Quotes of the Day

As a university student of ecology and evolutionary biology, I would prefer that the Arctic remain largely untouched and unspoiled [Oct. 1]. But since profit-driven exploitation of this increasingly accessible area is inevitable, substantial fees should be imposed on corporations and nations that profit from what ought to be considered world heritage. Moneys collected could aid biodiversity conservation and ameliorate poverty. But it's more likely that we will see the traditional unholy alliance of nationalism, greed and business as usual.
Fred Drumlevitch, TUCSON, ARIZ., U.S.

It is a shame that our world leaders, when faced with an imminent crisis, can think only of their wallets. The rapid melting of the Arctic ice cap is the most obvious consequence of a global climate change that has the potential to cause increases in species loss, infectious diseases and extreme weather events. Instead of focusing on how to solve this impending tragedy, politicians are fighting to exploit it.
Elina El-Badry, GAITHERSBURG, MD., U.S.

Who owns the Arctic? It belongs to mankind as a whole, not to the region's border states. Devising a treaty to enforce that is very simple: you just have to copy and paste the basic agreements of the Antarctic Treaty System, which has kept greedy people off that continent for decades.
Jean Lehouchu, NICE, FRANCE

Setting the Record Straight
Re "The Real Running Mates" [Sept. 24]: I am very disappointed that TIME would publish incorrect information from another publication that stated that I never worked outside the home. Never was I interviewed for TIME's article, but it was certainly written to imply that I had been. For the record, after receiving my law degree from the University of Kansas, I was a research attorney for a justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. Later I accepted the position of an assistant vice president and trust officer at a bank. After our first child, I worked again in a trust department until shortly before the birth of our second child. Simply put, I have worked both in the home and outside of the home, just as a vast majority of American women have. Thank you for letting me clear up these errors so they don't appear in print a third time.
Mary Brownback, TOPEKA, KANS., U.S.

Edwards Edges Toward '08
I guess we know whom Pooley is voting for [Oct. 1]. Could he have let his political leanings color the story? Nah. If Edwards is elected President, Pooley can just keep soaking in that sweet-tea voice while Edwards raises taxes again — and again and again.
Eddie Tencza, SAN ANTONIO

It is outrageous for Elizabeth Edwards to attack Hillary Clinton's electability. After all, the Clintons have a long track record of winning tough elections by comfortable margins. John Edwards wasn't even re-elected as Senator in North Carolina.
Reba Shimansky, NEW YORK CITY

Growing Up on TV
James Poniewozik's cleverly perceptive essay on the new CBS reality series Kid Nation made this baby boomer choke back tears for the good old days [Oct. 1]. Back in the 1950s and early '60s, it was neither unlawful nor uncaring for adults to say that children should be seen but not heard. Kids got to be kids as they ran around outside playing hide-and-seek under the stars without worry of being snatched, molested or organized into youth activities, while parents sipped beer or pop while playing Yahtzee with their pals after hand-washing the dinner dishes. Nobody felt slighted, and nobody called child protective services. How sad and ironic that television — primarily responsible for making a mishmash of family life — should inadvertently be the one to call attention to the current sorry state of affairs by dragging the poor little ones off to a ghost town all by themselves. Don't adults get it? Kids nowadays live in ghost towns without ever having to leave home.
Greg Joseph, GLENDALE, ARIZ., U.S.

Is the uproar over kid nation about abuse or fear that the children will succeed and put parents out of a job? We cannot hold our children's wings all their lives and then expect them to know how to fly when we let them go. Kids need parents, but they also need the freedom to learn and grow. Let them experience the sting of failure and the joy of success. And trust them!
Danica Conway, LONGMONT, COLO., U.S.

Poniewozik's article was a quick yet deeply gratifying read. In one page he managed to sum up the rationale and angst we "helicopter" parents have about our parenting style. On the one hand, we feel it is right to sacrifice deeply for our children, and on the other we have a nagging suspicion that there is a good reason no previous generation raised children this way. It doesn't take a sage, however, to know that children aren't designed to raise themselves. I pray that CBS has taken adequate precautions to protect the children involved.
Dorothea Dougboh, CARTERET, N.J., U.S.

Murakami's Magic
I was thrilled to see the article on Haruki Murakami [Sept. 17]. As a student of literature, I am an avid reader, but I have never come across a writer as engrossing as Murakami. His style varies from descriptions of everyday events, such as cooking spaghetti, to intellectual discussions with total strangers to heart-stopping, beyond-reality experiences. His images are at times so vivid and meticulously detailed that reading them is like watching a movie. When I started reading A Wild Sheep Chase, I made a pencil dot in the margin next to every memorable phrase or description. Eventually each page was marked with so many dots that I decided instead to reread the book — which I've done about seven times. His works are like symphonies that one enjoys listening to over and over again.
Mel Leyde, SOPHIATOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Pakistani People Power
In the name of democracy, Pakistanis must be granted some level of participation in choosing their Premier [Sept. 24]. Selecting Pakistan's next Prime Minister in the backstreets of London or the hallowed halls of Washington is surely a step backward. Rather than debate which of Pakistan's erstwhile Premiers — both of whom have been tried, tested and found wanting — should be anointed, Britain and the U.S. should support a truly democratic process with an emphasis on justice, accountability and honesty. Otherwise, the common man looks set to remain sidelined, while the likes of a U.S.-sponsored Nawaz Sharif or Benazir Bhutto and al- Qaeda-Taliban partisans will reign supreme from their respective corners.
Burhan Khan, BECKENHAM, ENGLAND

Beats from the Streets
Kudos for interviewing 50 Cent [Sept. 24.] He's a force of nature. Learning that his nickname is "a metaphor for change" gives me greater respect for him. But I take issue with his claim that Kanye West's music is "aimed at a straight pop audience." West's hip-hop is less gangsta and therefore softer, but it is also more substantive. If anything, gangsta rap is more pop. I love a good 50 Cent beat, but I keep waiting for him to say something more meaningful. Instead of competing to sell records, 50 Cent and West should collaborate and sell even more!
Ezra Parzybok, NORTHAMPTON, MASS., U.S.

I was disheartened to see your 10 questions for 50 Cent. People like him are the reason I don't subscribe to pop-culture magazines. You degrade your publication when you print anything remotely related to beefs between people who claim to be artists yet who appear to be nothing but street thugs. The more we glorify the gangsta lifestyle, the more it will pervade everyday life. I prefer not to have to bulletproof my car, thank you very much.
Phyllis McCabe, HAZLET, N.J., U.S.

Players, Choose Your Pitch
As a white South African, I was disturbed by Vivienne Walt's "Field of Broken Dreams" [Sept. 24]. There are people who will never be satisfied despite massive reform within our country. I am sure I speak for most white South Africans when I say we are more than pleased to have put apartheid behind us and we would never support racial discrimination of that sort in our lifetime. The suggestion that a white élite school system has kept potential black players off the national team is ludicrous. If you travel to any corner of this magnificent country, you are hard-pressed not to stumble across a bare-bones soccer field with crude poles as goals almost constantly occupied by an exuberant squad of soccer-crazed black youths. Why have the supposedly rugby-suppressed black South Africans not busied themselves with carving out rugby fields? The equipment required is the same, after all. Why are our soccer stadiums crammed to overflowing at every match with jubilant black supporters and our rugby stadium crowds are predominantly white? The average black South African doesn't particularly like rugby, while the average white South African has enough rugby mania in his blood to stop a charging elephant. This is not a sinister throwback to the "Afrikaner Broederbond." We as a country glow with pride when our players, black or white, do us proud on the sports field.
Paul de Villiers, PIETERMARITZBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

I am a little confused as to why Walt thinks "future teams will have to integrate more, even at the expense of winning." Is it ethical to field a weaker team for political purposes and insult thousands of supporters who have paid their hard-earned cash to watch what should be a contest between the best players available? That would give the impression that in the "new South Africa" a new bigoted, stubborn political élite has replaced the old one.
Stephen J. Lewis, HENFIELD, ENGLAND

How many native Americans are on U.S. sports teams? How many blacks are on the U.S. Olympic swimming team? In sports, the only discrimination that can be justified is discrimination on the basis of the abilities of the sportsmen and -women.
Moxie Hartmann, RANDBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

Remembering a Master's Voice
I mourn the passing of the world's greatest tenor, Luciano Pavarotti [Sept. 24]. We are lucky to have his recordings, which are his legacy. I saw all his operas at the Met and was allowed to go backstage to meet him. He was gracious and kind and autographed many pictures and posters for me. I will miss him.
James J. LaRosa, ALBANY, N.Y., U.S.

Pavarotti was not only the "Opera King" of Italy but also the opera king of the world. Even those who are not opera fans were enthralled by Pavarotti's powerful presence and unparalleled voice, which was kissed by God. The countless hearts that ache from his passing should have found some comfort in a fitting tribute (not just "funeral facts") by TIME that reflected the global appreciation of this magnificent man and the priceless gifts he offered to everyone.
Mary Anne Nolan, VOORHEESVILLE, N.Y., U.S.

• Setting the Record Straight; Edwards Edges Toward '08; Growing up on TV; Murakami's Magic