To Friend or Not to Friend?

  • I took to heart the privacy controls, or lack thereof, that your Facebook article detailed [May 31]. I had little idea how much Facebook was constantly changing its controls and maxing out additional default settings, and I have since dialed back my own settings. Yet Facebook is a fun and often mindless distraction and a good way to see what old classmates or friends are up to, even if you wouldn't want to talk to them. The greatest irony is that Mark Zuckerberg, a geek, has created the greatest social-networking tool the world has ever seen.
    Joshua Katz, FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIF., U.S.

    Tynee Seno in the Philippines spends four hours a day on Facebook? In four hours, I can dig into a good book, hang out with my daughter, make dinner and do my daily one-hour walk. If I want to connect with my friends, I'll call or e-mail or maybe even get together in person!
    Valerie Emmerich, BROOKLINE, MASS., U.S.

    Are Apologies Enough?
    I enjoyed reading your cover story, but the cover caption was cheap sensationalism [June 7]. In the article, Pope Benedict XVI foresees a genuine and humbled church cleansed by repentance for its horrible sins. Give him credit for trying to be a good leader.
    David Kunkler, RUSHVILLE, OHIO, U.S.

    I find your report on the sex-abuse scandal within the Catholic Church extremely biased. The percentage of guilty priests is very small in comparison to the number of good, holy priests who have done and continue to do good all over the world. You make scant mention of the punitive measures actually taken by the Catholic Church against errant priests. You reported that Pope Benedict XVI wrote to victims, "You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry. I know that nothing can undo the wrong you have endured." So why is the front cover titled "Why Being Pope Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry"? TIME owes the Pope and Catholics the world over an apology. Or does being a reporter mean never having to say you're sorry?
    Peter Joseph Pereira, SUBANG JAYA, MALAYSIA

    Many of us faithful Catholics have been sickened by and have railed against the way the sex-abuse issue was handled. We continue to strive for hierarchical accountability and reform. But we remain somehow Catholics. This may seem contradictory, but it demonstrates that our faith is far deeper than trust in the Pope or the hierarchy.
    David E. Pasinski, FAYETTEVILLE, N.Y., U.S.

    The Catholic Church wants to have it both ways. On the one hand, it claims the authority to instruct people on moral issues and even insert its teachings into civil law because the church represents Christ on earth. But when the church sins grievously, as with the abuse scandal, it explains it by saying the church is composed of fallible people. Which is it?
    Erskine White, NASHVILLE

    Two Sides to the Story In Bangkok
    A caption in a story on the recent protests in Bangkok unjustly accused Thai security forces of "gunning down protesters" [May 31]. In restoring law and order amidst increasingly unruly protests, the Thai authorities have exercised utmost restraint. All security officers had from the very beginning operated under clearly stipulated rules of engagement. The use of weapons was strictly for defensive purposes and for protection of public safety. Armed protesters inflicted the most harm, using assault weapons and grenade launchers against officers, demonstrators and innocent bystanders alike. The devastation they caused has been widely reported by the Thai and foreign media. We all regret the loss of life. But by blaming security forces for the deaths that occurred, TIME ignores the existence of gunmen among the protesters and perpetuates a biased account of the events — the facts regarding which will be established by an independent fact-finding commission that is being set up.
    Vimon Kidchob, Director General, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, BANGKOK

    Galápagos Treasures
    Re "Postcard: The Galápagos" [May 31]: As a country whose recently adopted constitution gives special status to the environment, Ecuador under President Rafael Correa has taken the politically painful step of expelling some of our own citizens from the islands to limit the permanent population and protect the natural wonder that is the Galápagos. Our collaboration with agencies around the world to both support conservation and promote tourism is a continuing struggle but one to which we are deeply committed.
    Luis Gallegos, Ambassador to the U.S. from the Republic of Ecuador, WASHINGTON