Letters

As your report "What Makes Teens Tick" aptly illustrated [May 10], science is catching up to what parents and teachers already know: teenagers' brains are different from adults'. The ability to make adult judgments comes later, as different parts of the brain develop. That is why our legal system does not allow people under 18 to vote, serve on juries or enjoy many of the other privileges and responsibilities of adults. It is also why juries are more and more unwilling to impose death sentences on juvenile offenders and why 31 states prohibit the practice. As we learn more from science and as it converges with legislation and the law, a consensus on this issue is increasingly clear. DENNIS W. ARCHER, PRESIDENT American Bar Association Chicago

As one of America's teenagers, I must say I am sick of stories that dissect teens' thoughts and lives. We are not science experiments; we are humans. Why is it necessary to pick us apart and figure out why we act the way we do? Does it take brain experiments to discover that we teens are rebellious? My 5-year-old brother could have told you that. I don't appreciate how teenagers are categorized as a group. Each of us is unique, just like every adult. NAME WITHHELD Tulsa, Okla.

Thank you for your insightful article. Those of us who are attempting to parent teenage offspring can firmly attest to the mystifying ways of the adolescent mind. The child you have loved and nurtured for years suddenly morphs into an exasperating stranger! Research showing that teens' brains are not fully developed, mature organs but continue to undergo structural changes up to age 25 is truly a relief for those of us who have agonized over a teenager's predilection for risk taking, impulsive behavior and overriding lack of good judgment. This research frees us to be patient rather than react with frustration and to understand that we must remain involved while teenagers grow into adulthood, offering them guidance, structure and firm rules. KIM TURPIN DAVIS, PRESIDENT The Parents Council Of Washington Bethesda, Md.

You overemphasized the importance of neural activity and brain physiology and made no mention of the need for moral guidance. Teenagers may read between the lines of the physiological mumbo jumbo and giggle with glee as they decide there is nothing they can do to change their ways. Why not discuss how dysfunctional family situations affect teen behavior? There is more to raising a teenager than studying the brain. CECIL ASFOUR Dallas

The obtuse rhetoric about adolescent moodiness was insulting to a large portion of today's youth, myself included. Many American teenagers are well-informed, intelligent citizens, and it's inappropriate to describe us as immoderate and out of control. Characterizing teen behavior as "exasperating" simply reflects stale stereotypes that harm the reputation of an entire age group. It is inadequate to dismiss adolescent angst as the result of structural changes in the physiology of the brain. JIM FIELDS Mountain View, Calif.

My 13-year-old son was captivated by your article. Thank you for enlightening my child. Now when I nag him for the umpteenth time to take out the garbage, I can see him replying, "Gee, Mom, I just don't have the motivation. It must be my immature nucleus accumbens." SANDY BARTELL Bellevue, Wash.

Who Controls the Economy?

In "When Presidents Have No Power" [May 10], essayist Charles Krauthammer argued that regardless of one's opinion of the state of the U.S. economy, the President really has no control over it. But Alan Greenspan says (and many economists agree) that America's huge budget deficits will leave the economy wobbling. Those deficits are largely the result of Bush's policies--tax cuts, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and so forth. If these actions leave the economy in a weakened state, I have to conclude that the President does, in fact, have significant control over the economy. RICHARD WILHELM Port Angeles, Wash.

Krauthammer had the guts to say what every Republican knows--that in a capitalist country the people, not the President, affect the economy. If Americans spend billions of dollars on foreign products, U.S. unemployment goes up. If they buy products made in America, our unemployment goes down. It's human nature to blame the President for our mistakes, but if we really cared about U.S. workers, we would support them by buying U.S.-made products. CLEVE MARK MCVANE JR. Pleasant Hill, Calif.

No End to the Fighting

A continuing stream of resentments is turning Iraqis against the U.S. [May 10]. That's what happens when one country invades another with no clarion call from a significant portion of its population, not even from those who are being persecuted. How lucky for the U.S. that in the 19th century there was no nation strong enough--or presumptive enough--to attack our country to rid it of the dreadful scourge of slavery. Without having been asked, the U.S. is inflicting its desires and aspirations upon others. This type of behavior might cause the U.S. to be likened to a telemarketer, and before you know it, we may find ourselves being called Uncle Spam. LEONARD GREENBERG Sterling, Va.

President Bush's idea of making the world safe from terrorism and creating a model of democracy in the Middle East is nothing short of ridiculous. To initiate a war and kill thousands of innocent people is immoral. Going it alone in the face of opposition from our NATO allies and U.N. member states has undercut our leadership, cost the U.S. billions of dollars and put our people and economy in jeopardy. Iraq is now a morass, and that makes a democracy in that troubled country all but impossible. WILLIAM HEWETT East Canton, Ohio

America's choices in Iraq are meager. Short of a complete makeover, which would cost at least $1 trillion and take 20 to 30 years, the only practical solution is to apologize and give Iraq $100 billion to repair the damage we have done and put someone like Saddam Hussein in charge. Although the man's behavior was demonic, we have found that we cannot run Iraq without using some of his methods. PAUL N. NASH Oakton, Va.

By diverting u.s. resources from THE hunt for al-Qaeda terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan and going after nonexistent weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq, Bush has jeopardized world peace and cheated the American public. As each day passes, the U.S. will find it more and more difficult to extricate itself from the mess in Iraq. NAVNITH KRISHNAN Bangalore, India

Speaking Kerry's Language

In "What Kerry Means To Say ..." [May 10], you described how John Kerry's every utterance is scrutinized for the slightest inaccuracy. His opponents quickly ascribe his mistakes to shiftiness or dishonesty. But when Bush tells blatant whoppers about important things, such as Iraq's possessing WMD, his misstatements are quickly excused or forgotten. With thousands dead in the fighting as a result of Bush's dishonesty about a nonexistent Iraqi threat, why is the press accusing Kerry of fudging the "all-important" distinction between 30-year-old medals and ribbons? JEREL DAWSON Miami

Kerry's trouble is that he is so determined to become President that he will say anything, which leaves him unable to defend his multiple positions. But people who have a core set of values have no difficulty communicating them. That Kerry is the son of a diplomat and was partly educated in European schools does not prove he overintellectualizes. It suggests that he believes he is entitled to govern the country, never mind that he has neither the skills nor the values needed for that task. DUANE E. LAMERS Troy, Mich.

Welcoming the Status Quo

"Is Microsoft A Slowpoke?" [may 10] reported that the company's growth rate is lackluster and that the next version of Windows may not ship until 2006. Wonderful. Every time I get proficient at using a version of Windows, Microsoft brings out a new one, and I'm back to square one. I welcome having the same basic operating system for a long while. It gives me time for other things, like getting really good at playing video games and not losing to my grandchildren all the time. GORDON GILCHRIST Ore City, Texas

Microsoft's performance demonstrates that empires rise, reign and ultimately rot. Your story showed that the Microsoft empire may have entered the third phase of this familiar cycle. UCHE I. ADIELE Aberdeen, Scotland