Letters

"How to live to be 100" described the physical habits and attitudes of centenarians [Aug. 30]. Their strategies for successful aging can be employed by everyone. Let's remind one another that humor, passion and the ability to view aging as a valuable source of knowledge helps us all. We should not approach growing old with thoughts of darkness, withdrawal and rejection. We need to enjoy living, no matter what our calendar years. DAVID A. SORBER, M.D. Madison, Wis.

My mother lived for 100 years and four months. She gave birth to all nine of her children at home. She had no special diet; in fact, she ate exactly what she wanted. She came to the U.S. from Italy at age 19. She never learned to drive, so she walked everywhere. When she was in her 90s, a mugger tried to grab her purse. She whacked him on the head with it and spewed a few choice words at the young tough. She's the woman I've most admired in my life! TONI MITCHELL La Mesa, Calif.

Your article gave some tips on ways to live to be 100. But a leading factor, according to a study of longevity in the Republic of Georgia, is the feeling of being needed. The aged there are made to feel they are necessary to their families, for functions ranging from baby sitting to being toastmaster at frequent dinners. The researchers found that filling a need can help people cope with and overcome life's adversities. RODNEY ANGOVE Mountain View, Calif.

Your story quoted a gerontologist who said of his pool of research subjects, "I don't have any fat centenarians"--a thought that should catch the attention of baby boomers. I am also a gerontologist, and I've found that people who live long lives have certain traits in common. They are usually feisty and flexible, and they have faith in themselves and the world. They are survivors who have a sense humor and humility. Thanks for the many hints for the rest of us who want to emulate these pioneers. MERA KELLEY La Jolla, Calif.

Your story on longevity did not mention the issue of ageism. Throughout America, otherwise rational people are undergoing cosmetic nips and tucks and spending billions on "anti-aging" drugs and treatments. No wonder many of our elderly are depressed and suicidal. Everywhere they go, they hear the message "Old is ugly; old is shameful; whatever you do, don't look or act old!" Until we start a social-change movement to raise consciousness about ageism, none of us are going to relish living to 100--or even to 50. MARIAH BURTON NELSON Arlington, Va.

What good is it to be 100 years old if you can't afford to live on a limited income? How will centenarians make ends meet supported only by Social Security? There are no guarantees that we will live until tomorrow. I will eat my favorite foods and have a good time and live for today. Let tomorrow take care of itself. TOM WAKEN Oklahoma City, Okla.

For Plain Speaking

Joe Klein's column on John Kerry's reluctance to make statements that are controversial or negative, heeding the advice of his political consultants, was right on target [Aug. 30]. Kerry is headed for defeat because he seems to be no more than a politician who test-markets his every utterance, whereas President Bush, love him or hate him, comes across as a man who means what he says and doesn't stick his finger in the air checking to see which way the wind is blowing before he speaks. NICKY BILLOU Toronto

Klein's argument that Kerry must campaign more aggressively against Bush's policies was dead on. Bush's litany of mistakes can be defined in common terms by every kindergartner in America, yet Kerry can't bring himself to call a spade a spade. Kerry has to tell us exactly what Bush has done wrong and how Kerry will do it right. TOM MENEELY Arco, Minn.

Follow the Money

The ratio of eyewitnesses who support John Kerry's Vietnam War record to those who do not can only be described as overwhelming. Yet your Notebook report "Kerry in Combat: Setting the Record Straight" [Aug. 30] allowed baseless accusations to be elevated to charges worthy of serious contemplation. Follow the money that subsidizes the calumnies of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT). The trail leads to well-bankrolled Republican Party operatives. DAVID FEDERMAN Narberth, Pa.

Unless liberals can prove that President Bush is directly coordinating the activities of SBVT, it's unfair to keep complaining about who is behind the ads. Since Bush can't prove that the lies and distortions of MoveOn.org and Michael Moore are coordinated by Kerry's supporters, the President doesn't bother whining to Americans. PETER GUARDINO New York City

If the veterans involved in SBVT were either swift or truthful, they would have challenged Kerry's military medals 35 years ago, when they were awarded. JOHN DEBOER Sequim, Wash.

As a 28-year navy veteran, I resent how casually SBVT contradicts the official Navy records of award citations and fitness reports. Accurate reporting was an imperative that was always emphasized in my training. Getting it right was vital, whether investigating a fatal mishap or writing an evaluation that would influence someone's career. If a group wants to assert that not all Vietnam veterans agree with Kerry, it should just say so. But don't trash the integrity of the military in order to oppose a man who honorably served his country. ED SROKA Cherry Hill, N.J.

Collegiate Conservatives

After reading "The Right's New Wing" [Aug. 30], about conservatives on college campuses, I have to ask, Is this what American politics is coming to? The conservative students interviewed are eager to name call, provoke, insult and offend, ostensibly in the name of the noble conservative cause. Am I the only one who wishes both conservatives and liberals would speak and behave respectfully while attempting an intelligent examination of the issues? If those students are our future, I am alarmed. KYLE S. PUND Lombard, Ill.

I am originally from Iran, and I always thought that one of the reasons my country went downhill was that, before the revolution, the majority of Iranians were virtually illiterate and easily manipulated. I thought education would allow people to reason for themselves and be less susceptible to opportunistic movements. To read that students in some of the U.S.'s best universities support gay bashing and opposition to affirmative action and abortion rights completely shatters that illusion. MEY KHALILI Ithaca, N.Y.

What Iraqis Want

In Michael Ware's report on fighting in the heart of Baghdad [Aug. 30], he described the insurgents as "bearing the mark of professional soldiers and sophisticated terrorist groups." Captain Thomas Foley, the American commander on the scene, said, "I don't know who it is. I really don't know what they want." What would Foley want if the circumstances were reversed? We have bombed the Iraqis' cities, destroyed their homes and killed thousands. Apparently, our proud religiosity and self-righteous superiority have blinded us to the humanity of others and made us a nation of dimwits. What the Iraqis want is for the U.S. to get the hell out. LELA KNOX SHANKS Lincoln, Neb.

School for Insurgency

"The Lessons of Najaf" [AUG. 30] described the flip-flops of the rebellious cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army. Slowly but surely, Iraq is becoming a Shi'ite theocracy like that of Iran. There is absolutely nothing the U.S. can do about it. This change is due in part to the ever growing influence of Grand Ayatullah Ali Husaini Sistani, to whom the Iraqi government turned in order to broker an end to the rebellion in Najaf. Isn't that ironic, since it was Iran and not Iraq that sheltered al-Qaeda operatives? The so-called axis of evil will only be strengthened by America's shortsighted actions. BASTIAN BIRKENHAEGER Friedrichsdorf, Germany

Olympian Heights

The ideals of the Olympic games are certainly worthwhile: sportsmanship, athletic prowess and opportunities for people from many nations and cultures to meet [Aug. 30]. What's wrong is the goal of constantly setting new world records, on which most athletic competitions, including the Games, are based. That world-record ideology assumes that the human body is capable of infinite development, enabling specially gifted athletes to continue breaking records for all time to come. That expectation is the reason that athletes use performance-enhancing drugs. They know they are not capable of surpassing records without resorting to such drugs. It would be much healthier to forget about world records and let athletes at each Olympic Games compete for records that would be valid only for the Games of that year. RALFERD C. FREYTAG Victoria, B.C.

While addressing the audience at the Olympics' closing ceremonies, Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, summed up perfectly: "Greek friends, you have won!" And we did win, despite all the negative, bordering-on-nasty articles in the British and American press. The Athens Games had two tremendous difficulties to overcome: having a small country as host and occurring after 9/11. But both were surmounted. The Games were splendid, they were magic. We Greeks were hospitable, we were proud and, most of all, we had fun. CHRYSSANTHI PAPAGEORGOPOULOS Luxembourg City

Protecting the Big Cats

The effort to save the world's big cats, such as lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars, is carried out in places other than offices in Washington and New York City [Aug. 23]. Although I was heartened to hear of the efforts being made to protect these animals, I was also dismayed not to hear from field conservationists, those on the front lines of the battle. Meetings, policies, scientific papers and money alone do not constitute protection. Ultimately, the dedication of field-based conservators makes the difference between success and failure. People on the job must dodge rebels' bullets each day or face the wrath of a mob led by angry parents who have just lost a child to a big cat. The voices of those in the field should have been heard in your story. They are the true heroes. DEVENDRA S. RANA Kathmandu, Nepal

You noted that the estimated tiger population in the wild is 5,000 to 7,000. Your story also reported that as many as 7,000 tigers are thought to be kept as pets in the U.S. What an indictment! It is small consolation that they are at least still alive, however miserably, and not being worn as fur coats. JAN SCHAAFSMA Betty's Bay, South Africa