Quotes of the Day

Mark Twain's America
Mark Twain on the cover of time magazine [July 14]! This is TIME at its best, just as Twain is America at its best. You can't be the leader of the free world if you are not led by freethinkers. And that's what Twain was and still is: a great free mind. Are these signs that an Age of Reason is dawning?
Arben Kallamata,
Mississauga, Canada

When I was a youngster and I should have been sleeping, I would read about Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher by flashlight underneath the covers at my grandparents' home. Later, a friend and I built a raft and tried to sail across Diamond Lake in Illinois, only to be rescued by fearful adults. When I was 11, my grandmother took me aboard the legendary Delta Queen. Now, after more than 80 years afloat, the Delta Queen is to be put out of service because of inaction by Congress. It brings to mind a Twain saying: "Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." I can't imagine an America without Twain's writings, the Mississippi River or the Delta Queen.
Charles Greene,
Lewisburg, Kentucky

My only quarrel with your Twain story is with Rick Stengel's comment that Twain is the godfather of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. He may be their godfather, but there is no doubt in my mind that he should be considered more a legitimate father of George Carlin and Bill Maher.
Alice A. Grimes,
Watertown, Massachusetts

Stephen L. Carter is right to point out that "Was Twain a racist?" is a ridiculous question. He was raised in Missouri in the 1830s and 1840s. Of course he was racist — at least for some of his life. And so is Huckleberry Finn, which is part of what makes the book so brilliant. The reader, through Huck, comes to see how absurd racism is as Jim is fully humanized on their trip down the river together. Twain's point is that racism is socially conditioned and is contrary to the natural inclinations of the human heart. Huck defies the laws and customs of his people and acts with his individual conscience, which is what makes him such a great — and uniquely American — hero.
Pamela Martin,
Prescott, Arizona

Loved your articles on Twain, but I'm sick of reading that the 15th Amendment of 1869 granted former slaves the right to vote. The 15th Amendment granted only male ex-slaves the right to vote. Women of all races occupied a rung well below male slaves on the U.S. ladder of rights. This failure to include women should not be ignored or forgotten.
Glenice Reed,
Punta Gorda, Florida

Mark Twain had an impact on Australia, too, and not just a literary one. On a visit here in 1895, he took a train from New South Wales to Victoria. At Albury, on the state border, he and the other passengers had to change trains in the freezing pre-dawn. He later attacked the absurdity of Australia's 22 different rail gauges, and the "paralysis of intellect that gave that idea birth." That line became part of the rallying cry that — several decades later — led to the standardization of all railways between Australia's mainland-state capitals.
Tim Fischer,
Wodonga, Victoria

Zimbabwe's Suffering
The gentle people of Zimbabwe are putting up with the impossible [July 14]. President Mugabe may well want to go into luxurious retirement but is prevented from doing so by his henchmen. The self-interest of this handful of people has to be addressed to achieve a change of leadership. If the culture of corruption is not addressed, no future government will bring the change this lovely country deserves.
Tjarda Barratt,
Elnora, Canada

"Mugabe Represents Africa's Past," you write. If only that were the case. Look at the muted reaction to the situation in Zimbabwe by the big players in Africa and you will see the future of the continent.
Cecil Taitz,
London

I wish Africa had only one Mugabe. However, when Mugabe attended the recent African Union leaders' meeting — fresh from an "election" marked by murder, torture and intimidation — nobody rebuked him or asked him to step down. That is because all the other leaders are doing similar things. In Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Chad, Djibouti and elsewhere in Africa, leaders have a great deal in common with Mugabe. Some spend millions on themselves while their people remain vulnerable to starvation, then beg for foreign aid. Our forebears set our nations free from the colonial powers. These days Africans need liberating from our own leaders.
Mahad Dirieh,
Djibouti

The African union, which espouses democracy and free and fair elections, should have condemned Mugabe and refused to recognize his government. Instead, with the dissent of a few countries, notably Botswana, the Union merely passed a feeble resolution suggesting a government of national unity, which Mugabe in any case would not accept. It is tragic that the A.U. ignored the opportunity to take drastic action. Instead, it has lost whatever credibility it had.
Edward R.C. Preston,
Auckland

Taliban Trouble
Re Peter Bergen's article on al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden [July 14]: The U.S. and Europe should not assume that bin Laden is irrelevant or that al-Qaeda is no longer active. It is true that al-Qaeda has not managed to carry out any attacks in the West in the last few years. It is also a fact that al-Qaeda has carried out more than 50 suicide bombings in Pakistan. Al-Qaeda is taking full advantage of the weakness of Pakistan's new government to recruit, train and arm more jihadis. This will boost its chances of hitting targets in the U.S. or Europe. Western nations must pressure and help the Pakistani government to crack down on al-Qaeda and the Taliban, its identical twin. The disease they represent must not be allowed to flourish, or it will infect the whole world.
Iftikhar Qureshi,
Sydney

Courting the Catholic Vote
Re TIME's article "How America Decides": Perhaps Amy Sullivan could have rephrased her last sentence [July 14]. The "very full bowl of wafers" that she refers to is the body of Jesus Christ.
Rita Healy,
Charlotte, North Carolina

Let's Still Meet in St. Louis
Re TIME's postcard from St. Louis: It's clear the potential loss of Anheuser-Busch would be a huge blow to the city's self-esteem [July 14]. But St. Louis, Missouri, still has a beautiful urban park, a great orchestra, many art venues and an enviable architectural tradition.
Dominic Ricciotti,
Winona, Minnesota

Political Gaming
Your story on presidential candidates' gambling habits was the most illuminating article on this election yet [July 14]. It's comforting to know that when prices are on the rise and low-income Americans resort to working two jobs to survive, Senator John McCain has the good sense to gamble with only "a few thousand dollars at a time" when playing games of chance. Thank you for reminding us that the sharp divide between the haves and have-nots is alive and well in America.
Austin Hudson,
Holladay, Utah

Patriot Gains
Many Europeans envy Americans' strong sense of patriotism [July 7]. This is most evident in the widespread display of the U.S. flag outside homes, businesses, factories and public institutions. Another difference is that in the U.S., immigrants assimilate patriotism very quickly. A French-born immigrant, for instance, soon identifies as American first and French second. By contrast, European Union attempts to impose a European identity have largely failed. Most citizens of the E.U.'s 27 member states jealously retain their national identity because they have never connected with the Brussels-based superstructure. The U.S. national motto is E pluribus unum — From many, one. I do not believe this sentiment will ever take hold in Europe. May the American people enjoy their sense of a common destiny and purpose for many years to come.
Karl H. Pagac,
Villeneuve-Loubet, France