Quotes of the Day

Wildfires of the West
As a resident and native of San Diego County, I have to say that the fires we've experienced this century are a result not of increased population but of Mother Nature at her worst [Nov. 5]. We're very grateful that the loss of life was far less this time than in previous fires. I praise the local authorities for using reverse-911 calls and making sure people were out of harm's way. Nevertheless, there was a lot of property damage, thanks to the Santa Ana winds and very dry conditions. You cannot win against Mother Nature — whether you're confronting hurricanes in the East or fires and earthquakes in the West. You can only do your best to save people and the things that are important to them. Janet LeClainche,
Lakeside, Calif., U.S.

The sheer arrogance of the article about California's fires was astounding. So we should not live in fire-prone areas? Perhaps people in New England shouldn't live in snow-prone areas, people in the Midwest shouldn't live in tornado-prone areas, and people in the Southeast shouldn't live in hurricane-prone areas. Storms in other parts of the U.S. cause far more deaths, injuries and economic losses every year than the relatively infrequent major fires in California do. Perhaps you can suggest a spot on the planet where we can all live free of risk. Joseph Leaser,
Oceanside, Calif., u.s.

Brick and masonry homes with metal framing do not burn. Wood is the culprit — the fuel for fire. Building-permit rules should disallow the use of wood in all new construction. Communities in fire-prone areas should also think about stocking forested and undeveloped lands with goats. These creatures could devour the underbrush that dries and fuels firestorms. Firefighters could better spend their time tending the goats than periodically risking their lives on uncontrolled fires. The goats could become part of the firefighters' arsenal, as important as trucks, hoses and protective gear. Incentives from insurance companies could help defray the added costs of masonry-and-metal construction as Californians rebuild. With fewer fires in the future, insurance companies would stand to profit substantially. Paul A. Winder,
Fort Lauderdale, Fla., U.S.

I can imagine the near impossibility of culling from a mountain of great photos the one image that reveals the essence of a harrowing story that took days to convey in newspapers and on radio and TV. But the cover picture of a lone firefighter kneeling to check a fire-hose connection against the background of a tree erupting in a ball of flame summed up Californians' frustration and helplessness. The Dantesque orange glow bathing the entire scene imparted a netherworld aura to the image and gave me the uncomfortable feeling that there was no escape. I was arrested by a stark sense of the anguish and loss that those fires caused but even more by the primal insecurities that are aroused whenever we confront such unpredictability in nature. That was one of the best covers TIME has ever produced. Kenneth E. Kilpatrick,
Northville, Mich., U.S.

Tale of the Closeted Headmaster?
John cloud stated that because Harry Potter's headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was outed posthumously, "We can only conclude that Dumbledore saw his homosexuality as shameful" [Nov. 5]. I'd like to suggest a much more radical conclusion: Dumbledore saw his homosexuality as irrelevant. So do I. Sexual preference is only one component of the wonderful, complex beings that we are. Leading an exemplary life and being of service to others are much more important to me than introducing myself by saying, "Hi, I'm Jennifer, and I'm a lesbian." Jennifer P. Jonsson,
Dallas

Dumbledore's sexuality is about as important to the story as Rubeus Hagrid's or Filius Flitwick's sexuality. The Harry Potter story is about Harry and his best friends working together to fight evil. It is not a p.c. statement about sexuality. It is not Harry and the Angry Inch. J.K. Rowling's story started as a children's book and evolved into teenage reading material. That is it. Cloud is gay and proud, which is fantastic. But as Grey's Anatomy's T.R. Knight said, "I hope being gay is not the most interesting part about me." I am sure Dumbledore thought the same thing. Kristy van den Herik,
Arlington, Mass., U.S.

Does everything have to be a political statement? Why can't Rowling's explanation that she "always thought of Dumbledore as gay" simply be an author's attempt at explaining her vision of a character and how she imagined a broader fictional life to skillfully shape a written character? I am as bothered by this article as I would be by conservatives complaining that Rowling's statement was part of some gay agenda. Timothy Koirtyohann,
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.

If Rowling had outed Dumbledore in the books, she would have denied millions of children a tremendous reading experience because homophobic parents would not have let their children read the books. But this way, Rowling has infiltrated plenty of homophobe domiciles. There is far greater benefit to the understanding of gays when there is dialogue. Dennis A. Schaefer,
Eugene, Ore., u.s.

Who cares about sexual preference? I never see a character explicitly say, "I'm straight." I imagine that since gay people have been oppressed, they need to be combative about the subject so that in the future things will be better. This attitude shows how far society has to go. But the books have nothing to do with sexual romance. Dumbledore would be the same person to me if he liked women, men, sheep or trees. He is a great man and his sexual preference has no bearing on his greatness. I hope we can get to the point where a person's sexuality is no more of an issue than the color of his socks. Kenan Ozdamar,
Miami

Giving Earth a Voice
I am an environmental educator who works internationally, and I bought the "Heroes of the Environment" special issue with great interest [Oct. 29]. However, I was disappointed to see Virgin tycoon Richard Branson alongside real environmental heroes such as Gaia theorist James Lovelock and Green Belt Movement co-founder Wangari Maathai. Although the writer defended Branson's inclusion, I am not convinced. I acknowledge that he is giving a large sum of money to scientific research for developing clean fuels, and this will certainly help our fight. But his environmental efforts are akin to offsetting long-haul flights by planting trees to ease his conscience. Do his actions really tackle the root issue, or do they just cover over it with a thin veneer to make us feel warm and green inside? Ruth Mumby,
South Croxton, England

I come from the Niger Delta, which is host to giant oil multinationals that are conducting oil-exploration activities. In the process of searching for oil, large quantities of gas have been flared throughout my over 30 years of existence and are still being flared. I was never bothered by the gas flares until I read Al Gore's Earth in the Balance, from which I learned they are a great contributor to global warming. I became enlightened but at the same time frightened by the damage done to my immediate environment and the greater world. As an African, my interest in the environment was further aroused when Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her contributions to the environment. Thank you, TIME, for celebrating these heroes who are working so hard to protect our planet. Timi Songi,
Yenagoa, Nigeria

I was surprised that none of your heroes are focusing on the root cause of Earth's numerous environmental challenges: unchecked population growth. This issue is apparently so fraught with religion and nationalism that to bring it up would stain the reputation of any heroes and cast their virtuous achievements as questionable. As our little planet hurtles toward a projected 9.4 billion humans by 2050, however, I suspect the topic will eventually come into vogue. Stephen Ehrenberg,
Stavanger, Norway

It may sound absurd, but I am truly sad that I have not yet contributed enough to the well-being of Earth to be listed as one of the Heroes of the Environment. When environmental issues first inspired me in elementary school, I worried that I might have to fight the war against global deterioration alone. I have since realized there is no need to worry; there are many people who take environmental issues seriously and act to make a difference. Right now I am only 18, not yet knowledgeable enough to influence the world, but with my passions, I believe I will become a hero of the environment. Hannah Y. Suh,
Yongin, South Korea

The Young and Apathetic
In "China's Me Generation," Simon Elegant wrote as if it were a wonder that for the 20- to 29-year-old élites of China, "a Nintendo Wii comes way ahead of democracy," as a Chinese publisher put it [Aug. 6]. Elegant portrayed the Chinese twentysomethings as self-absorbed aristocrats, but when was the last time young adults in the U.S. gave a damn about anything political, moral or nonmaterialistic? In the '70s? America's spoiled youth are just as bad as, if not worse than, spoiled Chinese kids. Brandon Nautchin,
Toronto

While I am proud of the U.S. and its democratic institutions, it is indeed sobering to compare the accomplishments of the Chinese communist regime with our own tarnished image. The Chinese government, despite its political repression and failure to improve the lives of the rural poor, has fostered a newfound prosperity for millions of its people. Our government, on the other hand, condones the torture of war prisoners, uses massive computer surveillance to spy on its own citizens and continues to vainly pursue a war that kills our youth. China's Me Generation can ignore its government yet still admire the pragmatic benefits. I only wish we could do the same. Clark Murray,
Danville, Calif., U.S.

Starbucks, ipods, playstations, blogs, IM, high-end snow gear: the anesthetizing of China's Me Generation sounds just like what's happening in the U.S. It seems that as long as we have our morning cup of coffee, iTunes and the latest high-tech cell phone, then all is well. These are the values we ourselves embrace and teach our children. Who cares about politics and civil rights as long as you have the best stuff? Nancy Levy,
Long Beach, Calif., U.S.