Letters

THE REBIRTH OF DESIGN

The redesigning of America is not likely to stop with the objects highlighted in your cover story [DESIGN, March 20]. The consumer will have to remodel the kitchen to accept new gadgets. We'll have to reinvent a nail for the elegant hammer and prepare attractive trash for the see-through wastebasket. We architects designed buildings based on such concepts as "form follows function," "organic architecture" and "less is more." Now industrial designers are coining terms like "blobjects," "commodity chic" and "cutensils" by creating items to match. Kudos to them. CLEMENT R. PRABAKARAN Sterling Heights, Mich.

There is no longer a battle between form and function. Today designers are taking products already relevant to people and shaping them to reflect better what consumers actually want. Designers have respect for those who buy and use their products. In the 2000s the world of design will be even more respectful and participatory. The best designers will seek inspiration from the folk designs of the people they serve. LIZ SANDERS Columbus, Ohio

Have I benefited from the new economy? The answer is definitively yes. Will I ever pay $385 for a zinc-and-steel ironing board? The answer is definitively "not in this lifetime." MICHAEL OAKLEAF Madison, Wis.

Function is out? Say it isn't so! The nouveaux contours and colors of products merely top off the vast improvements that have been made in the underlying functional design. Moreover, consumers demand that products function conveniently, safely, ecologically and obviously. We scoff at a microwave oven with a complex 50-button console. If you can't figure out how to heat a cup of cocoa without reading the instructions, it's the manufacturer who is stupid. A fuchsia cell phone might be pretty, but a cell phone that does not require a manual--now that's truly beautiful. KATRINA GALWAY Washington

Your examples of modern design are overwhelmingly cheap plastic junk. It's frightening how Americans shrink-wrap and live in so much environmentally unsound plastic. We should use it only where it is best suited: electronics hardware, kitchen utensils and packaging. Classy design that can stand the test of time will always come in the form of distinctive and natural woods, metals, stone and leather. ERIK GAUGER Redondo Beach, Calif.

To the new wave of design, I say, "oh, no! More mass-produced junk that people will get bored with and throw in the landfill." How about promoting a different new wave of design that makes beautiful, durable and functional objects from recycled materials? HEATH GAMACHE Prospect, Pa.

Re America's new design: why must we consume this type of kitsch to express our individuality? JON GLAZERMAN Columbia, Mo.

When I moved from Sweden to San Francisco 12 years ago, I had a design-horror experience. My family left all our furniture behind in Sweden, intending to furnish our home with all new things. Little did we know. After weeks of endless looking, I cried my eyes out. Never had I seen such ugliness. Growing up in Scandinavia is a real treat when it comes to design. Wherever you go, there are perfect shapes, materials and, above all, quality. I have noticed changes in the U.S. in the past few years. Things that I bring back from my trips to Europe can now be found here. But design is still not on a lot of Americans' minds. ANNE NICOLAUSSON Atlanta

METAPHOR FOR CANDIDATES?

Your cover story on form vs. function in design was an apt metaphor for the report on the face-off between presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore [CAMPAIGN 2000, March 20]. Consider these comparisons (taken from your article): Bush--emotional and ideological, instinctual style. Gore--complex and intellectual. Bush sounds like the embodiment of form while Gore is that of function. Just as "consumers are looking for more than functional benefits" in their products, citizens want more than intellect in their politicians. ELAINE M. DECKER Providence, R.I.

POLITICAL TURBULENCE

Your story "All The King's Horses" discussed the turbulent political relationship between George W. Bush and John McCain [CAMPAIGN 2000, March 20]. Anyone who believes McCain can sincerely say he supports Bush and can convince his "McCainiacs" to do so too is either naive or just plain dumb. There is virtually no chance that McCain will come out publicly to "endorse" Bush. At most, McCain will give a loosely worded acknowledgment stating that he will not stand in the way or actively attempt to obstruct Bush's campaign. And Bush will just have to accept that. FELICA WEATHEROY Portland, Ore.

The Republican Party reminds me of the old Hapsburg Empire, so selfish in its power that it resorts to inbreeding rather than give in to new ideas and leaders. The G.O.P. had a winning candidate in John McCain. Instead Republican voters picked the oddly sinister son of George Bush. Their typical back-room wheeling and dealing has selected the candidate most detrimental to the party's health, but in this way we may soon get an end to the oligarchies that so cripple both American political parties. MATTHEW RANDAZZO IV, age 16 Metairie, La.

BUSH'S ALLERGIES

Your article about George W. Bush and how he can be "proudly allergic to endless briefing books" about the issues that face America was frightening [CAMPAIGN 2000, March 20]. Bush says he depends on "smart people who will tell him the unvarnished truth." He prefers talking to reading? Surely this is a mistake! How can he believe that the unvarnished truth will come from people who have their own perceptions of and prejudices on these issues? NINA-JO MOORE Warsaw

So there are now two front runners, Bore and Gush. How appropriate! JOHN FOWKES Tokai, South Africa

Both of these men have gone to great lengths to demonstrate their sense of morality and conservative family views, but in my mind, Bush and Gore are just a couple of new four-letter words. MIKE SISSON Doorn, Netherlands

THE FACE OF WAR

Never in my life have I looked at a photo longer than I did at the horrific disfigurement of Kosovar Besim Kadriu [WORLD, March 13]. There are no words to express my feelings about the terrible ruin of his face caused by Serb militiamen. I hope seeing it will make the world understand the kind of barbarism Serbs have committed upon the innocent Albanian people of Kosovo. A thank-you to all the doctors who made the surgical reconstruction of Kadriu's face possible. What great heroism it is to restore a face and save somebody's life! And thank you, TIME, for telling the truth to the world. SHKELQIM AGOLLI Tirana, Albania

In such terrible times, it is sweet to discover that caring, compassionate people have made it possible for poor Kadriu to recover something of his former self. I hope that he and his wife will enjoy a new start in life after this tragedy. It is a wonderful story. L. PITRE Versailles, France

The photographs of Kadriu filled me with agony and sorrow for a world turned against itself and for man's inhumanity to man. But the successful reconstructive surgery filled me with joy and hope that mankind still has a large and deep heart through which the milk of God's kindness and love flows. SEGUN A. LAWRENCE Ibadan, Nigeria

It's about time that someone showed us a true victim of war. We should not be shielded from the gory nature of conflict. If people could see how horrible a war is, they would not be so eager to start or perpetuate one. We should spare a thought for Kadriu and all the innocent victims we don't see. JULIUSZ R. SZCZYGIEL, AGE 18 Johannesburg

It cannot have been an easy decision to publish the realistic pictures that accompany this story. Maybe you will get some complaints, but it was the right thing to do. Kadriu's face shows one of the many tragic sides of war, but it also symbolizes human endurance and should give us hope. His courage deserves admiration. So does the support he got from his wife and family. I was also impressed by the selfless help of so many medical people. NORBERT PIERRO Ettlingen, Germany

THE KILLING OF KAYLA

School authorities were partly responsible for the shooting death of six-year-old Kayla Rolland by a classmate [NATION, March 13]. The school had a responsibility and should have protected those young students, who were entrusted to its care. Notwithstanding the fact that the six-year-old boy has despicable parents, does anyone honestly believe he won't kill other people later on if he gets away with it now? EBAL MARTINS DINIZ JR. Sao Paulo, Brazil

The gun lobby seems to misunderstand the need for the Second Amendment, which gives citizens the right to bear arms. It was written in 1791, at a time when people still lived in fear of attacks and wanted to have firearms to protect themselves. To invoke this amendment in 2000 and to continue the proliferation of guns is ludicrous. These weapons keep falling into the wrong hands. If we have tougher gun-control laws and stop politicians from pandering to the lobbyists, maybe we will not have another dead child. STEPHANE VINCENT Lasalle, Que.

Americans know very well the price they pay for their fetish for guns. And they have shown time and again a willingness to pay that price. TOM COSTICH Preston, England

NEGOTIATE IN EARNEST

President Clinton's visit to South Asia [WORLD, March 27] has focused attention on Kashmir. After simmering for 52 years under international apathy, the crisis in Kashmir is reaching its denouement. Both India and Pakistan have nuclear arms, and they are more ready to engage each other militarily than ever before. The consequences of a war between these two major subcontinental powers would be catastrophic, not just for the region but for the whole world. The problems are not as intractable as often portrayed. Strong international pressure on both sides to negotiate in earnest under neutral, third-party supervision could yield immediate results and open up alternatives. Only active international intervention can stop the bloodshed from getting worse. JAMIL MASUD Islamabad

There are 340 million people living in abject poverty in India, yet its rulers insist on stepping up the war frenzy by increasing the defense budget a whopping 28%. They say they want to teach Pakistan a lesson for what's happening in Kashmir. A nuclear holocaust, however, would be so devastating that millions on each side of the divide would be wiped out in seconds. Would India like to see that happen? SARDAR AHMED SHAH JAN Peshawar Cantt, Pakistan

It's fine for Clinton to visit the Indian subcontinent, but is he going to bring peace and prosperity to the region? India and Pakistan are emotionally unstable countries. Their citizens should realize that they have a common enemy--arms suppliers to these nations. S. NATARAJAN Cardiff, Wales

NORAHOLICS SPEAK OUT

Your article on author Nora Roberts and the success of romance novels [PUBLISHING, March 20] failed to note that these aren't just books about love and sex. They actually have--gasp!--redeeming qualities. You neglected the serious content of many of Roberts' books, including rape, domestic abuse and other issues. It is wrong to believe that the only way to enjoy Nora's books is to read them quickly and focus on the fact that the heroine hooks her man. There's no law that everybody has to like romance fiction. Your piece, however, took pathetic, juvenile potshots at a thriving part of the publishing industry. BONNIE JUNE ROCK, WEBMISTRESS There's Something About Nora www.geocities.com/SoHo/Bistro/5587 Edison, N.J.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband saw me devouring another Nora Roberts book. He said I should put it down and read something that would expand my mind, like TIME. An hour later, he saw me reading TIME and asked what article caught my interest. I said it was a piece about Nora Roberts. He thought I was joking! You have kept me an enthusiastic TIME reader with this report, but my husband is quite put out with you. HEIDI DANILCHIK Poulsbo, Wash.

I read romance novels because my life is not so simple. I admit this is escapist literature, but it is the best kind. You should have pointed out the positive effects of reading romances. They have become a source of insight into relationships that I have no experience with. Because of romance novels, I have been steadily reading throughout high school, when most people I know have given up reading in favor of television, the phone or the computer. As a teacher once said, it doesn't matter what you read as long as you keep reading. You also start to get an ear for the rhythm of good writing. PAMELA HSIEH, AGE 18 Piscataway, N.J.

NO RUBES OR HAYSEEDS

In your report on how historically black colleges are enrolling more and more white students [EDUCATION, March 20], you described Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., as "attracting white commuter students from nearby farm towns who probably couldn't get admitted anywhere else." Having earned a bachelor's and a master's degree from Lincoln, I take issue with that statement. Most of the students you disparage are not rubes and hayseeds. The open-admissions policy may allow students to attend who do not have astronomical SAT scores, but if they don't meet Lincoln's academic standards, they don't graduate. Many of us white commuter students are proud of Lincoln. I resent the portrayal of its students as academically inferior and intellectually challenged. JANET FRANCIS California, Mo.

CORRECTION

In our report "Black Schools Go White" [EDUCATION, March 20], the remarks made by Lincoln University student Brandon Martin and a description of his experiences at school were incorrectly attributed to Josh Cleveland, another Lincoln student. Cleveland lives in the dorm, is friendly with his African-American roommate and has been heard to complain about only one thing at the school: the food. TIME regrets the error.

HOAGY'S HAUNTING GIFT

Thank you for the story about hoagy Carmichael's tunes coming back into style [MUSIC, March 20]. I grew up in the '40s of the last century, and his music is probably the first that I can recall hearing. I love it still. The beauty of his lyrics and the hauntingly lovely melodies are truly a gift to all who hear them. PAULA DUNN San Angelo, Texas

In an era of technology and terrorism, it is remarkable that the words and music of a simpler, safer era are still loved and admired. Here in Indiana, Hoagy Carmichael's home state, the memory of the singer-songwriter has never waned. His Oscar statuette, which he won in 1951 for Best Song In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening is on display at the Historical Society. PETER T. HARSTAD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Indiana Historical Society Indianapolis, Ind.

DEBATE OVER DEATH ROW

Linda Edwards, Gubernatorial Communications Director for George W. Bush, defended Bush's record on capital punishment [LETTERS, March 20]. She is grossly mistaken on the facts about capital punishment in Texas and her assertion that an average of almost 12 years on death row spent by convicted prisoners is long enough. Streamlining the appeals process results in the execution of innocent people and poor representation for people whose lawyers have slept through a trial or were inept. Bush, who has presided over more than 100 executions during his term, can claim that an indigent defendant in Texas is only "almost" always entitled to counsel, stressing that these counsel are "qualified." But would Bush or any of his supporters submit to representation by any of the attorneys they laud, who often try these cases with the barest of resources? I think not. WILLIAM MOFFITT, PRESIDENT National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Washington