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When it comes to hatred of Clinton, the media seem to home in on the Republican Party's conservative wing. But there are plenty of moderate Democrats who cannot abide her. I will never vote for Clinton. I find her disingenuous, cold, brittle and hypocritical. Her husband is likable enough; she is not. He was a good President; she would not be. I'm supporting Edwards, though if push comes to shove in the general election, I'd vote for ABC — anybody but Clinton.
Sara Finegan, SAN DIEGO
I think most voters don't hate Clinton; they just question if she is the right person to lead the country. I hope people will not base their votes on hatred, gender or any other narrow reason. Otherwise, our great country may wind up on the losing end.
Chuck Arkens, HATFIELD, PA., U.S.
The conservatives' great hatred of Clinton reveals their sociopathic character. Back in the 1930s and '40s, Franklin Roosevelt was a target of similar hatred by the so-called aristocratic class. But he survived it, as we all know.
Sam Loguidice, NEW YORK CITY
Lowry wrote, "Conservatives bristle at the sense of being told what to do, and they detect a tone of moral superiority in her advocacy of children's programs and health care." That's ironic since conservatives present themselves as the ones who hold the moral high ground, preaching family values and taking every opportunity to tell the masses how to live their lives. Perhaps Lowry should have said that when conservatives see Clinton, they see themselves — and don't like it very much.
Rob Hernandez, LIBERTYVILLE, ILL., U.S.
Pakistan's Emergency
President Pervez Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency may have made Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, turn over in his grave [Nov. 19]. Many people are demonstrating against the tyrant Musharraf. It is time that all Pakistanis stand for a democratic Pakistan and work hand in hand to fight the evils that are keeping them apart.
Cajetan Peter D'Souza, MUMBAI
All dictators must come face to face with their fate: they last a few years, and then their power unravels. Musharraf is no exception. He would be foolish not to see that it's the beginning of the end. It would be better for him to go into exile now. Shame on dictators around the world, and shame on those who prop up these mean-spirited men with a supply of wealth and weapons.
Charles Puthota, SAN FRANCISCO
The U.S.'s grudging acceptance of Pakistan's military rule is an embrace of the doctrine that expediency trumps conviction. Telling foreign governments what to do and what not to do is dangerous meddling in other states' affairs, fraught with many dangers and not enough rewards. Haven't we got enough on our plate with Iraq?
John M. Massey, KATY, TEXAS
Musharraf shut down news channels on the pretext that they incite Pakistanis against the government. The corrupt Benazir Bhutto could become Prime Minister, having been pardoned through a controversial ordinance for stealing $1.5 billion from the Pakistani public. The judges who were going to strike down the ordinance were removed and put under house arrest after being manhandled by the local police. Militancy, suicide attacks and other forms of terrorism have increased greatly under Musharraf's rule. I am reminded of when the U.S. supported Saddam Hussein while he was brutally killing his own people. Will Pakistan end up like Iraq?
Amer Azam, LAHORE, PAKISTAN
Real-Life Enemies
Re "The Don Quixote of Darfur" [Nov. 12]: Luis Moreno-Ocampo helped prosecute the worst criminals in the history of my native Argentina, an unimaginable task that would have cost him his life only a few months before that. But your article's title seemed to imply that Moreno-Ocampo, now prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, is engaged in acts of futility. Don Quixote fought imaginary enemies represented by windmills, while Moreno-Ocampo is fighting the world's worst real enemies: those who commit crimes against humanity. We should cherish the unparalleled moral clarity of Moreno-Ocampo, who provides stark contrast to other officials, like the recently appointed U.S. Attorney General, who refused to say whether waterboarding is torture.
Ricardo J. Galarza, GUILDERLAND, N.Y., U.S.
Heaven and Earth
Your special issue on the Heroes of the Environment was of great interest [Oct. 29]. It is a consolation that so many people all over the world are trying hard to awaken not only the general public but also the great leaders to the dangers ahead of us. It was disappointing that you didn't include a profile of Patriarch Bartholomew, head of the Greek Orthodox Church, as one of the heroes. He is known as the Green Patriarch because of his keen interest in protecting the environment. He has gathered representatives of the world's major religions for conferences that call attention to the consequences of environmental destruction. The meetings have been in the form of symposiums held aboard ships that have toured the coast of Greenland, the Black Sea and the Amazon and Danube Rivers. He would have had a deserving place in your special issue, showing that religious leaders, alongside politicians, scientists and other prominent people, can play an influential role in protecting the environment.
Thrassyvoulos Mitsidis, ATHENS