Quotes of the Day

Love Under a Microscope
It has been my impression for many years that we are creatures of evolution: as far as Mother Nature is concerned, whatever works wins [Jan. 28]. Obviously, heterosexuality has won out. The sexual attractiveness of women to men and vice versa is genetic, as modified by the environment. Although many marriages are initially based on sex, the success of a good marriage relies on the ability of two people to get along. That demands a democracy in which each accepts the other as an equal and helps the other in a loving, kind way. They do not take advantage of their mate's psychological weaknesses.
David Hertz, M.D.
Tarzana, California

All but one of the articles treated humans as no more than breeding animals. Humans differ from the other animals because we have been given reason and free will. In your effort to bring your readers knowledge of the human condition, you labored under a curse. As William Faulkner might have put it, you wrote not of the heart but of the glands.
Roger Bonilla
Sunnyvale, California

My wife of five years and I lived together for a decade before we decided to get married. We assumed that our relationship was well established and that marriage wouldn't make much of a difference in our life together. How wrong we were! Marriage made our relationship grow in ways we hadn't envisioned, and it brought fulfillment and security I didn't know had been missing. For us, there was a profound difference between living together as partners with an uncertain future and being husband and wife. I wonder if Cloud and his partner might still be together, as happy as my wife and I are, if they had been allowed the same freedom to marry.
John Martin,
San Diego

I appreciated the scope of your reporting. But as a geriatric-care manager, I couldn't help noticing the lack of information about the elderly. I have witnessed wildly happy romances between men and women in their 80s and 90s, even those with physical difficulties or dementia. My hope is that we can drop any archaic stigmas about this phase of life and ­realize that it is never too late for love and companionship.
Ellen D. Waldman,
Ashland, Oregon

An Under-30 Uprising
I enjoyed reading your article "Why Young Voters Care Again" [Feb. 11]. It is great to see people under 30 enthused about voting in this year's presidential election. I hope they will stay inspired beyond this November. It is important to remember that politics does not end at the voting booth and that the President needs the cooperation of Congress in order to fulfill most campaign promises. Citizens don't have to wait until the next election to make their voices heard, especially if they are unhappy with what is going on.
Robert Hanlon
Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Senator Barack Obama speaks of hope, and here is a generation of teenagers and twentysomethings finally listening and getting involved, realizing they can help shape the future. The hope Obama speaks of lies not only in the election of a new President but also in the mere fact that the youth of America care. They are our future leaders, and their political participation is just as important to the nation as the election itself is.
Harmony A. Trevino, Program Coordinator, Hands of Hope,
Cypress, California

Italy's Political Garbage
Jeff Israely's article "A Dearth of Courage" depicted quite well the meanness and shortsightedness of Italian politicians [Feb. 4]. But it did not make evident the dramatic consequences arising from such a lack of courage and decisions. The last center-left government not only did nothing to slow the rising prices of basic commodities but also worsened the situation by increasing taxes. Everybody is struggling with meager salaries or pensions, while members of the ruling class enjoy enormous incomes and a lot of benefits. Everywhere one can feel the contempt that ordinary people nourish toward politicians in this mock democracy. The sight of the uncollected trash around Naples is a painful metaphor of the Italian mess.
Alessandro Berrini
San Donato Milanese, Italy

Since Italy's first steps toward democracy, each government has relied on countless small parties to stay in power. More recently, the situation has been worsened by outdated political thinking that does not match the needs of today's younger electorate, which demands labor reform and efficient economic policies. As a result, most Italians no longer trust members of the old political guard, whose main interest has been to pass laws to increase their already conspicuous benefits. When elections approach, they try to shift blame for mishandling the political agenda away from themselves, amid endless cases of corruption, immoral behavior and wasting of public resources. Rome, it's time to change.
Giulio Cicconi,
Teramo, Italy

Starting Over in Phoenix
I was sorry to read about the death of Faeza Jaber's husband and her difficulty in transitioning to a new country and culture [Feb.4]. It is certainly not easy, as I have heard many times from members of the almost 500 families I have met and helped thus far. I know the employees of the four resettlement agencies in Phoenix very well, and I can tell you many, many heartwarming stories of case managers, staff and ordinary people in Phoenix who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help the new arrivals. I have never seen the International Rescue Committee abandon a refugee it is charged with helping. Over and over, the refugees tell me how glad they are to be in America. I suggest that Time write another article detailing the story of families whose lives have been helped since they arrived as refugees in Phoenix. Call me, and I will introduce you to them.
Carolyn Manning, Executive Director, Welcome to America Project
Scottsdale, Arizona

Tech for Tots
Lev Grossman needn't fear unnecessarily that at 3 his daughter is too young for computer gaming [Feb. 11]. Not all young gamers go on to become computer nerds or serial killers. Computers can also be a very positive experience for a young child. We got our first computer in 1988, when our youngest son was 4, and it was love at first sight. He's now 24 and works as a software developer. We always encouraged all his diverse interests; he played varsity soccer and sang in the school choir in high school and spent a student year in Japan when he was in college. With the right parental support, you never know how far a child's early fascination can take him.
Barbara Kelsey,
Crystal Lake, Illinois

A Star Fading to Black?
I loved Josh Tyrangiel's article on Amy Winehouse, "Trouble Woman" [Feb. 4]. I think he summarized the dichotomy of her character eloquently, without condoning or condemning her behavior. Despite our distance from her, we can't help pitying and chastising her in turn. At the same time, her talent and the truth from which it springs should not be denied. We can only hope that she learns to rectify the struggle that feeds her art without somehow letting the art excuse or enable her personal maelstrom. Regardless of whatever challenges she faces, she's a modern great, period.
K. Wilson,
Hampton, Virginia