The Falklands

To the Editors:

Once again war has triumphed over diplomacy [May 17]. British and Argentine troops are killing one another, and that overshadows any conversations the two governments may have about peaceful negotiations. Their actions speak so loudly, one cannot hear what they are saying.

Nell K. Spitz

Monmouth, Ill.

I admit that I was one of those who were excited by the prospect of a good ole adventure. Your article reminded me that war is hell.

Mark Levin

Columbia, Md.

You say, "Except for mothers, who know better . . . almost everyone was certain that this was going to be oh such a lovely war." Do you believe mothers like Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi and Golda Meir have a visceral repugnance toward shedding the blood of young men, which fathers do not have? Killing is not a masculine preserve.

Patricia O'Brien

Royal Oak, Mich.

Reading your piece on the "Ugly War" brought to mind descriptions of the early battles of the U.S. Civil War, when Washington gentry journeyed to Virginia in carriages to view, with detachment, the battle.

Charles Mihle

Haydenville, Mass.

Diplomatic Fumble

The U.S. will lose much by not backing Argentina [May 17]. Our decision was based on remembrances of yesterday. By supporting Britain the U.S. will force Argentina to seek aid from the Communist bloc.

Dennis B. Stepp

Poulsbo, Wash.

Latin Americans are stunned by the American doublecross. The U.S. has forfeited its right to be a member of the Organization of American States. Reconciliation with Latin America will take an eternity. Neutrality would have been a much wiser attitude.

Michael Oliver

Lima

America's mistake was to try to negotiate. We should have come out within 30 seconds for Britain, and insisted that the Argentines withdraw immediately. The impetus was there. The U.N. vote was there. Because we failed to act on our belief that civilization depends on people not grabbing whatever they want, we added our bit to the killing.

Dorothy Barnhouse

San Francisco

Game of War

The Essay on "The Metaphysics of War" [May 17] implies that were it not for the apocalyptic possibilities of nuclear technology, war might be thought of as an unpleasant necessity. Until the mid-19th century, slavery was regarded in the same way. We have outgrown slavery. We should also outgrow war.

Mary W. Cox North

Miami, Fla.

Your description of polytheistic worship as amiably human and relatively harmless ignores the horrors of most idolatrous systems. These religions regularly included human sacrifices like offering human hearts to the sun-god or casting infants into flames.

(The Rev.) R. Mark Colborn

Forest Lake, Minn.

Blind Reporting

I have no sympathy for the television networks that are unable to gain access in the Falklands [May 17]. Television reporters gave up all sense of impartiality with their coverage of the Viet Nam War. Let there be no "livingroom war" for the Falklands.

John Larson

North Clarendon, Vt.

No Defense for Dershowitz

I was appalled to read that Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz would not feel guilty about helping a murderer go free--even if he killed again [May 17]. His thesis, that it's just part of the process necessary to "maintain the freedoms we have," is bizarre. If his theory is true, I'd gladly settle for a little less freedom.

Robert E. Davidson

New York City

Our judicial tradition rightly provides for the defense of the accused. Unfortunately, criminal-chic lawyers like Alan Dershowitz have exaggerated this process into a game of technicalities in which the question of guilt becomes secondary.

Todd Grant

Golden Valley, Minn.

Out of Water

Your story on the "Ebbing of the Ogallala" [May 10] points out the severity of the water shortage problem. The depleted Ogallala Aquifer is a result of the Government's refusal to address two problems. First, there is no federal water policy that would ensure all states the right of access to the water. Under the current laws, Nebraska, for example, could pump the entire aquifer into its reservoirs without any repercussion from its surrounding water-dependent neighbors.

The second problem is the lack of incentives to conserve. At present there are six pieces of legislation pending in the House that would encourage conservation. As yet, none has been passed.

Thomas J. Schiltz

The Irrigation Association

Silver Spring, Md.

Classroom Prayers

Prayer has never been prohibited in this nation of many religions. We should not fetter our freedom of religion by mandating Christian public prayer in our schools [May 17]. This will lead only to making the non-Christian child a pariah.

John W. Comfort

HagerCity, Wis.

No prayer uttered in the classroom will contain the love of an evening prayer with a parent. Teachers should not lead worship; ministers and parents should.

Jerry Monson

St. Paul

I am amazed by the misinterpretations of the 1962 Supreme Court decision banning prayer in the classroom. There is no federal, state or local statute that prevents a child who is so inclined from praying during lunch, recess or on any occasion during the school day so long as it does not interfere with his educational activity.

James R. Odom

Silver Spring, Md.

Aussie Thriller

In his review of George Miller's The Road Warrior [May 10], Richard Corliss suggests, "If the film is a commercial success, George Miller will find a productive future in Hollywood." Please don't put treasonable ideas into Miller's head. We like him right here at home.

Steve Coates

New Lambton, Australia

The review describes Max's good-guy dog as a gray-eyed mutt that is fearless and faithful. As the owner of an Australian cattle dog, I know that these animals are indeed fearless and faithful, but definitely not mutts. They are the latest breed to be recognized by the American Kennel Club and were bred to herd and drive the cattle that range over thousands of square miles of the Australian bush.

Lynn Whitehead

Solon, Ohio

The statement in your Cinema review that the villain Wez is "Apache-coiffed" is wrong. The hair style in question might have been seen on a Mohawk, one of the five tribes of the Iroquois Nation, but never on any self-respecting Apache.

Arnold Lupe

Apache Reservation

Arizona

White Mountain Methodist Morality

Some response is needed to the letter from [The Rev.] Michael Hardwick [May 17], who expressed shame that United Methodist bishops either do not see the moral dilemma of the American Christian over nuclear weapons or are so cowardly they refuse to speak out. Last November the Council of Bishops offered a strong statement favoring multilateral disarmament and only last month sent a pastoral letter to all 39,000 United Methodist congregations supporting the proposed Senate resolution on the nuclear freeze.

Finis A. Crutchfield

President, Council of Bishops

The United Methodist Church

Houston

Synfuel Slump

I am jubilant that Exxon shut down the Colony Shale Oil Project in Parachute, Colo. [May 17]. I will not miss the high prices for food and housing, the escalating crime, or the loss of our quiet way of life. Because of Exxon's synfuel program, our fields, orchards and beautiful mountains were being forfeited to accommodate the influx of people.

Sarah Leonard

Rifle, Colo.

The pullout by Exxon from the Colony Shale Oil Project does not diminish the potential for synthetic fuels as an eventual solution to our energy problems. Government and private energy planners forecast rising world oil prices in the near future. All foresee the necessity for synfuels before the year 2000. The pullout by Exxon underscores the need for the Government to set a firm, long-term policy through the Synthetic Fuels Corporation for the development of a synfuels industry.

Bernard S. Lee, President

Institute of Gas Technology

Chicago

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