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As a student, I think after-school prayer groups are unnecessary, especially since the students who attend these clubs are already believers. Why can't they just pray together at church or at home? God will listen. That would give students more time after school, and maybe encourage some of them to finish their homework. TANYA SAMOUELIAN Sydney, Australia
At the public high school I attend, the WWJD wristbands have become a joke. Instead of "What Would Jesus Do?" some students say the letters stand for "We Want James Dean" or even "What Would Jane Do?" On the issue of allowing religion in schools, I would like to remind the government that 15 minutes spent in daily prayer would add up to 45 hours each school year that could otherwise be spent on better education. I have nothing against the practice of religion; I just don't want it in school. L.M. MYERCHIN, age 14 San Bernardino, Calif.
The proposal to bring mandatory Christian prayer back into schools is appalling. If people want to pray, they should do it on their own time. NICHOLAS E. CLARK-SPEAR, age 13 Northford, Conn.
DEATH OF A DESPOT
If Satan will assure that Pol Pot's everlasting sleep is anything but peaceful [WORLD, April 27], then justice will have been served! KARA SULLIVAN Silver Spring, Md.
There is a lesson to be learned from Pol Pot's death: We must waste no time in hunting down the rest of those who committed crimes against humanity. Pol Pot should be the only guilty one who "got away." RAXAK MAHAT Katmandu, Nepal
What's really scary is that monsters like Pol Pot, who believe that all should be sacrificed for the collective good, may appear in the future. People are still teaching the ideas that created him. HENRIK UNNE Skarpnack, Sweden
Nobody escapes justice. I have little doubt that Pol Pot is now rubbing elbows with butchers of past generations. MICHAEL ACHESON Port Angeles, Wash.
KINGDOM OF THE ANIMALS
Your report on the opening of disney's Animal Kingdom theme park read more like an advertisement than a story [LEISURE, April 20]. According to Disney, conservation is not the theme of Animal Kingdom; entertainment is. Native Florida wildlife was displaced by 1,000 imported exotic animals, many of which spend their nights in small cages. Strip away the bells and whistles, and Animal Kingdom is just a glorified zoo, another institution that denies animals natural behavior and dignity. JOE TAKSEL, Managing Director Animal Rights Foundation of Florida Pembroke Pines, Fla.
We just returned from three days at Animal Kingdom. We'd heard of animal deaths and were concerned. What we found was a group of people dedicated to the preservation and protection of animals. On one of our safaris, a duck ran in front of our tram. The guide immediately stopped and enlisted everyone's help in ensuring that the duck had safely crossed before we moved on. In conversations with the folks at the Conservation Station, which provides information on wildlife and rain forests, it became very apparent to us how important these animals are to the staff. Great job, Disney! JOEL and MONICA SENEKER Fresno, Calif.
OF TURTLES AND TRADE