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Thank you, TIME, for publicizing an important issue to a largely unaware and indifferent public. Now that African art and culture are coming into their own, we Africans ought to realize who we are and solidify our standing in a world that is dominated by Western civilization and thought. It is a pity that this treasure trove is being plundered by its own keepers. While it is sad, how can we really blame poverty-stricken subsistence farmers in an oil-rich economy for plundering the earth if Nigerian leaders leave a legacy of thoughtless actions? EDOZIE N. UMEH Lagos
I used to live a five-minute stroll from London's British Museum. Sadly, there are far more examples of Nigeria's art heritage there than here in the country itself. Your report was a welcome focus on the colonial looting that is still going on today. DAVID TOMLINSON Kaduna, Nigeria
Critics on the Web
While I appreciate the prominent mention of my website, the Flick Filosopher, in your article about reviewers whose critiques appear online [CULTURE, Aug. 27], I am sorry that you questioned my integrity as a film critic without giving me the opportunity to respond. One of the joys of producing a labor-of-love site like mine is that I do not have an editor or a publisher pressuring me to give a film a good review. The editorial freedom I have allows me to blast any and all films that deserve it--something I have to do with alarming frequency. Yes, I write screenplays. Yes, I would love to see one produced someday. But lying to myself and my readers in order to ingratiate myself with the studios is not a price I'm willing to pay. MARYANN JOHANSON New York City
Dressing Way Down
Kudos to Joel Stein for "confusing" badly dressed rich women with prostitutes [NOTEBOOK, Aug. 27]. As a woman, I am embarrassed by the sheer vulgarity of certain "modern" females who wear their sexuality on their sleeve. It makes it difficult to be a serene, self-respecting American lady when so many of my countrywomen insist on dressing like women of the night. I'm not sure why they want to look cheap. DIANA COOPER Kentfield, Calif.
In the '40s there were tacky parties. We would rifle our mothers' closets trying to find some weird, mismatched outfit to wear. But our moms were never trashy enough to produce anything as outlandish as the so-called haute fashion of this enlightened age. Thanks, Joel, for saying what we old broads think. PEGGY PONDER-PERRON San Antonio, Texas
Arguing Assassination
Thank you, Charles Krauthammer, for your commentary "In Defense of 'Assassination,'" supporting Israel's targeted response to Palestinian bombers [VIEWPOINT, Aug. 27]. Israel is responding as the U.S. would to stave off the wave of indiscriminate acts by Palestinian suicide bombers, who are not martyrs but murderers. The only reason Israel is negotiating is that it wants peace. RON GALLOP New York City
Assassination is a terrific idea. And from the Palestinian point of view, getting rid of that warmonger Ariel Sharon could only be a blessing. Oh, and the Pope's anti-birth control stand is just a little much, don't you think? Or maybe we should just sit down and try to work out our differences. That is what Krauthammer should be writing about. JAMES MILLS Hanover, N.H.
Five Decades of Hits