Letters

THE CLIFF-HANGER ELECTION

America should be grateful that this election was as wild as it gets [ELECTION 2000, Nov. 20]. Some of us originally came from places where heads would have rolled during a similar crisis. So far, not a gunshot has been heard on account of the balloting, and you call this "wild"? An election held in Nigeria in 1993 led to the President-elect's being thrown in jail for trying to assume office and ultimately to his mysterious death. Going to court to decide who won this contest is, in my opinion, as civilized as it gets. MAY AKABOGU-COLLINS Vista, Calif.

During the next four years, we should all contact our local election officials and demand that an accurate voting process be put in place. It might be expensive and would probably include massive voter-education drives and an improved ballot design. But in whatever manner our vote is submitted, it must be accurately counted the first time and not be subject to interpretation. BILL WATT Columbus, Ga.

This election is the perfect example of how a democracy should work: all powers in balance. People will remember it in the years ahead and say, "My vote really did count for something." We all have an investment in this country, and it is called citizenship. TOM STUMO Piqua, Ohio

Politicians seeking power, vote recounts, possible injunctions and lawsuits have dominated the news. But if every vote is to have significance, now and in the future, accurate and fair voting procedures are America's only option. RICHARD HAHN Forest Lake, Minn.

This election will go down as the worst in U.S. history--until the next election, which will probably be contested vigorously as well. A benchmark has been set, and politicians will think it is fine to litigate every election in hopes that their lawyers can outfinagle the other party's. Soon we'll just have the lawyers fight it out in court over who the next President is; we won't have to bother voting at all. DAVID M. DANIELS Missouri City, Texas

With all the brains the U.S. has, it can surely produce a system in which each vote is counted quickly and correctly. We should explore a uniform national system in which each state uses the same voting technology. We should be able to produce a system that will accurately reflect the wishes of every voter. GERARD J. GAGNON Leesburg, Fla.

NADER: NOBLE OR NUTTY?

I am an unrepentant Ralph Nader voter [ELECTION 2000, Nov. 20], and I am disgusted by the continued assault on Nader as a person. It is not surprising that the critics have to stoop to attacking his character, because if they bothered to consider the actual content of his message, they would have nothing to say. Once this electoral melodrama has run its course, we will see that Nader was right. No matter who takes office, it will be business as usual. JEREMY RAYMONDJACK Lowell, Mass.

This presidential election was akin to an environmental and social IQ test. But the supposedly environmentally minded Greens most certainly did not pass the test, since they took votes away from Al Gore in Florida. Nader has proved himself to be an utterly irresponsible citizen. I will still vote for the Green Party in the future, but I will never again support Nader. LOUK WIJSEN Alameda, Calif.

Your Winners & Losers feature in the Notebook section called Nader a loser because he did not get 5% of the vote. But even though his Green Party did not get the 5% needed to receive federal funding, he still won because he had the intelligence and courage to tell the truth. Nader and the Greens have taken the crucial step that will eventually turn the tide and save the nation. JAMES M. JEFFREY Talent, Ore.

Nader's ego trip will cost the environmental cause heavily. It will become very difficult to get a majority in Congress to support anything other than building oil pipelines. ED FRIEDLAND Wyckoff, N.J.

The uncompromising idealism of Nader is cause for admiration. Nader is exercising a right we have in this country to run for public office. Why the negativity? I think he offered a refreshing alternative to Al Gore and George W. Bush, and made the process more interesting. JEFF KLINE Fort Worth, Texas

There is little to differentiate between today's Republican and Democratic parties. They have more things in common than not. Nader may not have achieved his goal of getting 5% of the vote, but it's nice to know that the seeds of change are sprouting underground, soon to be ready for their chance in the sun. CHRISTINE DESJARDINS Hokkaido, Japan

ZEROING IN ON PALM BEACH

It's strange that the senior citizens in West Palm Beach seem to have had a hard time understanding their butterfly ballots [ELECTION 2000, Nov. 20]. I am sure these voters have no trouble keeping track of four bingo cards at one time. BEN MAGDALENO La Habra, Calif.

As historic sayings, we have "remember the Alamo," "Remember the Maine" and "Remember Pearl Harbor." Somehow "Remember Palm Beach County" doesn't have the same ring. SHIRLEY A. MURTAUGH Signal Hill, Calif.

CRITIQUING THE MEDIA

No more election-day predictions, please! I hope the mess that resulted will make the television networks give up their senseless quest to be the first to say who won [ELECTION 2000, Nov. 20]. There's really no reason everyone can't wait until all the votes are counted. KAY GLEASON Athol, Mass.

To a political junkie, TIME's election special report was the equivalent of a week's trip to Disneyland. This truly remarkable issue was worth the price of a full year's subscription. Thank you. PENNY MARSHALL Desert Hot Springs, Calif.

It is just possible that the average American media junkie wasn't nearly as impressed by this election as TIME was. Many of your readers would rather have had a break from the whole fiasco instead of all the postelection stuff. This was a pretty weak issue, guys. If I had a hamster, TIME would be lining its cage now. DUSTIN HALL Emporia, Kans.

Thank you, TIME, for the humor in your Notebook section of your issue on the election standoff. Reading it definitely lowered my blood pressure. EDGAR C. STUNTZ Manitowoc, Wis.

ELECTORAL COLLEGE CONTROVERSY

The Electoral College is only arcane if you dislike the concept of state sovereignty and the principle behind the U.S. Senate [ELECTION 2000, Nov. 20]. Would the American system really work if the candidates tried to get huge margins only in populous cities and ignored states that have relatively low populations? The state-based arithmetic of the Electoral College is key to the 50 individual states' remaining united. We could, however, improve our elections by instituting needed changes. JACK R. WIMER Overland Park, Kans.

Election 2000 should put an end to any talk about doing away with the Electoral College. Can you imagine the chaos if we elected the President by popular vote and a recount was necessary? The whole nation would be involved in a massive recount! LOU BARTULA Shelby Township, Mich.

Our system, as it stands, is capable of handing the presidency not only to a person who doesn't receive the majority of the popular vote but to one who doesn't even get a plurality. There is a reason to keep the Electoral College, but revision is long overdue.

There's no need for the formality of human electors casting ballots; the transfer of votes should be automatic. The electoral votes from each state should be split in proportion to the number of votes received by each candidate. And if no one candidate receives a majority, there should be a runoff. THEODORE C. LOCHWYN Gainesville, Fla.

I oppose any effort to eliminate the Electoral College. It balances out the needs of the rural communities and smaller states against those of more populous urban areas and large states. SAM BASSO Bellevue, Wash.

If the margin of victory in a state is statistically insignificant, its electoral votes should either be split between the candidates or held back altogether, since in such a case the election is truly too close to call. TONY TIMERMAN Stevens Point, Wis.

Not only should the electoral college be eliminated, but the Constitution should be amended to require a runoff if no single candidate gets a majority of the popular vote. The President of the U.S. must have the backing of the majority. ANNE E. BARSCHALL Tarrytown, N.Y.

When I was a high school junior in 1951, the affirmative side of our debate team always won the issue "That the Electoral College is outmoded and should be abolished." Little did I dream that our democracy would be living with this dinosaur half a century later. Is it any wonder that many citizens are cynical and don't believe it matters whether they vote or not? VIRGINIA McCORMICK Worthington, Ohio

SEUSS ON THE LOOSE

I appreciated the charming article on Dr. Seuss's books and characters crossing new frontiers into a movie and a Broadway musical [SHOW BUSINESS, Nov. 20]. Your writer Jess Cagle captured the devotion of Audrey Geisel, "the widow," to all things Seussian: keeping the ashes of her late husband Theodor Seuss Geisel in her hutch and monitoring all aspects of the licensing of Dr. Seuss materials. Were you aware that both How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and The Cat in the Hat have been published in Latin? Quomodo Invidiosulus Nomine Grinchus Christi Natalem Abrogaverit (literally, How the Nasty Individual Named Grinch Stole the Birth of Christ) and Cattus Petasatus are on bookstore shelves and have been selling quite well. MARIE C. BOLCHAZY, VICE PRESIDENT Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc. Wauconda, Ill.

It is wonderful to see so many Dr. Seuss creations coming alive in new ways. Younger generations are getting a chance to experience Dr. Seuss as the rest of us did. Both children and adults have always enjoyed Geisel's work. I wish he could be here today to see all this happening. ANDREW POWELL Emporia, Kans.

CHILDREN AT RISK

I was saddened and disappointed to read your article "The Crisis in Foster Care" [SOCIETY, Nov. 13]. Rather than providing a balanced view with suggestions for solutions to an extraordinary social-policy issue, you sensationalized the subject. Many children continue to suffer abuse in their own and foster homes, often because people who are aware of this mistreatment do not report it to appropriate government authorities. Why not remind all of us of our moral and legal obligations and the ways and means to fulfill them? Without intervention, abuse and neglect of a child often escalate over time. There is also a need for more foster and adoptive homes to accommodate the number of children unable to be cared for in their own homes. Opening one's home and heart to a foster child is one of the most important civic duties a person can perform. You missed an opportunity to make things better. WILLIAM WALDMAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR American Public Human Services Association Washington

Thank you for the excellent yet painful article on foster care. Our system simply does not work. While solutions are possible, they will come only when we are willing to set aside our agendas, honor our values and work together to seek compassionate and creative solutions. We must care. TIME's willingness to write about this topic put a horrible reality right before our eyes. SISTER LAURA SWAN Lacey, Wash.

Your report left me angry as hell. People protest against the wearing of fur; some politicians support protection of the environment; others fight for the rights of the unborn or a woman's right to choose. And while these are all important and noble causes, it seems strange to me that no one is marching to protest about poor foster care. Children are being neglected, abused and murdered by those who are "chosen" to protect and love them. Why isn't anyone fighting to be their voice? TERESA DI VITA-GEREMIA Tuckahoe, N.Y.