Bravo, G.S.G. 9

To the Editors:

Far too many people glamorize the exploits of the terrorists [Oct. 31]. They are not only the enemies of the powerful, but of anyone who inadvertently falls into their web. If we need heroes, let us find them in such men as those in the G.S.G. 9.

Roger Brown

Sarasota, Fla.

Bravo, Helmut Schmidt, for your superb courage and sangfroid. The world was watching in agony for the fate of the hostages and the credibility of the democratic process. You won.

Sandy Whittinghill

Nice, France

Let us salute the terrorists in West German prisons who responded to the recent hijacking by taking their lives. Since they found it impossible to live in a structured world order and were bent on creating a hell around them, they have presumably solved both problems.

(The Rev.) Paul Pulliam

San Diego

Those who involve innocent people in a so-called cause are defeating their own purpose. Everyone focuses on the acts, not the causes these terrorists "support."

Bob G. Dickie

La-Selva Beach, Calif.

To eliminate confusion over the names of the numerous terrorist organizations, I suggest that you henceforth refer to them as UGLYS (urban guerrilla leaders and young skyjackers).

Sammy Somekh

Nicosia, Cyprus

Schism in the Soul

James Willwerth's article on the Puerto Rican terrorists [Oct. 24] deals with consequences rather than causes. The murderous tactics of a small minority are more than just a problem for the FBI; the) are symptomatic of a schism within the island's political soul.

Puerto Ricans who last year voted for continued ties to the mainland--the often cited 94%--voted with their heads but not with their hearts. Their allegiance to the colonial system will last only as long as the "economic miracle," which is dependent on decisions made in the U.S.

Bainbridge Cowell Jr.

Atlanta

A Walk May Help

I wish to comment on your article concerning "Writer's Block" [Oct. 31]. It seems . . .

Let me rephrase this. In my opinion, the editors of TIME cannot possibly comprehend the . . .

No, I'll put it another way. As a professional writer trying enthusiastically to build a new business in my chosen field, it becomes apparent that . . .

Maybe a walk in the woods will clear my cobwebs. Then I can tell you . . .

Deborah Masing

McKean, Pa.

After working on screenplays for eight James Bond films, I'm pleased by the suggestion that seeing one might help beat writer's block. Any thoughts about how to beat mine?

Richard Maibaum

Pacific Palisades, Calif.

As a columnist for a small weekly newspaper, I have found that contemplating a troublesome article while taking a shower helps. I may not come up with the answer, but at least I'm clean.

Don Vaughan

Lake Worth, Fla.

Going Away Mad

It is evident from "Fresh Crews over Sixth Avenue" [Oct. 31] that the two networks trailing ABC in the television ratings are deeply troubled as they scramble to catch the leader. But while they all lower themselves to programming half-baked schlock, 3.4% of the viewing audience is deserting the tube each month. Some of us are finally "mad as hell," and 'not going to take it any more."

Jon S. Foster

Madison, Wis.

It's a shame that a good show like Lou Grant is not a big success. Well, let the yahoos have their violence and jiggly sex; I would rather watch a personable newspaper editor any day.

Lawrence Kopf

Florissant, Mo.

Here in the Chicago area one Sunday evening, the 8 p.m. offerings on the VHF channels were the rape of Edith Bunker, Leslie Ann Warren's path to prostitution on 79 Park Avenue and a movie about mob violence in the trucking industry. Our choice? UHF with an old Esther Williams movie. Silly, but better for family viewing.

Janet Steingraber

Arlington Heights, Ill.

Nuclear Myopia

You appropriately draw attention to the problem of nuclear-waste storage [Oct. 31]. But the nuclear critics who want atomic power to go away have their heads in the sand--it's here to stay, at least in Germany, France, Japan and Russia. A myopic policy will keep the U.S. out of the ball game but will not impede the growth of nuclear power. While we procrastinate, the rest of the world keeps betting that nuclear and safe, clean, economical are synonymous.

John J. Lescisin

Pittsburgh

Why do you think we must lament the postponement of the atomic age? We are moving (not too late, I hope) into the age of the sun.

Leonard Barbera

New Orleans

Off Target

Jasper Johns is a technical virtuoso [Oct. 31], but please do not confuse craftsmanship with aesthetic significance. When one sets up concerns for the "object" as Johns has done in White Flag, that person is not dealing with universal issues.

Many painters have gone so far into self-exploration that painting has very little relevancy today. Unless we concern ourselves with more important issues, painters will become anachronisms, and great art will be found only in historical archives, currently known as art museums.

Mark Travers

St. Louis

If Johns' intention is "to make the viewers feel dumb," he has failed miserably. The ones who should really feel dumb are the painters who create such trash and those writers who think Americans care for it.

"The greatest artist at work in America." Indeed.

Carol Kerley

Worland, Wyo.

Porky, Pro and Con

At last. A savior for the stutterer in the person of Bob Goldman [Oct. 31].

Yes, we stutterers have been put through pain by unfeeling people, and when a character like Porky Pig and a song like K-k-k-katie are made popular, we realize just how inhuman these people are. We are intelligent citizens who hold respectable jobs and would prefer to be treated as such.

M. Grace Frumento

Auburn, N. Y.

I am distressed to hear of the proposed ban on Porky Pig. As a lifelong stutterer, I have always looked up to Porky as the one institution in America that stutters. The greatest menace to stutterers today is the automatic telephone answering device. It could run out of tape before we get our message across.

Tom Hill

Covington, La.

Bad to Verse

In R.Z. Sheppard's review of the new Dylan Thomas biography [Oct. 31], he mentions the '30s and '40s as being the time of underpaid poets. The tone seems to suggest that this is a thing of the past.

My most recently published poem netted me the princely sum of $1.70.

Fred S. Davis

Columbia, S.C.

Two Weeks, 2.5 Million More

Two weeks after your Essay on the population bomb appeared [Oct. 24], the world's population had grown by something over 2.5 million people. Does anyone feel that in that brief period the world generated enough assets to feed, clothe and educate them?

William P. Jeffery Jr.

Westwood. N.J.

There has been no food shortage. The problem has been one of poor food distribution because of politics in the nations around the world.

Purify the hearts of the world's politicians and you will be able to defuse the population bomb.

Leo E. Olbrys

Detroit

Overpopulationists are like fuss-budgets who will keep a tidy house by keeping the children out of it. I find their desire to politicize and shape up people an insult.

Kathy Boland

Charleston, W. Va.

No Injunction

TIME erroneously reported that Farrah Fawcett-Majors had been barred from performing in television and theatrical motion pictures by reason of a court injunction following her departure from the series Charlie's Angels [Aug. 8]. In fact, the producer of the series requested injunctive relief in a complaint filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, but no injunction has ever been issued.

Joel Behr

Silverberg, Rosen & Leon

Los Angeles

Dangerous Drink

Your tongue-in-cheek handling of the story on Morarji Desai's drinking of urine [Oct. 24] gave an implied O.K. to anyone who could stomach the beverage. This is definitely not the case.

The kidneys remove toxic substances from the blood. The drinking of urine will result in reabsorption of these substances. A healthy adult could probably consume a small daily portion of his urine without complication. However, consumption of even a small amount of urine by a person with marginally functional kidneys could lead to uremic poisoning by progressively elevating the blood concentrations of toxic substances. Readers who are willing to "drink up" should know the odds before they toast their health.

Robert J. Cosgrove

Research Biomedical Engineer

Birmingham

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