Letters

A Whole New Ball Game

"The dramatic and unexpected shift in power in the U.S. Senate is as close to divine intervention as you can get." NILS J. MIKKELSEN Pleasanton, Calif.

I feel compelled to publicly express my support for U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords' recent decision to quit the Republican Party and become an independent member of the Senate [WASHINGTON POWER SHIFT, June 4]. Such an act required courage and, above all, the knowledge that one's political position should not be determined by party allegiance. The Republican Party led by George W. Bush has left the world gasping at its bulldozer tactics and ineptitude as far as environmental matters and foreign policy are concerned. I imagine that every member of the Republican Party with a firm sense of social responsibility is wrestling with those same nightmares that must have haunted Jeffords. PIPPA SALONIUS Siena, Italy

If Senator Jeffords wanted to switch affiliations, he should have resigned his seat and contested for it anew in a special election. At least that would have given the voters who sent him to Washington in the first place a voice in the change in their representation. As things stand, those voters are being represented by someone different from the person they elected. The real loser in Senator Jeffords' switch is not the Republican Party but the democratic process. ROBERT BALDWIN Carmel, N.Y.

There seems to be a lot of arrogance on the bridge of the U.S. ship of state, which has been steered on a heading favored more by the officers and crew than by the passengers. I hope Senator Jeffords' decision will be seen as a shot across the bow that will correct the course to benefit all the country, not just people in first class. STANLEY ISENBERG Merion Station, Pa.

How does an individual, voted into office on a Republican ticket, have the right to disregard the voters who elected him and take up his own agenda? There should be a law that prevents officeholders from changing parties after an election. RICHARD J. BONNER Seattle

Jeffords' defection from the G.O.P. while still in office simply cannot be justified. When public officials jump from one party to another, it causes chaos in our political system. Can you imagine a President switching parties while still in the White House? ED BROWNE Bellingham, Wash.

I realize how fortunate I am to live in the beautiful state of Vermont, where a large percentage of the public is willing to cast a vote for the individual and not simply vote for a party label. Jim Jeffords has repeatedly been returned to the Senate not because of party affiliation (and perhaps in spite of it) but because of who he is and the honor and integrity he brings to the office. JUDITH SCHEER Colchester, Vt.

Jeffords is an unprincipled political opportunist who took the easy way out. The self-sacrificing, heroic thing would have been to stick out the battle within his own camp and quietly use his talents and creativity to reform his colleagues and alter the direction of the party as a member of which he was elected. WALLACE L. MCKEEHAN Bellaire, Texas

The whole of Europe has heaved a sigh of relief because of Jeffords' brave decision. We were beginning to get frightened of what the cold-war-revival government was going to do next. Surely most of the decisions of the Bush Administration cannot be supported by a majority of American citizens. Here in Germany we are very happy to see that a government which was elected by accident has been forced into compromising. SILKE FELGENTREU Hamburg, Germany

May I be the first to nominate Senator Jeffords to be the next head chiseled onto the face of Mount Rushmore? By his simple act of conscience, Jeffords has saved the country from four (possibly eight!) years of compassionate conservatism and its attendant despoilment of our environment. DAVID I. EPSTEIN Albuquerque, N.M.

Jeffords' decision was his disgrace. This "stern, quiet man" betrayed his party and deliberately upset the power structure for his own aggrandizement and vindictiveness. DOROTHY PERMENTER Jacksonville, Fla.

--Taking a look at our June 4 issue--and rejecting it at face value, shall we say--more than a handful of you thought we should have covered it differently. "While it may be true that it was President Bush who got whacked," an admirer of Senator Jeffords willingly conceded, "we in Vermont deserved a cover photo of Jim." A like-minded Virginian argued, "The real newsmaker and man of courage and character is Jim Jeffords, and he should have had top billing in this circus." "Bush is the one who didn't do anything that week," agreed a citizen of the President's home state. But a reader in California saw things in an unusual light: "Your brilliant cover speaks a thousand words, and then some. The President beams confidence through his eyes and exudes a calming comfort despite his Administration's newfound challenges."

Corrections

Our reporting incorrectly stated that Jeffords announced his departure from the Republican Party in Montpelier, Vt. The press conference was in fact held in Burlington, Vt. The statement that most Vermont residents are registered as Independents was also incorrect; there is no party registration in Vermont. Our information on voter preference was based on opinion surveys. We regret the errors.

Color-Blind Television

Now that it's the Hispanics' turn to complain about how little time they get on TV shows [TELEVISION, May 28], it's clear that the idealistic notion of America as a great melting pot is nothing short of fantasy. However, talented Hispanics are indeed represented in Hollywood, not because they're Hispanic but because they're talented. Edward James Olmos, Salma Hayek, Christina Aguilera and Ricky Martin are only a few of the Hispanic performers who have found a place within mainstream American show business. Protesting Hispanics have to face the fact that racial quotas are dangerous in any form. They exclude others simply on the basis of race. And isn't that the root of racism? Wouldn't it be better for everyone if we had color-blind television instead? ARTURO AYALA MARGAIN Mexico City

Down with the Death Penalty

In light of the Timothy McVeigh case, it is absolutely unsurprising that Americans turn a deaf ear to European cries against capital punishment [NATION, May 21]. The policymakers of the U.S. must be either deliberately ignorant or blind to the happenings in other parts of the world, but they are steering the U.S. toward isolationism.

I have personally enjoyed working with American forces overseas here in Germany, but to my utter bewilderment, I have discovered that most Americans ironically are not interested in the opinions and affairs of other nations. I fear, however, that America's rude awakening may come too late. TAMMY EYOLE Neu-Isenburg, Germany

Talkin' 'Bout That Generation

In his reappraisal of the generation that fought in World War II, Richard Schickel wrote that the war was considered "a good war" only when we learned about the Nazi genocide [VIEWPOINT, June 4]. This is revisionism at best. The war was considered the ultimate battle of freedom vs. tyranny because the Nazis had taken over most of Europe and, with the aid of their Japanese allies, were set on nothing short of total world domination. Every American, in or out of the service, was keenly aware of this. To say the U.S. fighting forces were exhibiting only "mindless personal courage" because they were not aware of the plight of the Jews is an insult. If there had been no Holocaust, and the Allies had "only" vanquished the Third Reich, would the war have been any less "good"? CHRISTIAN WIESSNER Glen Rock, N.J.

They were the unfortunate generation, all right. I was an eight-year-old boy in England when World War II broke out in 1939. My two sisters, nine and 10 years older than I, were lucky to be girls; nearly all their boyfriends were killed. My country fought sooner, longer and at greater cost than America, but at no time did we think we were fighting against genocide. What we contested, as did Franklin Roosevelt, was the Nazis' violent assault on Western civilization. Democracy was saved, and with it, all the freedoms that we currently take for granted. That's what made it a good war, and those who were chosen to give their lives so that we could enjoy ours, whether Jews or gentiles, were the unfortunate generation. TOM MOULSON Corona del Mar, Calif.

Schickel was right, they were the unluckiest generation and the most dutiful generation. But they were also the most responsible, the most patriotic and the most martyred generation that this nation has ever seen. That is what made them the "Greatest Generation"! S. ALAN STEVENS Two Rivers, Wis.

Two Thumbs Down

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer's contention that Pearl Harbor director Michael Bay is "his generation's Spielberg or Lucas" is as laughable as some of the awful dialogue in that movie [CINEMA, June 4]. When Bay's camera isn't mooning over the three bland lead performances, it is wrapped in the American flag, always the first refuge of the terminally unimaginative.

We should probably be grateful that Bay is too young to remember Kate Smith, so we were spared Madonna in a fat suit singing God Bless America in the midst of the rubble. ALDEN GRAVES North Bennington, Vt.

Apparently there is no end to the self-absorption and arrogance of the movie industry's big names. "You start with a little idea and make it happen," said Bruckheimer. Pearl Harbor "a little idea"? Exploiting the attack is bad enough, but by describing it according to its utility to him and his movie, Bruckheimer demeans and insults its victims as well. LEN DIAMOND Westminster, Calif.

Second-Guessing the General

If the three lessons General Wesley Clark says he learned from his experience in Kosovo became policy, modern warfare would become more indiscriminate and ever more lethal [BOOK EXCERPT, June 4]. Clark's first lesson is to "move when a crisis is still ambiguous"--in other words, before any consensus emerges about the nature of the conflict. The second lesson: "Once you cross the threshold for the use of force, use it as decisively as possible." In other words, jump in with both feet and fire away! The third lesson, "continue to strike until the negotiations are successfully concluded," is an argument for the mindless use of force and firepower. Clark may be a fine general, but he makes me grateful that generals do not make policy. JOHN D. COPENHAVER JR. Winchester, Va.

Losing Faith in Ford

Even if Firestone tires were made of bicycle inner tubes patched together with bubble gum, vehicles are not supposed to flip over at highway speeds in the event of a tire blowout [BUSINESS, June 4]. Who is the automaker trying to fool? Let's not forget that the fine people at Ford are the ones who sold the American public the Pinto. "Safety is job No. 1"? Sorry, Ford, but you have completely lost my confidence. JON POPE Warwick, N.Y.

Economics for Dummies

In "Relief From Painful Gas," Joel Stein's essay on climbing fuel prices [NOTEBOOK, June 4], he wrote, "I have no idea why DVD players are so cheap and house paint costs so much." That's a naive statement, even for Stein. DVD players are cheap because the industry wants you to buy DVDs, which are pricey, at $20 to $30 each. On the other hand, you paint your house only once every five years, so the paint folks have fewer opportunities to gouge you. MICHAEL PODRAZA Chicago

Afterschool Salvation

I was appalled to read that the evangelical instruction of the Good News Clubs may be allowed in our public schools [SOCIETY, June 4]. My tax dollars are being spent for a myriad of projects I do not endorse, but most of those are at least fundamentally constitutional, not fundamentalist Christian. Marshall Pennell, the Child Evangelism Fellowship's coordinator, states that he thinks "kids have a need for a relationship with God." This is misleading. Pennell wants kids to have a relationship with his god. Those zealots who believe a person cannot be moral without their particular brand of religion are no different from the fanatics who make the Middle East the tinderbox it is. MATTHEW BLITZ Monroe, N.Y.

The article "Saving The 7-Year-Old" brought back fond memories of the Good News Club I attended as a child. I was one of those who realized a need for a relationship with God in a club meeting. It helped direct me away from involvement in activities that would have ruined my life--drugs, pornography and violence. I applaud the efforts of anyone who takes the time to share moral principles with young children before they have been ensnared by the dangers of the world. SUE SPILLMAN Warrenton, Mo.

The Child Evangelism Fellowship is doing to children's minds what Joe Camel once did for their lungs--stamping an adult agenda onto defenseless innocents. Any faith pushed onto kids with bribes of candy reveals its deepest insecurity--that children allowed a free comparison of belief systems would not choose the one being hyped. EDWARD MIRACLE Livermore, Calif.

Ornithology for Everyone!

Thank you for the insightful article on bird watching [ENVIRONMENT, June 6]. The Sibley Guide to Birds is an informative and beautifully illustrated guide for any birder. Even more impressive is the possible impact David Allen Sibley's books may have on wildlife conservation. Bird watching is contagious; even our two indoor cats have become avid bird watchers, enjoying the view from our kitchen window. BEVERLY PROPEN Orange, Conn.

I rejoiced at seeing birding referred to as "hotter than ever" on your cover, and I agree that a passion for birds leads to a concern for their habitat. Last September I testified before Congress as part of an effort to catalog private conservation success stories, including Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania, the Natural Bridge of Virginia, Cypress Bay Plantation in South Carolina and the Roney Land and Cattle Company in California.

Sibley's book will introduce more people to birds; more bird watchers will lead to more individual initiative, and the birds will be the beneficiaries. ANDY THOMPSON, PUBLISHER Bird Watcher's Digest Marietta, Ohio

SATs for Jobs

Barbara Ehrenreich's article on pre-employment testing, "What Are They Probing For?" [ESSAY, June 4], was much more a pro-marijuana speech than a legitimate examination of management practices. Having been a therapist for adolescents in a rehab program, I can say marijuana is not the innocuous drug Ehrenreich considers it to be. Marijuana is a significant problem for employers, individuals and society as a whole. Impaired motor skills and judgment, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, antisocial behavior and psychological addiction may all be related to marijuana use. BRET J. HERROD Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Ehrenreich wonders why employers are so addicted to pre-employment personality tests. It's no mystery. These tests simply provide documented reasons to turn down an application from a person of an undesired race, sex or age or with a physical handicap, deformity or other characteristic for which discrimination is illegal or actionable. GEOFFREY A. GASS Portland, Ore.

Teach the Children

In addressing cheering grads at Yale's commencement, George W. Bush should have said that C students can become President of the United States only if they are sons of a former President and if their brother is Florida's Governor [NOTEBOOK, June 4]. If they are not so lucky, they must bear down much harder on their studies. ALFREDO ORTEGA-RUBIO La Paz, Mexico

Perhaps if our lazy, arrogant, spoiled-rich-kid President had developed the self-discipline to become an A student rather than a C student at Yale, he might still have control of the Senate. This is the man who was going to restore respect to the office of the presidency? SETH GLASSMAN Pound Ridge, N.Y.