Letters

THE STARR REPORT

"Oh, for the day when all we had to explain to our children was why the President didn't have to eat his broccoli--but they did." ALEXANDRA AND JOHN WOODY Wayne, N.J.

I never thought it would come to this, my own government actively distributing pornography in the guise of the report from independent counsel Kenneth Starr [THE STARR REPORT, Sept. 21]. To expose intimate, private relations between two consenting adults and call it a search for justice is the real treasonable offense. MICHAEL HAGER San Francisco

Monica Lewinsky may have been a willing partner, but the President lied about his "private" affairs in a trial about his alleged wrongful conduct with an unwilling partner--Paula Jones. The President lied to cover up his activities with Lewinsky, and for this he is charged with perjury, witness tampering and many other acts. His apologies came only after the polls demanded it, straining credibility. He should resign. BILL SCHRIPSEMA Columbia, Md.

Bill Clinton was very, very wrong in his actions, as were Monica Lewinsky, Linda Tripp, Ken Starr and many others involved in this drama. There are no heroes in the sad, pathetic tale--just human beings, some making terrible mistakes and others being guilty of meanspirited obsession. But the whole affair has been about personal behavior. And wrong though it may be, it is still something strictly personal. A. ALICIA ALEXANDER Hialeah, Fla.

I have a prediction: Clinton sweats bullets while this thing drags through Congress. He manages to survive and stay in office. Clinton breathes a huge sigh of relief, thanks God and then goes out and does it all over again. ROB KISER Pound, Va.

What a rip-off! For all the money Starr has been billing the country, he could have included pictures. ED LINDNER Westport, Conn.

I find it appalling that the majority of the people still want to trust a man who not only violated his marriage vows but then lied about what he did. How is it that the leader of the free world can be held to a lower standard than the citizens of the country he serves? JOAN L. RICHWINE Locust Grove, Va.

The crazier and kinkier the facts in the Starr report, the better for President Clinton. Paradoxical but true. The worse it is, the more we'll understand why he wanted to keep it all under wraps. Understanding, we'll forgive the abuse of power even as we shake our heads at Clinton's goofy libido, which is, in itself, hardly impeachable. MICHAEL J.E. HANSON Sioux Falls, S.D.

The actions of both President Clinton and Judge Starr are contemptible. It is apparent that the worst of the accusations that one side spins about the other are true. In order to end this political fiasco, we the people should demand the immediate resignation of these two poor excuses for public servants. BENJAMIN J. SCHERLAG Oklahoma City

REQUIRED READING

Since both reason and justice seem out of our reach, let us at least have poetic justice. Will the 13 most guilty parties--true representatives of America's twisted culture--please rise? President Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, Kenneth Starr, Linda Tripp and the nine robed Justices of the Supreme Court, you are hereby sentenced to confinement, together, for one year in a single room of the old Custom House in Salem, Mass., where, completely disrobed, you shall read and discuss these four works: The Scarlet Letter, Notes from the Underground, The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex and Civilization and Its Discontents. BERT BENDER Tempe, Ariz.

WHAT TO DO IN SCHOOLS

Your story "Lost In The Middle" pointed out that while many American schools focus on the needs of high achievers and the learning disabled, the average student is falling through the cracks [EDUCATION, Sept. 14]. It illuminated exactly what is wrong with public education. In my 30 years as a public school financial administrator, I have seen special education consume more and more of the financial resources of school districts. The result is the short-changing of students who qualify for neither the gifted programs nor the developmentally delayed programs. These middle-of-the-road children will be the backbone of American society in the next 20 years. They will be the technicians who repair our vehicles and computers. Public schools must return to a pragmatic approach to education. JACK JENKINS Las Cruces, N.M.

My experience as a teacher is that the only students falling through the cracks are those who have little or no support at home. We need more parents who make sure that assignments are completed and turned in on time, the TV is turned off and books are being read. CANDACE TANNOUS Houston

I am a 1997 graduate of the American public school system, and I am appalled by suggestions that tracking or ability grouping be abandoned. If my education had been completely nontracked, I would have lost all interest in learning and school. It was the honors and advanced-placement courses that kept me in school. ANGELA ROMANO Geneva, Ill.

Instead of cutting back on money for students, we should think about spending more on improving the quality of teachers. I am an 18-year-old "gifted" student, and I spent the summer teaching algebra to Chicago public school mathematics instructors from junior high and elementary schools. I was shocked to find that when I asked them a question like "If Joe eats half a pizza, then a third of the remaining pizza, how much of it is left?" many of them could not answer, but rather made a random guess. Setting higher standards for teachers would provide a better education not only to gifted or special students but to average students as well. NAME WITHHELD ON REQUEST Chicago

WHEN TO TAKE TAMOXIFEN

Readers of your report on new antitumor drugs that have been approved for treating breast cancer [PERSONAL TIME: YOUR HEALTH, Sept. 14] were left hanging. They must be asking themselves, "When should I take tamoxifen?" since the panel of experts who ruled on the drug did not endorse the idea that tamoxifen actually "prevents" breast cancer. If you are at proven elevated risk for breast cancer, the answer is, Take tamoxifen at any time. Tamoxifen does not wear out as a preventive after five years; in fact, it "imprints" the breast and protects women for years after they stop taking it. There are, however, fewer side effects for younger women than for older women. It's a balance. V. CRAIG JORDAN, PH.D. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center Chicago

MALAYSIA IN CRISIS

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad seems to believe that all Malaysia's current economic woes can be blamed on speculators and traders [VIEWPOINT, Sept. 21]. This shows a naive understanding of how free markets actually work. When investors have confidence in a country, they will bring capital into it. When they lose confidence, they will pull their capital out. It's their capital. They can use it as they wish. Mahathir has no right to regulate outflow of capital when he originally welcomed it with open arms. To say otherwise is nothing but complete hypocrisy. HUGH BROWER Stamford, Conn.

ABOUT DANGEROUS CARGO

Your report on the tragic crash of Swissair Flight 111 [WORLD, Sept. 14] was incorrect in stating that shippers are not required to disclose to air carriers the contents of their parcels even if they contain hazardous materials. International Air Transportation Association regulations require that all dangerous items transported by air within the U.S. must have a complete and proper declaration. In addition, the contents of every package shipped internationally must be fully declared, whether hazardous or not. Our company ships dangerous materials worldwide, and we take our responsibilities very seriously, as do all other reputable transportation companies and airlines. The strictest possible controls are required to ensure compliance with the regulations by all in the air-transportation industry. It is important that your readers know procedures are in place to protect the safety of all. WAYNE B. HEYLAND, President and CEO World Courier Group Inc. Stamford, Conn.

WHAT ECONOMIC BOOM?

I am sick to death of people talking about the "boom" in the U.S. economy over the past few years [SPECIAL REPORT, Sept. 14]. What boom? There hasn't been one, except maybe for the CEOs of companies that have downsized or gone to Mexico and reaped the profits. I am the disabled wife of a man who lost his job at Rockwell in the first wave of layoffs in 1990, and I have watched him go through a series of low-paying temp jobs ever since, his morale getting lower and lower. Washington, are you listening? KAREN SEXTON Orange, Calif.

BULL, BEAR, CALF

Your photo of a businessman patting the snout of a bronze bull statue in New York City [SPECIAL REPORT, Sept. 14] brought to mind the days of Moses, when the object of worship was a golden calf. Who said that things change? CARL KAHN Chicago

FAST ON THE DRAW

Richard Corliss's piece on baseball, "These Are the Good Old Days," left me dizzy with delight [ESSAY, Sept. 14]. Record breaker Mark McGwire deserved the volley of accolades. Corliss is a world-class phrase turner. He can fire off metaphors as fast as TV's Wyatt Earp shot off bullets. And just like Earp's, Corliss's six-shooter never runs out. RICH KUBOW Jackson, Miss.

CLARIFICATION

The drawing of the hand that accompanied our story about the announcement by Louisville, Ky., doctors of their hopes of performing the first successful hand transplant [MEDICINE, Aug. 3] should have included a credit for medical illustrator Elaine Bammerlin. She created the original drawing upon which TIME based its illustration.