Quotes of the Day

Reading Nancy Gibbs' article about First Lady Laura Bush's snubbing of Ahmadinejad made me queasy [Oct. 8]. It is that holier-than-thou attitude that gives America's enemies more ammunition. I don't wish to condone Ahmadinejad's policies, only to say that we will get nowhere by childishly ignoring him. Eventually, no matter how much it deflates our self-esteem, we will have to begin an open dialogue with our enemies. There are too many to simply dismiss them as tyrants and ostracize them from the global community. Currently, our only policies for dealing with hostile nations consist of sanctions and military action, and America's troops are already overextended.
Mitchell Kinnen, CINCINNATI, OHIO, U.S.

Gibbs' assertion that Laura Bush snubbed President Ahmadinejad was an attempt to smear her. From the first picture you published, it seems to me that she was acknowledging the President of Iran, and it was he who ignored her. Did Ms. Gibbs expect Mrs. Bush to give Ahmadinejad a hug? If the President of Iran were a gentleman, he would have stood in the presence of the lady.
Maria Fernandez, BOCA RATON, FLA., U.S.

Change for a Fiver
I was interested in your account of the redesign of the $5 bill [Oct. 8]. But with all the good ideas that went into the makeover, nothing was done to aid the blind. Many countries print different-size notes or have a bit of Braille on each so that the blind can truly know what they are using. As more and more disabled move into the mainstream, it is up to us to make ordinary activities like bill recognition a reality for them.
Eleanor Carter, GLENDORA, CALIF., U.S.

As a sadly increasingly myopic (only in the ophthalmological sense) European, I had often asked myself how long it would be before the land of the free realized that having all its banknotes the same color and size was perhaps not the savviest concept. I know that change is not necessarily in the best interests of the inherently protective U.S. green-ink industry, but we all face sacrifices these days, especially when it comes to green issues. So, as you can imagine, a spring came into my step on this autumnal day when I read the news that your $5 bill will be taking on a different hue.
John Fowler, LONDON

Wooed by a Worm
Lev Grossman wrote that the Storm Worm "may be the most sophisticated" computer virus, called it "a marvel of social engineering" and further admired it for its longevity and mutability [Oct. 8]. He needs to rub the dazzle from his eyes. What if the authors of the virus are functionaries for China, Russia or a Middle Eastern country testing the efficacy of new software? Rather than praising the prowess of the worm's creators, Grossman should be admonishing the security industry to shut down the Storm Worm before it shuts down the Internet.
Peter Sims, NEW YORK CITY

Race for Resources
That big piece of melting sea ice on the cover was identified as being on the shore of Nunavut, Canada [Oct. 1]. So what prompted you to take such artistic license and use the combination of flags you inserted into the image? Why isn't Canada's flag more clearly represented on your cover? You seem to have shown disrespect for the best neighbor the U.S. has.
George Walsh, VICTORIA, CANADA

It's madness! we've been destroying our planet's environment by overusing fossil fuels, and the resulting melting ice has made even more fossil fuels accessible. Universal greed for profits regardless of further consequences will be our doom. At this juncture, I'm ashamed to be part of the human race.
Leah Epstein, GOLAN HEIGHTS, ISRAEL

The Arctic will be owned by the new species that will evolve after the speedy extinction of the greedy human race. The dinosaurs did not have a choice, as a celestial accident put them to rest. But the human species is accelerating its own demise, and for what? Sheer greed. Instead of worrying about the perils of global warming, nations and corporations are eyeing the benefits that arise out of it. The new and more intelligent species that should evolve after our extinction will have the impossible task of figuring out why humans were lost to corporate bottom lines.
Jagmohan Rathi, GHAZIABAD, INDIA

What Would Jesus Censor?
Isn't this the same mentality that Westerners fault — indeed, ridicule — in Muslims who are offended by references to Muhammad? [Sept.24] The old saying "What's good for the goose is good for the gander" comes to mind.
Jeanette F. Huber, KINSALE, IRELAND

Reading Earth's Danger Signs
"How fearsome must the headlines be about tomorrow before people change their ways today?" Gibbs asked [Sept.24]. Psychologically speaking, people need to worry more about the present to change. Our brains are hardwired to respond to immediate dangers, not ones that are years or decades away. And a term like global warming is too benign, especially for those like me who live in a cold climate and might welcome an increase of a few degrees. Perhaps we should use the term global boiling, like the proverbial experiment in which a frog stays in a gradually warming pot of water and eventually dies. Maybe we all need to visualize the destruction to make us feel a sense of immediate danger.
H. Steven Moffic, M.D., professor of psychiatry, Medical College of Wisconsin, MILWAUKEE

Get your heads out of the sand! we won't have to worry about global warming 50 years from now or, for that matter, five years from now if we keep ignoring the fact that nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists will make everything extinct.
Ramona Rettzo, TRENTON, N.J., U.S.

Sometime in the 22nd century (if we get there as a species), schoolchildren in a new dark age will read about all the sirens going off at the same time — "ice melting, species vanishing and cities choking the people who live in them" — and no one in power ever giving these life-or-death matters the full, single-minded attention they so desperately deserved.
Carlos A. Leo, HOLLYWOOD, FLA., U.S.

Rugby as Social Scrum
Re Vivienne Walt's story on the Springboks' chances in the 2007 Rugby World Cup [Sept. 24]: human nature is resistant to change. You cannot force change, it just has to happen. The current generation of Springboks are guys who were in high school during the political upheaval in South Africa. Their black peers don't want to play rugby simply because they have no interest in it, just as white South Africans aren't much interested in playing football. You never hear any outcry about football needing transformation, yet it's South Africa's biggest and most corrupt sport. Why turn sports into a political issue? If there is a black player who is good enough, such as Bryan Habana, he will play for the Springboks.
Alvin Horne, PRETORIA

It is difficult to understand why your reporter Daniel Williams should single out the Springboks for being "brutal" [Sept. 17]. After all, both the South Africans and the New Zealanders were originally taught this game by Scottish Presbyterians. The dour Scots obviously never fathomed the English humor in the ridiculous 16-man scrum. It was all meant as a joke, to keep robust adolescent schoolboys occupied during winter — when they could not play cricket.
Deon Thom, GEORGE, SOUTH AFRICA

Let's Be Reasonable
Kudos to Michael Kinsley for highlighting the relevance of leaders' religious beliefs [Sept. 17]. Literal dogmatic beliefs of any kind can lead to behavior ranging from the benignly bizarre to the frighteningly dangerous. When people seek truth based on faith rather than evidence, their decisions are connected to reality only coincidentally and are often divorced from it. The risks that we all face when powerful people act on untested beliefs should be obvious. I can only hope that one day the majority will embrace candidates for whom reason, rather than God, is their adviser.
Brendan Cameron, VANCOUVER, CANADA

The Progress Report
A recent British Petroleum report concluded that the world's oil reserves will last only 40 more years [Sept. 17]. Anyone who advocates leaving Iraq is a lunatic.
John Bengel, ORLANDO, FLA., U.S.

President George W. Bush rightfully invoked the fiasco that ensued after the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam. If we leave Iraq within the next year, there will be a civil war. If we leave Iraq in four years, there will be a civil war. The difference will be in the number of U.S. troops who will die delaying the inevitable. Nothing will change the animosity that exists among the ethnic groups in Iraq. Staying in Iraq will not achieve an outcome that is worth American lives. We need to face reality and extricate ourselves from Iraq. Most important, we need to turn our attention to al-Qaeda and fight terrorism, our true enemy.
Joseph A. Rihn Jr., LITITZ, PA., U.S.

It now seems established that the Iraq adventure — including the surge — has been a disaster for the U.S. Nothing tangible has been gained by either the Americans or the Iraqi people except getting rid of the tyrant Saddam Hussein. The endeavor of forcing democracy on the faction-torn Iraqi society does not seem likely to succeed. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that the U.S. invasion of Iraq was a tactical mistake and that the loss of American lives and resources has been in vain. It would be wise for the U.S. to cut its losses instead of sit on false pride and sink deeper into the quagmire.
Ajit P. Singh, LUDHIANA, INDIA

An Anniversary of Hope
On every anniversary of Sept. 11, I think of how much trust was lost among so many Americans and Muslims [Sept. 17]. Yet not long after that tragic day, one seemingly delicate American woman with an iron will and amazing intellect trusted my family and me with her most precious treasures for a week: she left her two teenage daughters with us in Montreal when she went to a conference in the U.S. In that moment of difficulty, she trusted a bearded Muslim colleague at her university and his veiled wife. God knows I would have given my life to safeguard that trust. While they were with me, her daughters were as precious to me as if they were my own. My friend reaffirmed a lesson I had learned back home: although it is our right, indeed our duty, to be reasonably prudent and careful, the hate shown to us by a few people should never completely stifle the possibility of building bridges with others who sincerely offer us their love and friendship.
Asif Iftikhar, LAHORE, PAKISTAN

Reading the names of every victim of the 9/11 tragedy at the anniversary memorial is ridiculous. This country has a nauseating habit of sensationalizing every event with a fervor that borders on fanaticism. We all grieve for the victims of tragedies, but there comes a time when we must be left to our own manner of grieving. Splashing memorial ceremonies throughout the media only dredges up sorrow, which we hardly need at this time in our country's sorry state. If we could bring such passion to the truly important issues, we could forge a better future. Let's move on.
Patricia Green, COLUMBIA, MO., U.S.

If we do nothing on 9/11, if it just becomes another day on the calendar, what will that say to the people who lost loved ones on that day? And what message will we be sending to the men and women who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to the soldiers who have come back scarred and maimed? If we stop commemorating 9/11, it will become just another event in the history books that will eventually fade from the collective memory. We must not forget.
Esther Ann Horwitz, COLORADO SPRINGS

Enough Is Enough
What a great question: is Obama black enough? [Aug. 27] I also want to know, are the rest of the candidates white enough? Is Hillary woman enough?
Charlie Kearns, ZANESVILLE, OHIO, U.S.

A City in Ruin
Michael Grunwald is right: New Orleans isn't safe [Aug. 20]. But how could anyone expect a guarantee that a city built below sea level will not flood? Why are so many residents expecting better protection than they received against Katrina? The poor and elderly who endured the horror at the Superdome are back. How will they make it through the next storm?
Mary Frances Herrin, GALLIANO, LA., U.S.

A Commitment to Care
My son received a diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma when he was only 8 years old [Aug. 20]. He is now 15 and thriving. We go for follow-up examinations every year, and he is involved in clinical trials at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. I hope your article will help other parents realize that follow-up visits are necessary to make sure our children grow up to be healthy adults.
Marcy Bucy, SUNLAND, CALIF., U.S.

More True Romance
Why no mention of once, the best love story of the past few years [Aug. 20]? Steven Spielberg said it gave him enough inspiration to last the rest of the year. How about an article on this little film that is hanging on in a few theaters by the skin of its teeth? How good and how successful does it have to be before your writers will notice it?
Christopher Dalrymple, NEW YORK CITY

Harmony Through Hamas?
Andrew Lee Butters fails to mention that Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad and Hizballah are all united with al-Qaeda, Iran and the Taliban in their desire to obliterate the state of Israel [Aug. 13]. If Israel did not guard its borders, it would be overrun by suicide bombers and its citizens would be murdered daily. Israel, until recently, provided Gaza with most of its water, gas and power needs. Fatah's former leader Yasser Arafat embezzled $3 billion from his poor Palestinian "brethren." Furthermore, in light of Saddam Hussein's paying $10,000 to each suicide bomber's family and of the alliance between Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin and the World Trade Center bombers, it seems rather ludicrous to defend any of the parties in power in Gaza.
Robert Harris, CHICAGO

This story is living proof that Hamas propaganda is successful and that right and wrong have been replaced by expediency. Butters lauds Hamas for bringing "the rule of law" to Gaza, but nowhere does he question why Hamas can bring law and order to Gaza yet can't stop the Qassam rockets that are launched into Israel daily. Hamas brought order to Gaza through sheer brutality: throwing Fatah members off roofs, murdering opposition leaders, firing shots into crowds of peaceful demonstrators, raiding and burning a Greek Orthodox monastery and attacking a school for nuns. Prior to abandoning peace talks to continue attacking Israel, Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank enjoyed the highest standard of living of any non-oil-producing Arab nation, compliments of Israel. The Gazan borders are also Israel's borders; Israel has the right to prevent enemies dedicated to its destruction from entering. Butters should stop drinking the Kool-Aid.
Jackie Reckseit, BOYNTON BEACH, FLA., U.S.

Butters' story proves that if left to their own devices, most governments would do fine without U.S. interference in their internal affairs. We should restrain ourselves when it comes to Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Give them an opportunity to succeed unhindered. Unless, of course, we are afraid they might succeed, which would indicate that there are systems out there at least as capable as our own.
David G. McGrady, MUSKEGON, MICH, U.S.

An Army of Ambassadors
It's unsettling to hear that the Karbala case has stalled because pursuing those behind the attack may undo progress [Aug. 6]. As a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a fellow member of the Long Gray Line, I found it disheartening to read about the loss of these five fine soldiers. If we agree that the situation in Iraqi villages is too dangerous for diplomats and that Army officers serving as diplomats are not properly trained, we need to come up with a better solution. With today's modern communications equipment, an Army officer in the field should be able to serve as the "face person" for a diplomat in a secure camp in Iraq, in Kuwait or even in Washington. I served with Captain Brian Freeman and remember him as an energetic and highly respected officer. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to the families of the others slain in this attack.
Mark Williams, MONROE, OHIO, U.S.

The Long Goodbye
Why is it that with our tons of multimillion-dollar weapons and equipment, from tanks to helicopters to drones, we can't seem to defeat the insurgents who have none of this technology? Your sidebar "Moving Mountains" [July 30] showed that the old weapons and warfare are no longer viable. When a $10 pipe bomb can blow up a Humvee or Bradley vehicle, it just shows the whole world that our concept of warfare has been a colossal mistake. Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's plan has turned out to be a waste of lives and treasure.
John Holland, ANAHEIM, CALIF., U.S.

This debacle is the result of the super-arrogant Bush Administration, acting until recently with virtually no oversight by a compliant Congress. The sooner this Administration and its passive enablers in Congress are out of office, the sooner we will find the means to extricate ourselves from this fiasco. May Bush go back to Texas and never be heard from again except as a very bad history lesson.
John Griffin, WALNUT CREEK, CALIF., U.S.

We should model our troop withdrawal on the British pullout from Dunkirk in 1940. Commandeer everything that flies and floats. Do it under cover of smoke and tear gas or fighter escort if necessary. Burn the equipment, but get the soldiers out now. Dunkirk was a defeat for the Brits, but the spirit that emerged from the rescue operation galvanized them for ultimate victory. We might claim some of that spirit by rescuing our soldiers right away.
Doug Dix, BLOOMFIELD, CONN., U.S.

Resurrecting a Dead Language
Instead of the musically insipid hootenanny that the Mass disintegrated into after Vatican II [Aug. 6], returning to the pre-Vatican II style of worship in the local language would restore the beauty of worship while keeping it intelligible to the faithful. If you don't like the church's politics and rules, find another church.
Pauline Costianes, CANTON, MICH., U.S.

• Change for a Fiver; Wooed by a Worm; Race for Resources; What Would Jesus Censor?