Letters

Oil Spree

To the Editors: The fall in oil prices [ECONOMY & BUSINESS, April 14] is of great interest to those of us in the Northeast. Remember the bumper stickers saying LET THE BASTARDS FREEZE IN THE DARK? While I sympathize with the unemployed in Texas, I find it difficult to feel sorry for the rich oil barons. Peter J. Scarafile Fairport, N. Y.

Revenge is sweet. I remember OPEC ministers and U.S. oilmen admonishing American consumers for our unrestrained consumption of oil. I remember, too, those avaricious souls telling the world that high oil prices were nothing more than the result of supply and demand. Now that the cycle has reversed itself, let OPEC and American oil producers suffer. Mike Huberty Knoxville

The attitude that all oil-patch workers live like TV's J.R. Ewing and deserve this downfall is tiresome. We are the people who have been doing the hard, dangerous, dirty work of keeping rigs running. The rest of the country can enjoy low oil prices now, but the repercussions may have Americans crying later in gas lines. Georgia McClure Woodward, Okla. Stemming Terrorism

It was refreshing to read the article on terrorism by Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Ambassador to the U.N. [SPECIAL SECTION, April 14]. Thank God people are beginning to realize that terrorists are not soldiers fighting for a cause, but cowards who kill for the sport of it. Yvonne S. Perry Baltimore

The displacement of the Palestinians and their continuing plight leaves very few options to an embittered Arab world. Unfortunately, terrorism is one of them. Perhaps fair treatment of the Palestinians might be the answer to ending this horror. William Bunce New Hope, Pa.

Instead of publishing Ambassador Netanyahu's views, you should devote your columns to explaining how much Israel has contributed to so-called terrorism. The current level of violence is only the tip of the iceberg. Denying the Palestinian issue is leading to global disaster. Farooque Rizwy Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Why not put a large bounty on terrorists? Perhaps $1 million on the head of Abu Nidal? This approach would give every mercenary something to shoot for. Terrorist leaders would have to look long and hard at their followers and would constantly need to watch their backs, possibly making the terrorists less effective. James Amato Los Altos, Calif.

Does anyone believe that removing the causes will eliminate terrorism? What will it take? The destruction of Israel? The conversion of all Sunni Muslims to the Shi'ite faith? The eradication of any Western influence on Islam? The crowning of Gaddafi as Sultan of North Africa? And will any of that satisfy the I.R.A., the Baader-Meinhof or the Red Brigades? Brian Eddolls New York City Championship Play

The story on Louisville as the No. 1 basketball team [SPORT, April 14] deserves consideration for the Hall of Fame of sportswriting. Your report caught the essence of the team, as well as the emotions surrounding basketball in Kentucky. Richard L. Coe Benton, Ky.

In Tom Callahan's coverage of the N.C.A.A. basketball finals in Dallas, there was a confusing reference to racism that apparently attempted to say something about Duke's supporters or its players or its recruiting. The reference was inscrutable. If it intended to allege something racial about Duke's admissions or fans, the charge is untrue and unfair.

At the very least, the article created consternation on our campus at a time when our immense pride in the team is recovering from the pain of defeat. William L. Green Vice President for University Relations Duke University Durham, N.C. Jackson's PUSH

As a black American, I have grown to resent Jesse Jackson's influence in this country [PRESS, April 14]. His causes are no more than stunts to gain publicity for himself, and his crusade against CBS in Chicago is an example. Co-Anchorman Harry Porterfield left CBS for a more lucrative position. He was not forced out. And by claiming Jonathan Rodgers was hired as the new manager of WBBM because of his color, Jackson undercuts an achievement by a black man. Brian Johnson New York City Wallace's Farewell

In reporting on Governor George Wallace's decision to retire [NATION, April 14], you fail to do him justice. History will place Wallace among America's statesmen. He stood up for states' rights and sought to counter a form of governmental oppression called regulation. Gary P. Hollis Lawrenceville, Ga.

It is true that there were dark pages in George Wallace's life, as in everyone's past, but to dwell on the darkness instead of his eventual conversion is to convict him without a trial. Mark Quiner Cheyenne, Wyo. Which Portland?

After reading your article on the travails of Portland's police chief [NATION, April 14], I tried to decide whether you were talking about Portland, Me., or Portland, Ore. I found no reference in the story to help define the place in question. Please, where is Portland? Michael Jay Park Fort Wayne, Ind.

The story's Portland is in Oregon. Critical of Katz

In his review of the Alex Katz show at the Whitney Museum in New York City [ART, April 14], Robert Hughes has let the art public know they have been duped. The Whitney retrospective is a further sign that in art, as in other forms of American life, we continue to pay homage to the mediocre. Glenn M. Corey Troy, Mich.

You report Painter Katz as saying, "I'd like to have style take the place of content, or the style be the content ... I prefer it to be emptied of meaning, emptied of content." I find this a strange goal for an artist. It leads to a formula for artistic and spiritual nothingness. John Risdell New York City