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Individual freedom is one of this country's greatest assets, but freedom without an accompanying sense of responsibility by all of us is a sham, especially when our national security is at stake-and it is.
Frank Davis Redondo Beach, Calif.
Congress should have thought more carefully about the all-volunteer force before it decided to eliminate so many benefits to cut the budget. The all-volunteer force has only started to fail since the benefits have been "dropping like flies." There is not much left to entice young people to enlist.
(Sgt.) Paul A. Thornton, U.S.A.F. Omaha
If the Joint Chiefs of Staff went fishing in the ocean and returned emptyhanded, they'd probably blame it on a lack of available fish. In truth, there is no shortage of young men; it's just that with its reluctance to change with the times, the military is able to attract only 13% of the country's youth. Changing of the hair regulations alone would probably attract millions more into the armed forces.
Joe Astuto Carlsbad, Calif.
Humiliation of Rape
As a rape victim, I am encouraged to see that someone is actually making progress in seeing that sex offenders won't continue to walk out of courtrooms with smug grins on their faces [April 2]. It's bad enough to suffer the humiliation of rape, but twice as bad to suffer the degradation of a court system and lawyers who regard the offender as the injured party.
Donna Owen Tulsa
It has been said that women invite attack by the way they dress, or by leading men on and then withholding their favors. This may be true. But did you ever get an invitation that you couldn't turn down? Whatever the girl did, the man's crime is no less horrendous than if she were the epitome of virtue.
Carl E. Stringfield Bloomington, III.
In most rape cases, I believe that the charge of kidnaping also ought to apply. No matter how temporarily, rape involves unlawful detention of the victim, even if the crime occurs in the victim's home.
Warren H. MacDonald Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Islam's Sexism
Jane O'Reilly's report on the "Iranian Women's Revolution" [April 2] lucidly and sensitively covered an often misunderstood issue. Rather than take the easy way out and slur Islamic principles as the root of Middle Eastern sexism, she has demonstrated that it is the patriarchal interpreters of Islam who have perpetrated women's oppression. That practice, I might add, is surely not unknown in many Christian sects as well.
Susan T. Rivers Dublin
Goldmann and Arafat
Re the information given in TIME: I inform you that there are at this stage no negotiations under way concerning a meeting between myself and P.L.O. Leader Yasser Arafat [April 9].
Nahum Goldmann Paris
No Middle East Payoff
Your story "Peace: Risks and Rewards" [March 26] was notable for its failure to mention any rewards for Americans. Will this peace between Israel and Egypt better our relations with the U.S.S.R. or decelerate Moscow's growing influence over its neighbors, increase our access to energy sources, reduce our rate of inflation, improve our balance of payments, help balance our budget or increase our national security?