Letters
Your recongnition of the talented individuals who make up TIME's list of the most influential people [April 18] enabled me to appreciate and comprehend the events that have shaken and stirred our world today. Thank you.
MASA KATO
Pomona, Calif.
I was pleased that your list included Indonesia's Dina Astita, the teacher and survivor of the Indian Ocean tsunami who is coordinating efforts to restart schooling in her remote Sumatra town. It was a great relief and pleasure to read about someone who isn't a millionaire or an internationally known religious figure. Ordinary people like Astita who can overcome tragedy and put a positive idea in motion are the ones who are truly influencing and changing our world.
MELISSA SHATTUCK
New York City
Andrew Sullivan's piece oversimplified the theological position of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. He did not change his stance with regard to the reforms set out by the Second Vatican Council. He just remained faithful to what the documents actually say and did not get caught up in the so-called spirit of Vatican II.
(THE REV.) JOHN A. CRAMER
South Bend, Ind.
Actor Richard Gere's article on the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, was inspiring, informative and motivating. We all should be concerned with the plight of Tibet. We must protest the oppression of Tibet and its people at the hands of the Chinese. Gere's description of the Dalai Lama warmed my heart and calmed my spirit.
MARY M. REVIS
Dayton, Ohio
I was upset by your choice of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born Dutch politician and director whose film Submission portrays a Muslim woman ritually abused by the men in her family. As a female practicing Muslim living in the West, I have found it frustrating that the Western media are obsessed with the "plight" of Muslim women. While there is progress to be made in women's rights in the Muslim world, change does not necessarily have to occur within the Western framework. Most Muslims find Hirsi Ali too extreme, though we don't agree with honor killings. Why not pick someone who genuinely represents the majority of Muslims in the West and has had a positive impact on the Muslim community and the world at large?
RIZWANA KHAN
Atlanta
I am delighted that you included Illinois Senator Barack Obama. I was extremely impressed when he spoke at the Democratic National Convention. Even though I am a lifelong Republican, my first thought was, Here is a young man for whom I could vote. As you noted, Obama's speech was lyrical. He didn't denigrate, attack or spew hatred. With time and experience, he will be presidential material.
MARJE LEGERTON
Los Osos, Calif.
Henry Kissinger's puff piece on secretary of State Condoleezza Rice neglected to remind readers of the dubious role she played in pumping up the rationale for invading Iraq. She misrepresented the Iraqi nuclear threat to the U.S. in a way that either was deliberately deceptive or showed ignorance of the truth. That failure ought to have been an instant disqualifier for someone in a position to shape U.S. policy.
DAVID DEFREESE
Hillsborough, N.J.
One hundred of anything is way too much--100 caviar canapes, 100 chocolate sundaes, even 100 dazzling human beings. Don't you realize that TV has shrunk our attention span to 10 nanoseconds? Couldn't you space out those remarkable folks--say, five per issue?
JASON MCCLOSKEY
Phoenix, Ariz.
It was great to see the creators of the video game Halo (Jason Jones, Marcus Lehto and Charlie Gough) on TIME's list. I'm a gamer and welcome such recognition because most of the media attention that video games get is the bad kind. What some people don't know is that not all video games are violent gorefests. There are some whose combination of music, visuals and stories makes them dazzling masterpieces.
AMY KRUMEL
Sarasota, Fla.
Your selection was insightful and very well thought out. I was relieved to see it was not just a list of celebrities and politicians. The profiles of the more controversial people were well balanced and fair. The inclusion of not-so-nice individuals, like terrorist leader Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi, was tragically necessary and, in the end, informative.
CALEB WATTLEY
Schenectady, N.Y.
Disengaging from Gaza
Joe Klein wrote about the potential for problems as the Israeli government prepares to evacuate the Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip [April 18]. One of the unanswered questions about disengagement is, What will become of the physical infrastructure? Klein quoted an Israeli security expert who noted that an important element determining the outcome of Gaza disengagement will be the Palestinian reaction to it. The expert said that if people "see Palestinians looting and destroying the settlements, and dancing on the rooftops--as they did when [Israel] left southern Lebanon--then it will be near impossible to resume negotiations on a final peace settlement." The logical solution is for the departing Israelis to demolish their settlements and clean up the rubble, rather than leave it for the Palestinians. By doing so, the Israeli government will be able to avoid scenes of celebrating Palestinian gunmen on settlement rooftops.
SCOTT TYSON
New York City
Protecting the Picked Upon
We can't blame excessive TV watching for the problem of bullying, as one study does [April 18]; it has been going on for a long while. The solution does not lie in teachers or parents being vigilant. Bullying is often done stealthily and out of sight of authority figures. Usually the only witnesses are children. And they are the ones who can stop the bullying. I'm not suggesting physical violence, just verbal intervention and a show of disapproval. I know that can work because I used to do it when I was a little girl. Nobody ever hurt me or any of the other kids who worked with me on my anti-bully patrol. Somehow my parents helped me know that I could and should do that. Parents should teach their children to be protective of those youngsters who can't defend themselves. Then maybe there would be fewer incidents in which kids take guns to school to wreak vengeance on their bullying tormentors.
MARGARET HILL
Pittsburgh, Pa.
The first time I was bullied was on the playground when I was in the fourth grade. The last time occurred when I was in a ninth-grade classroom. The only difference: in the fourth grade I was a student, and in ninth grade I'm the teacher!
KATHERINE MARY RINIKER KEIL
Dubuque, Iowa
Why are we surprised by schoolyard bullying? We live in a society in which bullies win--the macho cops, cowboys and action figures of movies and TV. George W. Bush bosses the world around. We describe overbearing behavior in adults as strong, decisive leadership; in children, we call it bullying. Those who seek the cause of bullying need look no further than the tough guys our society views as role models.
MADELEINE BOUCHER
New York City
Kids who choose to buck traditional fashion or behavior norms had better learn to tolerate stares, taunts and other public disdain. Those who dress idiosyncratically do so to make a statement and may not be received in lovey-dovey, p.c. ways. As a parent who encourages individuality, I suggest that if your child says he or she is being bullied, do more than empathize. Look into the situation before reporting the antagonist. There are at least two sides to every story.
BARBARA GOODMAN SHOVERS
Toledo, Ohio
No Place Like Home
Re your article on crackdowns on teen drinking in private homes [April 18]: Underage drinking is a serious problem. To solve it, however, kids need to develop a respect for and knowledge of alcohol. I certainly was not permitted to drink at will in my home, but I was allowed to have occasional parties. Parents should show kids how to drink alcohol responsibly at home.
HUBBELL HINKHOUSE
Urbana, Ill.
Isn't anyone else uneasy about law-enforcement officers coming into one's home on the mere suspicion that underage drinking is going on? Undeniably, teen drinking in the home should not be condoned by parents. But the puritanical agenda being forced on this country by various special-interest groups has gone far enough.
MICHAEL R. PETERSON
Phoenix, Ariz.
Expectant Environmentalist
I was outraged by Michelle Cottle's article, in which she confessed she wasn't much of an environmentalist until now, when she is pregnant [April 18]. What selfishness! Is it all right then to destroy the environment as long as it affects only those who are out of the womb? Preserving the environment has to be humankind's top priority at all times. Conserving what we have requires a careful balancing of benefits and costs, plus modulated change. With allies like Cottle, who needs enemies?
GEOFFREY CRAIG
Rhinebeck, N.Y.
Cottle's essay was absolutely delightful. While I am neither a strong environmentalist nor pregnant, I was genuinely impressed by her gracious mix of humor and wit as she addressed a subject that has proved to be a true political lightning rod in our country.
JAMES ROBINSON
Denver
Of Royals and Nuptials
Re the photograph of the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles [April 18]: Camilla would have been more tastefully dressed if she had not been wearing white or something awfully close to it, and her broad-brimmed hat looked like a lampshade
JOY D. KOCH
Taytay, the Philippines
The Duke of Windsor's marriage to Wallis Simpson in 1937 lent a certain acceptance to marrying a divorced woman, and no doubt many copycat marriages followed, some of them less than successful. It is noteworthy that most subsequent photos of the duke showed a sad man. Now Prince Charles' marriage to Camilla has given cachet to marrying one's mistress and could lead to a rash of copycat marriages, some of which will be less than successful. Let's see whether Charles' future photos reveal a sad man.
DIANA AMSDEN
Santee, Calif.