Letters

America the Anxious

World security might be enhanced if duct tape were used to arrest the inflammatory rhetoric flowing from the mouths of world politicians. ROBERT W. GRAHAM Fairview Park, Ohio

Who does the U.S. government think it's kidding by declaring an orange-level, high-risk alert [NATION, Feb. 24]? Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge's urging Americans to get survival kits, plastic sheeting and duct tape was yet another sad attempt by the Bush Administration to get the American people to support an unjust war by heightening our anxiety. TED KEPES Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Of course America is "A Nation On Edge," and it has been since 9/11. We have all had to readjust our thinking and must continue to do so as long as there are depraved terrorists who can give meaning to their lives only by becoming martyrs through killing other human beings. Where is our pride? Where is our stamina? We are Americans. We will overcome. We will do whatever is required to end terrorist activities. Get some guts, people. JANET L. DUTTER Las Vegas

"A Nation On Edge" depicted the U.S. as living in fear. This is not the America that I see and hear every day. The people buying duct tape and plastic sheeting are the same ones who waited in line to pay $4 a gallon for gas after 9/11. While Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein are cowering in a cave or living in a bunker, the majority of Americans are living their daily lives without fear. On a recent trip, I saw a bumper sticker that sums it up best: AIN'T SKEERD. CURTIS TAYLOR Muncie, Ind.

Duct tape? I remember duck-and-cover exercises in grade school, when we got under our desks in drills that were supposed to prepare us for a nuclear Armageddon. I'll go on living my life, breathing the fresh air, thank you. We should be vigilant and proactive in our defense, but I refuse to be cowed by a bunch of shadowy, third-rate jihadists. MARC A. LEHMAN Albuquerque, N.M.

Great leaders inspire courage, not fear. U.S. officials are instilling anxiety not only in Americans but also in people throughout the world. BARBARA S. COHEN Glen Cove, N.Y.

As a military wife, I can relate to being on edge. My husband is one of the many soldiers who are stationed in the Middle East. I absolutely support my husband and what he is doing. But I want him to come home and act as if nothing is going on in that part of the world. I am proud that my husband is willing to fight for what is right. It was his choice to join the military, and it is mine to support him. KRISTEN RYAN Fort Benning, Ga.

I deal with Ridge's rainbow of alarms the same way I handle every other piece of information from this Administration: with extreme skepticism. President Bush will manipulate the alert level as needed to advance his two key goals: centralizing power in the Executive Branch and rewarding the loyal elite. I've been at alert-level red since December 2000 when the Supreme Court decided that Bush would be President. PAUL R. WARD Redlands, Calif.

Is it any wonder that people whose leader's agenda is driven by fear, greed and stupidity should be afraid and anxious? How would Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt or John F. Kennedy have handled the aftermath of 9/11? They would not have put us on the emotional defensive, as Bush has done. They would have done the necessary work with pride and faith in the future, not with a doomsday attitude. FRAN STRACENSKY Cleveland, Ohio

Here is how I cope with my anxiety: I turn off the TV and put down the newspaper. I go for a walk, talk with friends, read a book or take a nap. There are disadvantages to being plugged in all the time. You set yourself up for panic attacks and ulcers. So instead of being driven to taking antianxiety medicine, just unplug. You'll be amazed. KATE KEHOE Ann Arbor, Mich.

--Some readers were put off by our cover, saying it was inappropriate. "The image of a bloodshot eye peering through duct tape only serves to fuel the paranoia sweeping the land," wrote a woman from Los Angeles. But a Massachusetts man saw something else: "At first glance, I thought the cover showed an Afghan woman in a burka. How ironic that as the people of Afghanistan are beginning to uncloak themselves, we Americans are all wrapped up."

Assembling Against the War

I am greatly encouraged by the worldwide antiwar movement, which sent an extremely strong message to President Bush and Tony Blair [NATION, Feb. 24]. But the peace movement needs to send an equally strong message to Saddam Hussein that he must disarm, so he has no illusion that he can use the antiwar movement to get away with his brutal and cunning behavior. ROBERT T. HUANG Irvine, Calif.

Millions around the world protested the idea of U.S. military enforcement of the U.N. resolutions calling for Iraq to rid itself of prohibited weapons. In a different world, there would be millions protesting Iraq's failure to comply with U.N. resolutions. In a better world, there would be millions of Muslims protesting stateless terrorism, and Muslim countries would take responsibility for capturing Osama bin Laden and preventing him from bringing harm to others. RUSS GENTILE Park Ridge, Ill.

L'Etat, C'est Moi

Reading French president Jacques Chirac's remarks [INTERVIEW, Feb. 24] was like watching Miss Piggy flick back her hair and, having caused chaos all around her, ask defensively, "Moi?" TRISH BROADLEY East Grinstead, England

Faith Without Fear

In his commentary "The Blinding Glare of His Certainty," Joe Klein explains the religious underpinnings of Bush's self-confidence [IN THE ARENA, Feb. 24]. For me and a growing number of other Americans, this background reinforces a pre--9/11 perception that the President lacks the historical perspective, analytical thinking and intellectual depth to be the leader of the free world. Smirking smugness and evangelical righteousness are not qualities that inspire thinking people. WESLEY MARTINS Gainesville, Fla.

What we need in this time of national crisis is a President who is free of moral uncertainty. That Bush is a religious man does not mean he is required to vacillate on issues of national security. I am comforted by his strong beliefs and reliance on his faith as a foundation from which to make difficult decisions. MARK T. BROWN Austin, Texas

Love, Hate and SUVs

You can't see over Sport-Utility Vehicles [BUSINESS, Feb. 24], you can't see around them, and their drivers are often ruder and more aggressive than drivers of regular cars. But what frosts my fuel pump is seeing those behemoths being driven by women holding a cell phone in one hand, a latte and lipstick in the other, and steering with their knees. JERRY VERNON Los Angeles

Does driving SUVs make road bullies, or do road bullies buy SUVs? JAMES G. SEVERNS Chicago

Until there is an increase in the gas tax that would hit everyone who uses excessive gas--the guys who drive empty pickups, the teens who cruise aimlessly, even the folks who don't consolidate their errands--those who complain about SUVs aren't really serious. Their gripes are simply the latest silly symbolic protest that all too often passes for meaningful debate in this society. JOHN GRUHL Lincoln, Neb.

The Human Touch in Space

Your writer characterized the new data on the age of the universe [SPACE, Feb. 24] from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite as "a dramatic reminder that important space science is almost always done by machines, not fragile humans." Satellites do not conduct space science, and word-processing software does not write magazine articles. Space science is carried out by fragile humans, whether they are present in space or not, and I doubt that the WMAP satellite would ever have existed without the knowledge that was acquired by sending humans into space. The WMAP allowed us to peer into the past. But we can't afford to be shortsighted about the future. MARK WEBB Chicago