Honoring Lives Lost

After reading “One day in Iraq,” I hope the American people never forget the pain of war [June 4]. What a sad day for the U.S. and the families of these young men. Aureliano De La Torre said, “Now that my son is gone, there is a vacancy in Iraq. Maybe the President would like to send one of his daughters over there to continue to fight in Jesse’s place.” Let us not forget that Bush himself passed on the chance to fight in a war. After reading the stories of these six men, it seems the vacancies will be hard to fill.
Mark O’Neill, OMAHA, NEBRASKA, U.S.

While I sympathize with De La Torre for the loss of his son, he should be reminded that his son chose to enlist in the military knowing that he might make the ultimate sacrifice. De La Torre’s statement that Bush should send one of his daughters to fight in his son’s place shows that his disapproval of this war is overshadowing his son’s very adult, brave and selfless decision. As the wife of a former military officer, it saddens me that people forget we do not force anyone in this country to join the military. The men and women of the military don’t need the American people to protect them. They need America to support them. That means supporting them both in time of war and in their decision to enlist.
Michele Posehn, WATCHUNG, NEW JERSEY, U.S.

Herbal Healing
Dr. Sanjay Gupta warned of the side effects of herbal supplements, but herbal therapies and mainstream medicine have long been successfully integrated in Germany [June 4]. Since 1999, the English translation of the herbal equivalent to the Physicians’ Desk Reference has been available in the U.S.: The Complete German Commission E Monographs.
Scott S. Smith, WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, U.S.

I have no problem with Gupta’s cautioning readers about herbal supplements. The reactionary fear of natural remedies was interesting, though, given that more than 10% of the issue’s pages were dedicated to advertising from pharmaceutical companies.
Adam J. Hecktman, CHICAGO

I would like to see a comparison of how many people in this country die each year as a result of taking herbal supplements and how many die each year as a result of faulty prescription-medicine usage. Print that; then let’s talk some more.
Perry Robinson, SEYMOUR, TENNESSEE, U.S.

Elbow Room
I was bemused to see Gordon Brown pictured in a “rush-hour” tube in London [June 4]. The day a rush-hour tube is that empty is the day Brown will stop taxing anything that moves.
Warren Whyte, BUCKINGHAM, ENGLAND

India Unmasked
Simon Robinson’s “India without the slogans” painted a spot-on picture of India [June 4]. The bureaucracy, the indiscipline, the sycophancy and the religious conflicts at a drop of cow dung were all there when I studied and worked in India in the 1960s and ’70s — and they persist. It may be the largest democracy, but the lack of political will and the corruption and conservatism curb the country’s immense potential. I was recently in Australia, where I met an enthusiastic band of young Indians whose nationalism was intense. Yet with all their enthusiasm, you could detect the frustrations of lagging behind because of lack of progress in social reform. Sloganeering and rhetoric are just that. I hope that young Indians find the strength to correct the country’s deficiencies and make it truly great.
Subhash Suthar, SITTINGBOURNE, ENGLAND

Moore Zooms in on Health Care
Michael Moore stated that he was not sure what he would produce next, possibly a romantic comedy [May 28]. Since he always seems to hound so-called crooks in government and every industry but his own, maybe he should uncover some truths about the entertainment industry. Let’s talk about the outrageous ticket prices and concessions at the movie theaters that show his films. Let’s look at the excessive profits he and his colleagues make from the people he claims to be looking out for. Does he believe it is right for megamedia companies and entertainers to reap the financial benefits they do?
Matthew Casto, SAN ANTONIO

Gore’s Next Step
Al Gore should not run for President [May 28]. For several decades, scientists have known that something potentially dramatic was happening with our climate. But it was Gore who almost singlehandedly succeeded in bringing the issue to the front pages. More important, he got policymakers around the world to accept climate change as a problem needing urgent attention. But until countries like China, India and the U.S. take serious action to curb climate change, Gore’s mission is not yet accomplished. He should not waste his time in being just President of the U.S.
Arthur R. Manuel, OUDERKERK, THE NETHERLANDS

Gore is a cross between Jeremiah and Noah. As a modern-day Jeremiah, he is exhorting mankind to stop abusing planet Earth or face the consequences. As Noah, he aspires to save humanity from the impending great flood. Unlike Noah, though, he has not been empowered to build an ark. But as President, he would have the power to implement effective measures to avert the disaster to come. Gore should regard the U.S. presidency not as a temptation but as a sacred mission to save mankind.
Sammy Somekh, RAMAT-GAN, ISRAEL

Having witnessed Gore’s recent resurgence, there is no doubt in my mind that, if he decides to run, he would be in an excellent position to become the next U.S. President. Although he has been successfully spreading his message about global warming, memories of the 2000 election must still torment him to some degree. I think Gore will continue to keep the door ajar and then some time in the fall declare that he indeed will run. By then, much of the excitement around Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will have faded, and paradoxical as it may seem, political veteran Gore will emerge as a fresh face.
Fredrik Farhadian, LUND, SWEDEN

I admire Al Gore for two reasons: not only is he smart enough to turn away from the world of self-aggrandizement in which politicians live, but also the picture of his home office in Nashville saved my skin. When reprimanded for the umpteenth time by my wife that I should get my home office in order, I triumphantly waved the article and picture under her nose. For once, she was at a loss for words.
Piet J. Kruger, SOMERSET WEST, SOUTH AFRICA

If my fellow Democrats want a presidential nominee long on experience, vision and brains, they will persuade former Vice President Gore [May 28] to throw his hat into the ring. President George W. Bush’s disastrous terms have shown us all how hazardous it is to pick a President with very little relevant experience. Good intentions, handsome hairstyles and slick sound bites don’t help much when the chips are down.
Douglas C. Kelley, ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, U.S.

Cost-Benefit Analysis
“Nation building” showed that the U.S. faces some high bills for upgrading infrastructure for mass transit, dams, railways, water, airports and roads [May 28]. Instead of focusing on its own needs, the U.S. thought it wise to increase its deficit in order to destroy the infrastructure of another country. One wonders how the real dangers from failing infrastructure compare with those imagined from Saddam Hussein. Are not the expected benefits from improved effectiveness preferable to the results of the endless wasting of money and lives?
Yannis Athanassopoulos, ATHENS

Newfangled Football
Football just ain’t what it used to be [May 21]. With the influx of foreign cash and foreign players, shrewd plutocrats from foreign lands seek to expand their bank accounts. Insatiable player-millionaires demand astronomical remuneration. While the world-class players introduced by foreign investors attract the eye in a dazzling fashion, such cash cannot be justified. The Premier League clubs banked by billionaires stay at the top of the rankings while mediocre clubs that businessmen deem unprofitable remain at the bottom.
Li Xiang, SINGAPORE

I can offer two simple reasons that Britain’s Premier League is dominating. Football is the world’s sport, and English is the world’s language.
Justin Eckl, BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA

Giving Back
Bravo to Jeffrey Sachs for his excellent article “Sharing the Wealth” [May 21]. The blatant indifference of world political leaders to coping with a large segment of the world population’s poor health, education and sanitation calls for mobilization of the people who could confront these problems. Benevolent foundations and individuals must fund professors of the leading universities to search for solutions. When the wealthy contribute to relieving the misery of the world’s poor, they perform a big-hearted act, returning to mankind a part of what they have earned from it. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and others are to be commended for setting a great example; they should be rewarded with the Nobel Peace Prize. It is time for society to demonstrate that money is not its principal value and that altruism, compassion and philanthropy are still warming the hearts of men.
John P. Tsahageas, PHILOTHEI, GREECE

Faith in Romney?
The U.S. was settled by people who crossed the ocean to practice their faith freely [May 21]. Since then, we have voted for Presidents of different faiths. Some have drawn near to God with their mouths while their hearts remained far from him. We should put religious labels aside and ask candidates about policy positions and try to discern whether their faith puts them on a moral high ground for the betterment of our nation.
Meagan Gilmore, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, U.S.

Any religion that won’t let a bride’s nonmember relatives attend a wedding — as happened when the Romneys married — is a little weird. Mormons have other strange customs they don’t publicize, but just ask an ex-Mormon, and he or she will be glad to enlighten you. Would I vote for a Mormon? I doubt it.
Bob Fuller, PINETOP, ARIZONA, U.S.

How can one ridicule the Mormon belief that the Garden of Eden was in Missouri without objecting to the beliefs that men turned the Nile into blood, parted the Red Sea, walked on water, turned water into wine and rose from the dead? To the unbelieving, the tenets and traditions of any religion may seem strange or even absurd. Believers understand those teachings on a spiritual level that transcends scientific fact. That’s why it’s called faith. Condemning one religion’s inherently unverifiable beliefs without subjecting other religions’ equally unverifiable beliefs to the same scrutiny is nothing less than bigotry.
Jeff Mangum, POWAY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.

I’m fed up with the religious bigotry underlying coverage of Romney’s presidential campaign. Vote for him if you agree with his views. If you don’t, vote for someone else. Every faith has doctrinal and historical features that others could point to and raise an eyebrow. The only reason Mormon doctrine and history are so frequently distorted by others is that there are relatively few of us. No one would ever say the sorts of things about African Americans, Jews, women, Catholics or Protestants that I routinely read about my faith. Particularly ironic is that much of the most offensive commentary is by journalists, who would undoubtedly identify themselves as tolerant, objective and fair.
Paul F. Brown, WILMETTE, ILLINOIS, U.S.

I am leery of religions that prohibit women from acting as spiritual leaders. Such faiths usually seek to control us in other areas, even if we are not members of their faith. Romney may be handsome, but he is devoted to a religion that covertly organized against the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and continues to be opposed to abortion. I am proud to be a member of the Disciples of Christ, a faith that welcomes women into its seminaries and pulpits.
Kathy Fryer Helmbock, CINCINNATI, OHIO, U.S.

In an era of increased tolerance there remains a chasm between the Mormons’ understanding of their faith and outsiders’ skepticism. In contemplation of Romney’s beliefs, Americans would be wise to recognize and appreciate the complexity and diversity of Christianity.
Ronald Scott Adams, VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, U.S.