Inbox: Letters of the Year

Show Me the Money …

JAN. 4 “PERSON OF THE YEAR”

Are you kidding me? Bernanke? The man whose excessively loose monetary policies put us in this predicament in the first place?

Bonnie Huggins, CENTENNIAL, COLO.

JAN. 18 “THE TEEN JOB CHOP”

I graduated from college in 2008. Do you know what I say to those of my parents’ and grandparents’ generations, which irresponsibly got us into this economic mess? You had your chance, and you blew it, so either step aside or make some room.

Jason Boeckman, CINCINNATI

NOV. 1 “RESTORING THE AMERICAN DREAM”

Fareed Zakaria’s recipe for restoring the American Dream is far too rational and requires too much sacrifice. Instead, this country will increasingly rely upon intimidation and military force to preserve its consumptive way of life.

Ray Finch, LAWRENCE, KANS.

… And What It Can Buy

JULY 12 “ON SALE: YOUR GOVERNMENT”

Lobbyists have to digest pending legislation and feed it to our Congresspersons so they’ll know how to vote? Why do we need Congress then? Why not turn the government over to business and industry and cut out the middlemen?

Richard Massey, COLUMBIA, S.C.

NOV. 15 “MR. SPEAKER”

A day after the elections, [John] Boehner said the current health care law would “ruin the best health care system in the world.” What system is he using? My wife and I pay $1,300 per month for our policy, which had a 60% premium increase this year. It has taken me six months to get paid for a simple claim for my daughter; I’ve heard a lot of excuses about “lost paperwork.” Health care and job creation should be the Republicans’ top priorities.

Paul Creteau, LAKEVILLE, PA.

Vociferous Objections

JULY 5 “MY OWN PRIVATE INDIA”

As an attorney for South Asian immigrant workers in New Jersey, I am offended by [Joel] Stein’s failed attempt to poke fun at Indian Americans through racist stereotypes. Three decades ago, New Jersey’s Indian-American community faced a wave of hate violence, including murder, which led to the passage of the state’s hate-crimes law. Hate violence is never a laughing matter.

Aparna Garg, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, NEWARK, N.J.

SEPT. 13 “THE GOOD LIFE AND ITS DANGERS”

Your facts are twisted, distorted, partially reported or taken out of context. Yes, Israel has thrived in the face of adversity, but polls show that the vast majority of Israelis are for a two-state solution. Israel should be praised for that wish and not presented as a nonchalant country whose main interests are money and the good life.

Haim Saban, LOS ANGELES

Of Knowledge, Nature And Networking

MAY 31 “FRIENDS WITHOUT BORDERS”

I have a suggestion for everyone who has privacy concerns regarding Facebook: If you don’t want something to become public knowledge, don’t post it on the Internet.

Lindsay Smith, ATLANTA

JUNE 21 “THE SPREADING STAIN”

The oil-spill article was very thorough. What made me weep, however, was my beloved, oil-drenched state bird on the cover.

Jill Hilbrecht, BATON ROUGE, LA.

SEPT. 20 “A CALL TO ACTION FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS”

We no longer teach students how to think or learn; we teach students to take tests.

Jessica Hendricks, LABELLE, FLA.

DEC. 6 “TIME FRAMES”

Excellent job of characterizing 2000 through 2010. You refer to the century’s first “decade.” You are a year late! Or perhaps Time has redefined a decade as 11 years.

Thomas R. Spacek, HOLLAND, PA.

Please recycle this magazine and remove inserts or samples before recycling