Letters

The Best Photos of 2005 Reflecting a year marked conspicuously by natural and human disasters, our selection of pictures made many readers think we had overlooked the year's sunnier moments. But for others, the images underscored photography's power to convey reality and renew perspective on life's trials--and gifts

"These pictures speak to each of us on many different levels, evoking awe, horror, compassion and hope all at the same time." SHANA RUSONIS Ellicott City, Md. How often do those who have the good fortune to be comfortable, safe and secure take their situation for granted? Your collection, "The Best Photos of 2005," serves as a humbling reminder of the fragility of the human condition [Dec. 19]. In juxtaposing our vulnerability to Mother Nature's wrath with our suffering and violence at the hands of fellow human beings, those images of death and destruction do more than etch a small piece of history into our minds; they carve out in our hearts a warning for the future. JEFF MICHAUD East Hartford, Conn.

I cannot recall another year that brought such human misery. Whether caused by nature or man, the events depicted in your collection reminded me how truly awful 2005 was. May the human family look forward to some small measure of joy in 2006. ROBERT D. RAUCH Bayside, N.Y.

As I looked at the photos, I thought I should never again complain about having to wait in line an extra minute or two or having to shovel a snowy walkway or gripe when a store is out of my favorite item. The next time I get upset over trivial everyday things, I should step back and look at the big picture. JEFFREY N. ACHBER Laconia, N.H.

Your editors enhanced the nation's misery index in smashing style with the overwhelming number of pictures that were a stark visualization of ugliness, suffering and pain. Didn't any of your photographers catch a pear tree blossoming? A wren scolding? A schoolboy playing? JOHN F. WALDRON Virginia Beach, Va.

Kudos for having the guts to print the full, unretouched image of Army Specialist Matthew Braddock, an amputee recovering from injuries he suffered in Iraq. Too much of the truth about this war has been doctored. PHIL SIPOS Richfield, Ohio

Your photos of the year prove that 2005 was a devastating time for most of the world. My eye was caught by the picture of the London bus mangled by a bomb explosion. Ironically, the remnants of a theater or movie advertisement on the side of the bus read, OUTRIGHT TERROR ... BOLD AND BRILLIANT. EMILIO A. SCHLABITZ Culver City, Calif.

What striking photos you picked! What an amazing year! I don't remember being so affected by a series of magazine pictures since the tumultuous year of 1968. The image shown on the cover, of the New Orleans Garden District aflame, reminded me of a Currier & Ives lithograph. Despite my dislike for the war in Iraq, especially for all the dissembling by politicians that got us into it, I couldn't help feeling a twinge of patriotic pride upon seeing the photo of an Iraqi woman voting. ALEXANDER WELLS Los Angeles

The Elusive Father Figure

Your piece on Joseph's relationship with Jesus, "Father and Child," was timely [Dec. 19]. Joseph plays a great role in the season of Christmas and in Jesus' family. I am grateful for the article. In contemplating Joseph's role, you quoted author Jerry Jenkins, who got it just right: "We can make him work for whatever we want him to work for, as long as we stay within the intent of Scripture." Let us explore Joseph's hidden virtues. RAMON C. SANTOS JR. Pasig City, the Philippines

As a christian who believes in the miraculous birth of Jesus, I have deep respect and affection for Joseph and Mary. Their lives were sacrificial and worthy of their great calling. Nevertheless, by focusing on speculations and possibilities about those two worthies, people lose sight of the fact that there is only one King of Kings, and that is Jesus Christ. I believe Joseph and Mary would be the first to cry, "Enough! Worship Jesus." FRAN WHEELER Knoxville, Tenn.

The human penchant for telling stories unfettered by facts is remarkable. It is sad that many people accept those accounts as truth. I wish the promise of the Enlightenment would be fulfilled--that supernaturalism would be replaced by scientific investigation and reason. JOHN MOORMAN Tifton, Ga.

Good Governance

I was surprised and disheartened to read TIME's criticism of Ohio Governor Bob Taft ["The Worst Governors in America," Nov. 21]. While taking potshots at the Governor, you failed to mention his many accomplishments in education. Thanks to his planning, the state is spending $2 million a day to ensure that all students have a safe and modern learning environment. He has championed the development of strict new academic standards and demanded accountability in the schools. Governor Taft is a friend and a national leader in education. I encourage TIME to take a broader look before printing such unfair attacks in the future. JAMES B. HUNT JR. FORMER GOVERNOR OF NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh, N.C.

As chairman of the Ohio Manufacturers' Association, I can assure you that there is another side to the story of Ohio Governor Bob Taft. In 2005 he signed into law the most sweeping reform of Ohio's tax structure in 60 years. He eliminated the burdensome tax on business inventory and the state's corporate franchise tax. Whole sections of Ohio's tax code were written out of existence. How many Governors can claim that accomplishment? In addition, Governor Taft reduced the state's income-tax rate 21%. His tax-reform package is geared to encourage capital investment and create new jobs in Ohio. Does that sound like a Governor who is an "ineffective leader"? Hardly. DAVID W. JOHNSON, CEO SUMMITVILLE TILES INC. Summitville, Ohio

How dare you include Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco in your Worst Governors list! She has moved forward despite political hurdles that other hurricane-prone states haven't had to face. She has confronted catastrophic conditions never before faced by any Governor. I am disgusted with TIME.CAROLYN HITT Baton Rouge, La.

TIME's assessment of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford skipped over the facts. You were critical of his frugality and his efforts to improve the economy without noting what he has actually done, which is to make the ground fertile for South Carolina's businesses to grow and prosper. He cut the marginal income-tax rate for the first time in South Carolina's history, which will return more than $130 million to our state's small businesses over the next four years. Sanford undertook our state's first comprehensive legal reform and retooled the commerce department. Although he inherited a government $750 million in the hole, that debt is now nearly extinguished. Those kinds of actions are the building blocks of a better economy and actions that, as a taxpayer, I love. MICHAEL FIELDS, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA STATE DIRECTOR NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS Columbia, S.C.

Checking Out Bush's Numbers

The essay by Patricia Marx, "Check out My New Numbers," with totally made-up statistics about President Bush [Dec.19], was a real dud. I have no problem with puzzling over the strange mind of W. or with Time's taking up a full page to develop a keen, witty perspective on some topical issue, but Marx's piece was, at best, filler. It seemed like one of those papers I wrote on the school bus on the way to class despite having had two weeks to get it done. TOM WRIGHT Burke, Va.

Battle of the Binge

I love the English. It's sad that you did not probe more deeply into why the English binge drink more than the French and the Italians [Dec. 19]. It may be a combination of circumstances: the dismally damp weather of Britain, the lackluster cuisine and the Brits' Victorian heritage. ANGELO FORLENZA San Jose, Calif.

You noted that the British Government has extended the hours that pubs and bars can stay open. Pubs are places in which people have lunch and get together for afternoon business meetings and evening socializing. It has been asinine for the pubs of London to shut early. The change in the drinking laws allowing longer hours is a necessary step toward shifting the burden of responsibility from the state to the community. DANNY MERMEL London

The Delights of Narnia

Richard Corliss's review of the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe [Dec. 19] stated that director Andrew Adamson should "stick to animation." Here is a test. Does Narnia make the spirit soar? Does Narnia cause the imagination to fly? Does Narnia make you think, make you wonder, make you aspire? If it does even half these things, not only will encouragement rule the land but also, on the commercial side, the season will ring with the sound of ka-ching! STEVE HORTEGAS Lynden, Wash.

Having read and reread the Chronicles of Narnia to my children many times over the past 20 years, I was curious about how I would respond to a film version. I was delighted. The four child actors did a splendid job. Corliss should lighten up, take a break from postmodern deconstructionism and take a trip through the magic wardrobe! Despite what Corliss thinks, there is indeed fire, passion and a lot of fun in the film. KEN FAST Derwent, Alta.