instruments and any other of the myriad things that help strengthen the culture and heritage of people. We must drive a wedge between the Taliban and the Afghan people who are against it. If they perceive our actions as a war between America and Islam, they will choose Islam. If they perceive them as a war between the Taliban and their heritage, they will choose their heritage. DON PRATT Belle Mead, N.J.

From an Affectionate Neighbor

When I found myself stranded last week in Houston, 2,500 miles from my home in Canada, I decided to drive home [RECOVERY, Sept. 24]. In three days across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, I saw some of the best of America. Like most Canadians, I feel huge affection for Americans, our generous, burly, freedom-loving neighbors. America is about many things, but to me it's about the freedom to do what you like. Even in the country's darkest hour, a foreigner could see the singular devotion to these values. America is the guiding light to the world. You will survive. You must survive. MARK HUTCHISON Calgary