Letters

The Private Jessica Lynch

"Jessica Lynch will have the scars of a hero for the rest of her life. Americans should be proud of all the soldiers like her." FRANCOIS DESAULNIERS Norwich, Conn.

U.S. Army private Jessica Lynch is a brave young woman but certainly no hero [Nov. 17]. In wartime, heroes do something extra to save or protect their fellow soldiers or inflict great losses on the enemy, without thought for themselves. They attack the enemy vigorously with all means available, carrying out the mission assigned to them. Lynch was wounded grievously but exhibited none of the traits of a hero. I respect her will to survive, but she will not be in my book of heroes. COMMANDER VICTOR WOOD, U.S. NAVY (RET.) Indian Rocks Beach, Fla.

Lynch exemplifies the true grit of U.S. soldiers who hang tough and never give up hope. She is a symbol of all of us in the service who come from small towns scattered across America. Lynch became a hero when she enlisted in the Army. That takes guts, period. You don't have to be a gunslinging Rambo to be a hero. A hero is made when someone steps forward, regardless of safety and comfort, and accepts responsibility for the freedom of a nation. As a soldier, I'm grateful that Lynch is being recognized. Thanks to her, the extraordinary struggles of ordinary soldiers will never be forgotten by America. SGT. KIRK B. WINTERS, U.S. ARMY Baghdad

Instead of being raised to hero status by the press and public, Lynch should have been court-martialed. By her own admission, she threw down her weapon and just prayed. This is cowardice in the face of the enemy. I am a Vietnam veteran, and I can assure you that the only heroes in the Jessica Lynch story are the troops who rescued her. DAN RAVEIA Fairfax, Va.

As a veteran of Gulf War I, I would like to commend Lynch for her bravery in the face of danger. Heroism comes in various forms. A warrior who openly admits she prayed to God while being surrounded by the enemy is a courageous person. It is impossible to predict how you will react in wartime until you come face to face with the enemy. God bless all our troops, especially those who are young and unseasoned. TIM THOMAS, U.S. ARMY (RET.) Fayetteville, N.C.

If Lynch were male, she would be called a coward. There have been countless acts of real heroism in Iraq by soldiers who have put their lives on the line to save others. The media should be reporting those stories, not trying to manufacture a female war hero. KIRK J. MACOLINI Ithaca, N.Y.

Two Warriors

In "The Insurgent And The Soldier," Simon Robinson noted the similarities between "Ahmed," an Iraqi guerrilla, and U.S. Staff Sergeant Richard Bear [Nov. 17]. But it would be misleading to believe the two have equally valid goals and beliefs. That would be like equating the American liberators of concentration camps with the Nazi murderers who created them. Ahmed was a commando in the Fedayeen Saddam militia before the war. There can be no true similarity between a supporter of Saddam Hussein's and a soldier in the U.S. Army. Maybe Robinson should put down his pen or laptop, stop hiding behind his press pass and pick up an M-16. Then we would see how much he thinks Ahmed and Bear have in common. GREG MENKEN New York City

Ahmed, the Iraqi resistance fighter, claimed that all he wants is for Americans to leave his country. If this is really true, all he needs to do is lay down his arms. The Americans will then set up a government that is representative of the Iraqi people and hightail it out of there. SCOTT SOFFEN Ellicott City, Md.

Howard Dean's Style

IN "Hectoring Is Not Leadership," Joe Klein argues that Democratic candidate Howard Dean has not produced "very much creative policy thinking" and that his presidential campaign is all "about process, not ideas" [Nov. 17]. But the way a campaign is conducted contributes to a candidate's ideas and policies should he become President. A candidate supported by small contributions from millions of people has the power to take back the government from special interests. No other Democrat has demonstrated Dean's ability to inspire or innovate. DAVID A. BABBOTT Ojai, Calif.

Klein says Dean is "not very well-spoken." George W. Bush proved it does not take exceptional speaking skills to become President of the U.S. Clearly all it takes is a substantial amount of money. GINA NANNI New York City

If ever there were a time to be outraged, this is it! Klein can say that Dean needs to "stop hectoring and lay out a vision" of understanding for the nation, but I find it heartening that a Democrat has come forward with forceful objections to the unprecedented abuse of power resulting from Bush's policies. DAVID GRANTZ Watson, Okla.

America the Unloved

How refreshing to see an obvious but unacknowledged truth so wonderfully articulated in Charles Krauthammer's piece "To Hell with Sympathy," about the "illusory" sympathy that America earned on 9/11 [Nov. 17]. No matter what we as Americans do or say, there will always be international detractors who will vilify the U.S. The world turns to the U.S. again and again for economic and military assistance, and in response we are berated, mocked and insulted. TRACEY KINNEY West Grove, Pa.

The Bush administration squandered the solidarity the world felt for America after 9/11, and far from the Iraq war's being a show of muscular strength, as Krauthammer would like to believe, it weakened the U.S. After 9/11, we had the attention and cooperation of our allies and even many unfriendly regimes around the globe. Krauthammer may think alliances are for cowards and losers, but people like Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill spoke often of the need to cultivate alliances in the name of security. The fact is, we will never beat terrorism by blowing up other countries. BRANDEN FRANKEL Newport Beach, Calif.

Protecting the Reagan Legacy

Some may claim that CBS pulled the Reagan mini-series because it was biased and offended conservatives [Nov. 17]. But the real reason was that the American people saw the production as a meanspirited parody rather than the docudrama that CBS touted. The Reagan program was canceled because it was an affront to a great, living President and to all Americans. BEN VECCHIO Rustburg, Va.

Musical Revolution

TIME chose Apple's iTunes Music Store as the coolest invention of 2003 [Nov. 17]. But a service that revolutionizes the way people buy and listen to music deserves more: it should be called the invention of the decade. A Mac computer running iTunes has already replaced my $1,000 CD player. Hooked up to my stereo system at home, iTunes is as much a revolution as the portable iPod music player is on the road. Isn't it only a matter of time before Apple releases its own iTunes-based CD player? ED FIRMAGE JR. Salt Lake City, Utah

I applaud your choice of the iTunes Music Store. As someone who works on the front line of music retailing (where I have seen firsthand the decline of CD sales) and also behind the scenes at a 1,500-seat performance venue (where musicians who hit the road make and keep more money than they do from record sales), I can honestly say that the music industry has this choice: change or die. Kudos to Steve Jobs and Apple for rewriting the rules and bridging the gap between piracy and the legitimate downloading of music. If that bridge happens to be lined with Apple iPods, so be it. SARAH FITZGERALD Portland, Ore.

Ford and High Fashion

In "Bowing Out," you reported on the departure of pre-eminent fashion designer Tom Ford and his business partner from the Gucci Group [Nov. 17]. But if Ford is looking for new challenges, the makers of America's big, dark, ugly, gas-guzzling luxury sport-utility vehicles might offer him an excellent opportunity to branch out. Tom Ford would be the perfect choice to redesign the SUV line for Ford Motor Co. CAROLE WADE Los Angeles