(3 of 4)
I have ivy on my balcony. In this country, ivy is supposed to bring luck. I hope it does, for the U.S. and for me.
Maria S. de Gosztonyi La Pampa, Argentina
If only that plant could write a book.
Terry Austin North Hollywood, Calif.
Stalled Offensive
TIME'S article about the conflict between Iran and Iraq [WORLD, Oct. 29] is an echo of Iraqi propaganda. If "Iraqi morale is at a wartime high," why would an Iraqi officer surrender to an Iranian photographer who was just "threatening" him with his camera? And if "Iran does not seem to be in a position to strike a conclusive blow," why would Iraqi President Saddam Hussein ban the distribution of white undervests among his troops lest they should eventually use them to surrender?
Alt Rezaee Ministry of Islamic Guidance Tehran
Svetlana's Return
Whatever Stalin's daughter [WORLD, Nov. 12] may have said or done in the past, Svetlana's return to the U.S.S.R. is a case of giving up freedom for love of grandchildren.
Carol Allison Rochester, N. Y.
It will be impossible for a 13-year-old American girl like Olga Peters to find comfort or happiness in the Soviet Union. Perhaps she will be clever enough to find her way to America, as her mother did in 1967.
Joel M. Sooby Sacramento
Right to Life
Great effort and cost went into extending Baby Fae's life [MEDICINE, Nov. 12]. At the same time, thousands of Ethiopians, many of them children, are dying of starvation. How can we justify spending so much money on one baby when we could save hundreds with the same resources?
Verena Greig El Khobar, Saudi Arabia
go and Tell
Educating our children to protect themselves against sexual abuse [EDUCATION, Nov. 12] is commendable and necessary. However, the pendulum may be swinging too far in the other direction. It would be a tragedy to deny children the warmth of a relationship with a well-meaning adult like a neighbor who touches the youngster's head or pats his back. Many people may now refrain from any contact with a child for fear of being branded an "Uncle Harry."
Edward Ullmann Santa Rosa, Calif.
There is a danger in asking children to accuse an adult of child molesting. Any smart youngster with a sadistic bent and practical mind will find the opportunity to blackmail a loving uncle by reporting an imagined abuse.
Jacques Deriaud Noisy-Le-Grand, France
You included schools and homes as places to educate children about sexual abuse but failed to mention the church and synagogue. Sexual abuse causes spiritual as well as physical and emotional damage. Churches and synagogues can provide healing and forgiveness for victims and repentant abusers alike.
(The Rev.) Cinda W. Gorman El Cajon, Calif.
Speakers of Tongues
Your accolade to translators [BOOKS,
Nov. 19] is the kind of notice those solitary
and devoted literary artists seldom receive.
A. Leslie Willson Austin
To appreciate the fine art of translation and its many complexities, one must learn a foreign language well: an experience that few Americans have had.
Lois Vines Athens, Ohio