Letters: Feb. 7, 2000

WHERE DOES HE BELONG?

People in both Cuba and the U.S. have used the plight of Elian Gonzalez, an innocent little boy, to further their political views [WHOSE CHILD IS THIS?, Jan. 17]. Who knew how many “waves” a small child in an inner tube could make? Can he even understand what has happened? Elian has learned the hard lesson that there are more sharks on land than there could ever be in the waters between the U.S. and Cuba. ALYSON O’MAHONEY Bedford Corners, N.Y.

There are those in the Cuban-American community who view Elian as just the latest propaganda tool. Their judgment is clouded by their deep hatred of Fidel Castro. I am not a fan of Castro’s, but Elian is simply a boy separated from his father, nothing more. MANUEL CORONA Sugar Land, Texas

It is tiresome to continue seeing the media refer to Cuban Americans who feel passionately about liberty and freedom as anti-Castro zealots. Are Cuban Americans using Elian as a political pawn? Most are not, and they would have welcomed Elian’s father if he had come to the U.S. to get his son. But Cuban Americans know the deception that exists in communist countries: the government-sponsored demonstrations of people who have no choice but to participate. They know the pressures that can be brought by a system of intimidation and fear. They know because they have lived it. GREGORIO GONZALEZ Midland, Va.

I despair at this six-year-old’s being used as a political football by two foes. Whatever changes are needed in Cuba, they in no way justify the politicization of this innocent boy. Cuba is just starting to open up to the world and doesn’t deserve this shameful treatment by the U.S. It reminds me of the kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, a six-year-old Jewish boy, by agents of Pope Pius IX in 1858. Perhaps we can in some way redeem ourselves from that shame and from more recent outrages against children by helping Elian and his father. DAVID READ Melbourne, Australia

Sometimes in fighting for what we believe in, we run the risk of becoming exactly what we fight. Aren’t some Americans–while supposedly trying to protect Elian’s rights from being trampled in Cuba–violating his father’s parental rights? If an American child were kept in Cuba, heaven knows what parts of Cuba would have been bombed until the boy was returned. AMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE Philadelphia

I am an American living in Latin America. I have never had my faith in the U.S. so rocked as it was by reading your article about Elian. Maybe it is because I too am a father who has been kept away from his son. I am devastated that people in my country would separate a son from his father because of differences in political beliefs. When a child has one loving parent left and there is a fight to keep the child away from that parent, the dispute is not over what is best for the child. Some things surpass all political and ideological differences. ROBERT DICIANNI Montevideo, Uruguay

I find it very interesting that the politicians who insist that they protect “family values” now insist that Elian’s father does not have a right to his own son. JIM SCHRENKER Miami

A child receives two cell phones for his sixth birthday? Are the obvious excesses showered on Elian in his “best interests” any better than the “hardships” he might experience in Cuba? A society that denies a child nothing is as depraved as the country of Elian’s birth. Even Solomon would have trouble here. LYN A. MORRIS Houston

Every time I see that poor boy’s face on TV, looking so innocent or scared and confused, I am disgusted with the way both countries have handled this case. TANIA FLORES Bear, Del.

Some Americans claim that Elian’s future will be bleak in Cuba. And this while the U.S. is experiencing school shootings and violent crime. The stance that the U.S., at any cost to the child, is better than love and stability is an utter disgrace. Elian has a better chance of thriving in, and perhaps even bringing change to, a post-Castro Cuba than he would if he were denied his home by better-than-thou zealots. JEAN BAUDOUIN Montreal

MILLIONAIRE MANIA

So the whole culture is being “dumbed down” by the new game-show formats [TELEVISION, Jan. 17]? While some of the quiz-show questions may be painfully easy, I would much rather pass an evening watching the average Joe have a chance at changing his whole future than sit through another mind-numbing sitcom. After the popularity of shows like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, the networks may want to rethink their policy of paying an actor millions of dollars an episode for a popular series. The drama of the game show is more interesting, and the contestants are much more deserving of the cash. DIANA JONES Ewa Beach, Hawaii

Am I the only one who finds Millionaire absolutely annoying? The theme music is like fingernails on a blackboard, the lighting drives me nuts, and every utterance of “Is that your final answer?” makes me cringe. On top of this, TV stations have taken to pre-empting regular programs for the show, and worst of all, clones have arrived. Thank goodness I have mastered the art of channel surfing or just simply turning off the TV. May this fad quickly wear out its welcome! AMY HO Markham, Ont.

I thought this was the information age, but we sit in front of our TVs answering questions and even feeling smart as we do so. Final answer? Game shows come and go, but greed is always there. FARRAH MATEEN Saskatoon, Sask.

WAS IT ALL A Y2KROCK?

Now that the much feared Y2K crisis has turned out to be a Y2Krock [2000 AROUND THE WORLD, Jan. 1], it’s important to realize that we were had by an entire industry. True, there were some glitches that needed fixing. But during the hype of the past four years, we heard it all–our computers would bite the silicon dust, and our VCRs would be transformed into oversize yet effective doorstops. That never happened. My friends, colleagues and family replaced some of their “critical” equipment, all for nothing. Bottom line: the computer and electronics companies made gigantic profits by exploiting fear. Oh, well. For those of us who bought year 2000-ready toys, enjoy. But if my wallet could speak, it would say, “This is what you get for being Y2Komplacent.” ALEX CHARTRAND London, Ont.

WATCH A SHOOTING STAR

Millennial hype aside, there was, after all, something quite special about New Year’s Eve [2000 AROUND THE WORLD, Jan. 1]. Watching celebrations worldwide via television, I got a true feeling of togetherness. If only we could sustain this feeling. I started watching Sydney’s celebrations at 3 p.m. my time. And the next morning at 6 a.m. I watched New York City boil over with joy. In between, I went on a quick jaunt to the Baltic Sea with some friends. And standing near the sea under a star-studded sky, we watched a falling star. I wonder if others out there saw it too. SVEN OLE SCHUBERT Berlin

IF JESUS WERE RUNNING

More Jimmy Breslin in your campaign coverage, please [ESSAY, Jan. 17]. Only Breslin could do a scalp job on the front runners using Jesus as his foil and pull it off without sounding smarmy or self-serving. He neatly points up the hypocrisy and futility of candidates’ using religion as a chief selling point. As Breslin’s commentary illustrates, religious advocacy is a double-edged sword in modern American politics. It may be that candidates for high public office are the new “gang that couldn’t shoot straight.” Thanks for his fresh view. M. BURTON HOPKINS JR. New Castle, Del.

Breslin’s piece was the most pathetic writing in TIME I have read in my nearly 50 years as a subscriber. CLARENCE A. FRY Bel Air, Md.

SUPPORT FOR THE HOMELESS

Your article on how cities are dealing with the homeless [NATION, Dec. 20] inaccurately portrayed the family-reunification program in Sacramento, Calif. You said the “police will pay for one-way bus tickets out of state for homeless with family or jobs to go to.” In fact, of the 220 homeless people contacted this past summer as part of a local outreach effort, 35 told us they wanted to go home but were stranded here. We made telephone calls to family members that resulted in nine homeless people being accepted back. Like many other communities, Sacramento provides various supportive services to assist the homeless, many of whom need medical or mental-health care. Our goal is not to shift the burden elsewhere but to provide assistance to the homeless. CHERYL S. DAVIS, DIRECTOR Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance Sacramento, Calif.

SLOUCHING TOWARD THE MOUND

If you are white and male like Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker [PEOPLE, Jan. 17], you are forbidden to voice an observation that will be construed as politically incorrect. Instead of charging out at full sprint, Rocker will shuffle listlessly to the mound next season after he attends behavior-modification camp. ROBERT WILSON Omaha, Neb.