Inbox: May 21, 2007

Birth of a Nation

Bob Deans’ insightful perspective in the cover package “America at 400” brings some reality to our national self-esteem and makes us better for it [May 7]. If Deans were to author every American history book in our nation’s schools, students would eagerly anticipate history class. His intelligent, humorous and bluntly honest account of our colorful, tumultuous journey as a nation is written in a witty, often self-deprecating style that is typically American. Our forebears stumbled, triumphed and persevered with glorious and sometimes tragic results, and they prevailed, shaping the nation we are today. Deans could make any schoolchild feel pride in our ancestors’ struggle to create that nascent and scrappy nation called America.

Stephanie DePrima, SALEM, ORE.

Sandra Day O’Connor went right to the heart of democracy in commenting that “teaching civic responsibility involves connecting a child’s life to the greater community.” The Founding Fathers reminded us of democracy’s purposes: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The meaning of these principles needs to be taught every day in classrooms across America. Over centuries of trial and error, democracy came to fruition through war, hardship, political intrigue and education. Do we really believe that we can inject the principles we have learned over four centuries into Iraqi culture in a half-decade or even 100 years?

Joseph P. Hester, CLAREMONT, N.C.

When the British arrived in Jamestown, Va., the settlement of New Mexico was 67 years old. Florida’s St. Augustine was 42. Even if we date America’s birth from the establishment of the first European settlements, it is long past time for us to abandon the Manifest Destiny concept that American history is solely the story of how the English arrived on the East Coast and triumphantly moved West.

David Bamberger, CLEVELAND

As a woman of color, I believe Professor Orlando Patterson oversimplified the state of race in this country. While it is true that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Senator Barack Obama have accomplished feats previously off-limits to African Americans, the success of these two individuals cannot be used as evidence that “it is now incontestable that [blacks] belong to America as America belongs to them.” What about Katrina or the nearly 25% of blacks who live in poverty? I highly doubt that people in these circumstances believe America belongs to them.

Monique Robinson, PASADENA, CALIF.

I liked your article, but the name of our country is the United States. Where is it located? In America. I have a middle-school textbook at home titled Our American Neighbors. It contains stories of Mexico, Canada, El Salvador, Colombia, Peru and Panama, to name a few. The people of these countries are identified as North and South Americans. At what point did we decide to adopt the name of an entire continent? It’s no wonder many people of the world who otherwise admire us nonetheless look at us with a raised eyebrow.

William Stout, SAN FRANCISCO

The Future of Guns

As a 57-year-old longtime N.R.A. member and gun-rights advocate, I have to admit, grudgingly, that Jeffrey Rosen hit the nail on the head in discussing how the Virginia Tech shootings revived the issue of gun control [May 7]. Given today’s demographic and social trends, I foresee a day when firearms will be banned or at least severely restricted. The best the pro-gun side can hope for is to delay the inevitable, when Congress finally ends legal gun ownership in America. I already own just about all the guns I ever will in my lifetime, and future generations will have to settle this issue after I am long gone.

Leonard Martino, TAMPA, FLA.

You can’t legislate against mental illness, and you can’t legislate against narcissism. But you can legislate against the manufacture and sale of firearms. I don’t understand why it is legal to manufacture automatic, semiautomatic and concealable weapons. If there are protections in the Constitution, drag that document kicking and screaming into the 21st century by amending it. Let the military and the police have their weapons, and let legitimate hunters and farmers have their long guns. But everyone else? Just let them try to club or stab 32 people to death in one go.

Marc Kramer, TORONTO

Phony or for Real?

RE Joe Klein’s piece on the person he called the “no baloney candidate” [May 7]: We need someone like John Edwards as President of the U.S. He will say what he means and mean what he says. Most candidates beat around the bush on controversial topics like health care. Does the nation want more surprises like our current Administration’s zany ideas? I don’t. Bush has been making the world more unstable with his decisions.

Daniel Swain, PLYMOUTH, N.C.

I read Klein’s assessment of Edwards with amazement. It was naive, to say the least. Edwards is without a doubt the most phony-baloney candidate out there, Democrat or Republican. He is the model of political self-interest. Edwards has been carefully grooming himself for political glory ever since he finished milking the health-care industry for every cent he could as a trial lawyer specializing in personal-injury litigation. His conspicuous baby kissing and do-gooder track record clearly indicate he’s an ego-driven man purely in it for himself and will do whatever is politically expedient to achieve the highest elected office in the country.

Jeremy Dreyer, MATTHEWS, N.C.

Forget It, Pal

TIME reader Cole Russo complained that Joe Klein’s use of the term fuhgeddaboutit was “an ethnic slur” [May 7]. Are we Americans of Italian descent all of a sudden becoming touchy? Let’s relax. What harm can that supposed slur cause us, whose immigrant ancestors came from a country that produced Leonardo, Michelangelo, Verdi and Saint Francis? What apology is needed in the face of Italian Americans’ many positive contributions to our great country? Fuhgeddaboutit!

Louis Miccio, SAN DIEGO

Healing Earth, Healing Ourselves

Your article on Darfur clearly spelled out how climate change can generate conflict [May 7]. I don’t understand why it is so politically incorrect to say plainly that the world is becoming overpopulated and more people must use birth control. And if the oceans are rising even as various regions lack potable water, why isn’t there more discussion about building desalination plants around the world? The U.S. National Security Council and the U.N. always respond to crises like Darfur by sending peacekeepers and money. Why don’t they try the more viable solutions of birth control and water desalination?

Linda Smith, FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.

How can we prevent the next Darfur? Step One: get serious about overpopulation by empowering women with education, health care and legal rights.

Larry Sarner, HAIKU, HAWAII

Publicity Stunts

I agree wholeheartedly with the Tillman family members’ claims that they were told lies about how Pat Tillman died [May 7]. But I have a problem with Jessica Lynch’s current anger at the Army for mischaracterizing her as a hero. Didn’t she ride the hero train to the max with a book deal and a movie? I hope Pat Tillman’s relatives obtain the results they seek. I’m from a military family, and his decision to quit the NFL and join the military was a source of pride for all military personnel and their families. I wish someone other than Lynch could have been found to speak with the Tillman family before Congress.

Sonji Gall, FREDERICKSBURG, VA.

A Courageous Recovery

RE 10 Questions [May 7]: God love Bob Woodruff! In response to the question “What would you say to the terrorist who tried to kill you?”, he replied, “One of the answers is not to kill back.” I cannot imagine a more perfect answer. Instead of reacting with anger, Woodruff showed himself to be a very evolved soul: he displays wisdom and love of humankind.

Ann Marshall, PALM DESERT, CALIF.

Each Scarier Than the Other

Although I agreed with Richard Corliss’s “10 All-Time Best Movie Villains” [May 7], I thought Robert Mitchum was even scarier in The Night of the Hunter than in Cape Fear, or maybe it was just that Shelley Winters was such a perfect victim. One of the best recent female villains was Polly Walker in HBO’s series Rome. As Atia of the Julii, she is lovely, charming, sometimes even amusing, but always diabolically evil as she plots mischief, mayhem and revenge–and then flounces off to enjoy her latest male conquest.

Rebecca Silverberg, SAN FRANCISCO

You overlooked one of cinema’s most menacing villains: Sir Ben Kingsley. (Who would think it?) His character in Sexy Beast (2000) scares even the film’s other villains. His last line is composed of not words but an unforgettable, goose-bump-producing, maniacal laugh. Hear it once, and you will never forget.

Terry Lorbiecki, MILWAUKEE

Beauty and the Beast

I know exactly what Belinda Luscombe means about marrying someone hotter than yourself [May 7]. My spouse and I have been married for 35 years. When we got married, I think we were more or less equal in appearance. But my wife is 10 1/2 years younger than I, very pretty, and she gets better looking as she ages. I have not aged as well. On several occasions people have told me they don’t know what she sees in me. Fortunately, we have a very happy and loving relationship.

Joe Jones, CROFTON, MD.

Luscombe’s “The Last Taboo” was hysterical! But now I am dying to see a picture of the hottie husband with the supposedly less-than-hot Belinda.

Jennifer Shettel, LITITZ, PA.

Perhaps Luscombe feels the same way Henry James felt about George Eliot: “She is magnificently ugly–deliciously hideous … [but] in this vast ugliness resides a most powerful beauty which, in a very few minutes, steals forth and charms the mind, so that you end as I ended, in falling in love with her.”

Mike Marieb, FEEDING HILLS, MASS.

In her hilarious essay on mismatched marriages, did Luscombe help us laugh off our superficiality while forcing us to contemplate it? I believe she did.

Maria Hess, WILMINGTON, DEL.

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