Letters

The End of an Era?

Ronald Reagan's Republican revolution vowed fiscal restraint, national security and morality. Today's G.O.P. has brought heavy spending, an apparent spawning ground for terrorists and a sex scandal. Readers debated the party's fortunes and whether our cover image captured its predicament

Your cover image was an apt metaphor for the governing style of the Republican majority in Congress [Oct. 16]. Its members have bullied, lied, changed rules, twisted arms and done everything possible to retain power, without consideration for the minority Democrats or the nation as a whole. The G.O.P. has violated the principles it once stood for--especially fiscal conservatism--and now stands only for clinging to power.

BARBARA STEPHENS

McLean, Va.

The cover photo was insulting and confirmed TIME's bias against the Republican Party. Granted, the G.O.P. hasn't done itself proud recently. The overspending and lobbyists' activities have been demoralizing. But when Democrats have erred, has TIME ever expressed such contempt? Republicans may regret their party's mistakes, but they shouldn't abandon it.

BARBARA MACDONALD

Winnetka, Ill.

I remember a few years ago, when President Bill Clinton was found guilty of "inappropriate behavior" and lying about it, we were told that character is not what matters, only how well a person does his or her job. I guess that's only true if you're a Democrat.

VETA LASATER

Independence, Mo.

The Republicans impeached Clinton over a sex scandal. Now they are saying the Mark Foley fiasco is the result of a Democratic conspiracy. They are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.

NANCY REEVES

Kirkwood, Mo.

Let's face it: There is no true leadership in this country, Republican or Democratic. Our elected officials operate at the basest level of power politics and skewer one another whenever necessary. And they call themselves Christian!

ELIZABETH HOOPER

Duluth, Ga.

Although I'm hoping the midterm elections will spell the end of the corrupt Republican regime, I'm disheartened by the cause of the party's downfall, distasteful as it is. The end will not have been brought about by stolen elections, an unprovoked and disastrous war breeding more terrorism or a dangerous and ballooning federal deficit. It's curious that Republicans might be toppled by the Foley fiasco. Seemingly, only a sex scandal can make voters take notice.

JUDY MATYSIK

Minneapolis, Minn.

I object to your using an elephant's backside to illustrate the Republican Party's fall from grace. It was insulting to elephants, which are intelligent, sensitive and compassionate creatures. A better symbol for the G.O.P. might be the hyena. Opportunistic, hunting alone or in packs, it is ruthless and cunning. I'm confident that this proposed G.O.P. mascot could not possibly offend anyone except, perhaps, hyenas.

SARASVATI PANCIERA

Granby, Conn.

Sex and Civil Rights

Columnist John Cloud was much too generous when he wrote that the G.O.P.'s position on homosexuality is, "roughly, 'Don't ask, don't tell'" [Oct. 6]. The party's platform says that "homosexuality is incompatible with military service," that gay marriage should be not be recognized and that marriage should be defined on the national level as between one man and one woman.

JOHN MARTIN TAYLOR

Washington

Cloud quoted an official familiar with the Foley investigation as saying, "People here are challenged on how to find a violation of a federal statute." As a human-resources professional, I don't understand why no one has suggested that Foley created a hostile work environment of a sexual nature for House pages. Employees are protected from this by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which applies to any employer with 15 or more employees--including the Federal Government.

MARY SCHAEFER

Wilmington, Del.

Taboo on the Tube

Re "Breaking America's Favorite Taboo" [Oct. 16]: Thanks to James Poniewozik for writing about the realities of pedophilia in America. The sexual molestation of children is awful and affects victims for years, but it is about time that America stopped ostracizing every group we think of as evil and instead started thinking of ways to heal sickness. Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" segments are a modern-day witch hunt that claims to protect America from its worst monsters. Better would be a TV show that examines how U.S. prison systems provide incarcerated pedophiles with counseling and, ultimately, freedom from their obsessions and childhood traumas. But I guess forgiveness doesn't reap the ratings that demonization does.

ALEXANDRA DICKSON

Chicago

Paying Respects

The headline of your photo essay on the funerals for the Amish girls killed by a crazed gunman, "A Quiet Grief" [Oct. 16], was bitterly ironic. TIME didn't keep anything quiet. All that the Amish people asked was that they be allowed their privacy as they said their last goodbyes to their children, and there on a two-page spread, you disregarded their request.

SOFIA RASHER

Brockton, Mass.

I commend TIME for its delicate treatment of the recent shootings in the Amish school. Instead of presenting a sensationalistic account of the massacre, you respected the privacy and dignity of the victims. Moreover, by refusing to profile the murderer, you may have helped lessen the likelihood of copycat violence. On behalf of the grieving brothers and sisters of my neighboring community, I thank you for demonstrating such sensitivity.

JOE MCELWEE

Drexel Hill, Pa.

Red Planet Close-Ups

Re "Mapping Mars" [Oct. 16]: With space travel being one of humankind's finest achievements, I was quite distressed to see that the beautiful pictures taken by the Mars Opportunity rover and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter were buried inside the magazine. Those images should have made TIME's cover.

DOUG TRAVIS

Livonia, Mich.

While it was intriguing to see the pictures from Mars, there's still so much we don't know about our own planet. Our lives may depend on learning more about Earth's climate, its ecosystems and how pollutants affect its inhabitants. That research is much more important than exploring Mars.

MARK SEBBY

Carpentersville, Ill.

Follow Your Nose

"Scents and Sensibility" [Oct. 16] Reported that more retailers are using odors to get consumers in the mood to spend. Oh, dear. I'm not much of a shopper, but now I may never shop again. First it was the Muzak that drove me out of most stores, then the scented candles in gift shops. Whew! I turned and ran. Now more scents in every store? I simply dislike artificial scents, but many people are hypersensitive to smells and can be made ill by them. I guess there's always mail order and online shopping.

GAIL S. RAVITTS

Rockford, Ill.

France's Lady of the Left

Segolene Royal has succeeded by presenting herself as the image of honorable French womanhood and employing the politics of charm [Oct. 9]. She is adept at handling policy issues pragmatically rather than ideologically. Since her partner, Socialist Party secretary Franc,ois Hollande, has also been touted as a potential presidential candidate, there is an across-the-water parallel. Like Hillary and Bill Clinton in the U.S., this may be another welcome case of getting two for the price of one.

MARTIN L. GREY

High Wycombe, England

Your story on Royal, the French Socialist presidential contender, provided excellent background on the possibility of this unprecedented phenomenon in French politics--a woman President. But you missed one point. Behind Segolene Royal's feminine charm and photogenic smile beats a heart that is as red as any socialist's heart can be. Royal has as one of her role models British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Look at the damage he has done to Britain. And don't forget, the French resist change. Come polling day, a miracle will be needed to prevent conservative Union for a Popular Movement candidate Nicolas Sarkozy from becoming the next French President.

KARL H. PAGAC

Villeneuve-Loubet, France

TIME's story on Royal gave the impression that she is shaking up the French political scene. As you must know, this country has survived much more dangerous shaking--political and otherwise. And although Royal is quite right in declaring that one should not have to be "sad, ugly and boring to go into politics," what about being modest?

JEAN-JACQUES LUCCIONI

St.-Laurent-du-Var, France

Of Chavez and Chomsky

I find it ironic that the U.S. made such a fuss over Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's speech at the U.N. General Assembly, in which he called President George W. Bush the devil [Oct. 2]. At last, Americans have experienced what other countries feel when Bush spouts off. The big difference? Venezuela hasn't attacked anyone.

LORNE G. SYKES

Caesarea, Ont.

In discussing Chavez's praise of Noam Chomsky's book Hegemony or Survival at the U.N., TIME stated that "only loyal fans still read" Chomsky's work. That is light-years from the truth. Chomsky's numerous books are featured on university reading lists around the globe. Even if one disputes Chomsky's analyses, few people dispute the quality of his writing, the coherence of his arguments or the depth of his research. Love him or loathe him, Chomsky and others who challenge the world's loudest voices play a vital role in maintaining pluralism, a fundamental feature of democracy.

GARY J. MERRILL

CARDIFF SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM, Cardiff, Wales

Punjab Puritans

"No Dates, No Dancing" [Oct. 16] was about Punjab University in Lahore, Pakistan, where socializing between men and women is taboo. It is a prudish place, tightly controlled by a student group, Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (I.J.T.), whose goal is "training the young generation according to Islam so they can play a role in Pakistan's social and political life." But what about the country's economic life? The vice chancellor of the university--as at most other Pakistani universities--is a retired general lacking an academic background. There was a time when Arab Muslim countries led the way in advancing knowledge in literature, astronomy and mathematics. Islam was not considered inimical to such advancement. Sadly, Muslims have been in a deep slide since then.

KANGAYAM R. RANGASWAMY

Waunakee, Wis.

I was disgusted to learn that I.J.T. members have been known to physically assault students for drinking, flirting or kissing on campus. Any group that uses thuggery should be banned and the culprits penalized. A university campus should be a place that encourages free speech. If students want to wear the veil, then so be it, and if they do not, then they must be accommodated as well. But in my view, Pakistan is becoming more liberal, especially on college campuses. All my friends and family who live there paint a picture that is very different from the society I left barely six years ago. Music on campus is a huge part of the social scene in Karachi, dating is rampant, the arts and culture are vibrant, and Western influences and the free press are spreading. Most middle- and upper-class urban residents, although they may not support the Bush Administration's policies (who does?), are not fanatic in their beliefs and would never cast their votes for conservatives.

OMAR HAQ

Piscataway, N.J.

Lifestyles of the Rich

We were pleased to see our book, Searching for Mary Poppins: Women Write About the Intense Relationships Between Mothers and Nannies, mentioned in Po Bronson's Essay "Barbie to Baby Einstein: Get Over It" [Oct. 9]. Bronson says our book, however, has a small place because "only 1 in 20 kids in the U.S. will ever be cared for by a nanny." If this book ends up being important to almost 4 million boys and girls, what's wrong with that? Plus you would have to add their parents to that number, as well as their nannies, to estimate how many Americans could relate to the book.

SUSAN DAVIS

Chapel Hill, N.C.

GINA HYAMS

Housatonic, Mass.

Bronson suggested that the only way to acknowledge the problems faced by children from affluent families is "with a sardonic wink." In my book The Price of Privilege, I reported on disproportionately high rates of depression, anxiety and substance abuse among children of the wealthy, rates documented by leading social scientists and high enough to meet the Centers for Disease Control's definition of epidemic. A broken child is a broken child, no matter what the parents' financial resources.

MADELINE LEVINE, PH.D.

Kentfield, Calif.

Empty Bellies, Hard Hearts

"Turning Hunger into Hatred" [Oct. 16], on the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, failed to mention the reasons Israel feels so threatened. The government of Gaza is led by Hamas, whose charter calls for the elimination of Israel. Since its withdrawal from Gaza, Israel has been the target of hundreds of rockets fired by Hamas. Maybe the Palestinians should consider a nonterrorist government to lead them to peace.

BRUCE S. COOPER

Columbia, Md.

Oil-rich Arab Muslim nations fund and smuggle tens of millions of dollars of explosives, weapons and missiles into Gaza yet somehow cannot fund or get food supplies and other civilian necessities into the area. The reason is obvious. "Oppressed, starving Palestinians" provide effective political fodder for Arab despots and Islamic fascists who care more about demonizing Israel than they care about improving the lives of their Arab brothers and sisters in Gaza.

ANDREW M. UPTON

New York City

I was dismayed by your article "Turning Hunger into Hatred." The article explained in detail everything the Israelis have destroyed and how miserable Palestinians' lives are as a result. Not once did it explain the defensive reasons for Israel's actions. The blame lies solely with the Palestinians for encouraging terrorist activities.

AARON KLIGMAN

Montreal

Equal Time

I had to laugh at TIME's asking News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch whether Fox News had done anything that he thought was "unfair and unbalanced" [Oct. 16]. Your magazine is anything but fair. Your coverage of the Foley scandal seemed as if it had been written by the Democratic National Committee.

DIANA CLARY

Allen, Texas

I chuckled at Murdoch's claim that Fox News chief Roger Ailes "has been insistent on equal time for all sides." This is the same fair-minded producer whose "journalists," such as Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly, frequently tell their guests to shut up when they hear viewpoints opposed to their own.

GEORGE PETERMAN

New Haven, Conn.

Ruining Our Pun

Re "A Not-quite-immaculate Conception" [Oct. 16]: The headline for the report on actress Keisha Castle-Hughes' pregnancy confused the Immaculate Conception with the virgin birth of Jesus. Roman Catholic dogma teaches that Mary was conceived without original sin and therefore didn't need to be baptized.

KENNETH SWEIGART

Paradise, Pa.