Quotes of the Day

China's Courage
The grassroots heroism in the wake of China's earthquake reached epic proportions [June 2]. For perhaps the first time in the history of the People's Republic, secrecy was replaced by transparency and bureaucracy by efficiency. Your report highlighted the fate of the children crushed to death in the thousands by collapsed school buildings — evidence of heartless violation of construction codes in the pursuit of illicit profits. The pencil-clutching hands and bloodstained backpacks amidst the debris of jerry-built schools are a silent rebuke to local officials, and demonstrate the need for a serious crackdown on corruption. In the face of nature's overwhelming power, the Chinese people empowered themselves through compassion and acts of charity. However, their lives and livelihood will remain shaky until the powers that be truly understand John Donne's remark: "Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind."
Daan Pan,
Diamond Bar, California

Is it too audacious to hope that the recent earthquake disaster, together with the upcoming Olympic Games, might nudge the Chinese towards abandoning their ancient, inefficient writing system — the real Great Wall of China — and adapt the Roman alphabet?
Alex Farkas,
Sunnyvale, California

It was devastating to see thousands of schoolchildren buried alive when the earthquake reduced whole towns to rubble. The images of lifeless young bodies lying in piles in the ruins of their schools sickened me. As an overseas Chinese, my heart goes to the bereaved families, who have lost their precious children.
Chern-Nee Chua,
Singapore

Burma's Plight
Cyclone Nargis' death toll is astonishing. Over 100,000 people ought not die from such a disaster. In Bangladesh we deal with floods and cyclones every year. But the Burmese junta is blind and deaf and selfish. The generals have sealed themselves off. News from halfway around the world comes to us here in Bangladesh faster than whatever trickles in from across the border with Burma. Let's hope that the horrors of this disaster will lead to the opening up of the country and a respite for its millions of suffering people.
Solaiman Palash,
Dhaka

South Africa Erupts
As a South African, I was shocked by the recent spate of violence against immigrants in the townships of Johannesburg [June 2]. The authorities gave various reasons for the outbreak, but the problem boils down to the resentment of the have-nots. Many immigrants who had worked hard to build a life in South Africa were the targets of violent robbery and theft. The criminals were said to have been opportunists, not organized gangs. The inefficiency and hamfistedness of the government's response raises the question: how long will it be before this happens again? And what, if anything, will the government do to protect the immigrant workers who are a mainstay of the South African economy?
Ryan Moore,
Johannesburg

The recent incidents of xenophobia in South Africa not only reveal the brutality of some criminals, they also show the government's difficulties in fighting poverty. Although South Africa's economy has been growing steadily, people in the townships have not really benefited from the economic boom.
Adrian Lobe,
Stuttgart, Germany

Bridging the Gulf
I was disappointed with your special report on the Middle East, "A Gulf Apart" [May 26]. What grated most was the incapacity of your contributors to conduct a vivisection of what ails the troubled region and suggest solutions that would be restorative and reconciliatory as well as rehabilitative. To have Arabs and Jews in a permanent state of unrest benefits only the war merchants.
Saber Ahmed Jazbhay,
Durban

There is much more to Lebanon than the "cursed land" that you depict. There are signs of hope residing in two universities that provide an American-style education: the Lebanese American University and the American University of Beirut. The LAU can trace its roots back to 1835, when a group of Presbyterians decided to establish a school for women in the Ottoman Empire. Despite the difficulties of providing a first-class education at times of unrest, the LAU continues to offer classes — and students continue to graduate. I firmly believe that education is the way to promote positive change in the Middle East. It will help bridge knowledge and technology gaps with the West, help develop the region's intellectual and human capital, and, most important, help people succeed and live together more peaceably.
Joseph J. Jabbra, President, Lebanese American University,
Beirut

Stayin' Alive
What does Hillary Clinton want [June 2]? She wants to win — in spite of you all!
Neida Rodriguez,
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Your article should have been called "Enough Is Enough." Would somebody please show Clinton the door?
Helen C. Grimes,
Medford, Massachusetts

Michelle, La Belle
The "truths" Michelle Obama speaks are evolutionary and applicable to deep-rooted Americans [June 2]. My American family goes back to Captain John Steele in the Revolutionary War. Our immigrant ancestors came from Ireland, Germany, England, Scotland, Eastern Europe, Russia, Mexico and the Philippines. I happen to be a 76-year-old white male, and "for the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country." When Michelle speaks, we hear her wakening the American Dream.
John S. Hellman,
new york city

Michelle Obama infuriates and is targeted by conservatives because she is truthful and candid and does not mince words. I say, More power to her.
Richard McCurdy,
Burbank, California

I am a lifelong republican who recently turned independent. Early in the primaries, I stood in the rain for two hours, waiting to hear Michelle Obama speak. She is Barack's match in every way — brilliant, articulate, patriotic, humorous, dedicated to helping make our country's future better. She received standing ovations again and again as she expressed her clear vision that our nation is in trouble and dramatic changes in policy are our best hope.
Iona Kargel,
Tucson, Arizona

And Health Care for All
How sad that senator Ted Kennedy has been diagnosed with a brain tumor [June 2]. Fortunately, as a member of Congress, he will receive the best medical care, without regard to cost. For millions of working Americans, this diagnosis would mean liquidation of life savings, bake sales and coin jars at the local convenience store. Why can't Congress create a comprehensive health-care plan that treats us taxpayers as generously as they treat themselves?
David Stockman,
Billings, Montana

Ice Seen It
The "A Kangaroo from Space" item in Briefing asserted that the polar ice caps are "currently shrinking because of global warming" [June 2]. But the ice at the Antarctic has been expanding for 30 years. The New Zealand Antarctic Centre currently shows a display that quantifies the recent growth in the South Pole ice cap. If publications with your status and resources can't get the facts right, what hope has the general public of coming to grips with the complexities of climate change?
John Watt,
Brisbane, Queensland

Gay Marriage
The California supreme court ruling is long overdue [June 2]. Our family traveled joyfully to Canada last year to witness my son's marriage to his partner. Returning home, where that marriage is not recognized felt like Cinderella postball. Denying same-sex couples the right to marry is deeply hurtful both to them and to the family members who love them.
Barbara Krentzman,
Buffalo Grove, Illinois