Letters

BUSTING BILL GATES

TIME's cover story on Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's finding of fact in the Justice Department's antitrust case against Microsoft was right on the mark [BUSINESS, Nov. 15]. The suit brought by the government seems to have been less about the power and influence of Microsoft and more about reprimanding those who have acquired too much, too easily and too quickly. The government seems to think that people who have the wealth, power and influence of Microsoft ceo Bill Gates must be doing something wrong. Why can't our government recognize success for what it is--hard work, risk taking, smarts and ambition? Some message we're sending to the next round of entrepreneurs! DOUG OLSON Pacific City, Ore.

To those of us who struggle daily with the crashes, glitches and general intractability of Microsoft's flagship product, Windows, Judge Jackson's stern words are soothing balm. Gates claims that this case is about whether U.S. companies will be permitted to benefit consumers through constant innovation and improvement. But it is Microsoft, not the government, that has stifled innovation and injured the consumer. And while we can all support a fair market, leveling a playing field dominated by Mount Microsoft is a daunting project of uncertain outcome. As a computer user, I will know how to judge the success of this case--an operating system that truly works. SHELDON DANIELSON Boulder, Colo.

Lynching is alive and well in America. This time the victim is a productive genius and creator of wealth for himself and countless millions around the globe. It is Bill Gates. Yes, there is a criminal in this case, but it is not Microsoft. ADRI KALISVAART Lincoln, R.I.

Gates presents himself as a lovable, nerdy, self-made billionaire, but consider the facts. Having bludgeoned the companies that threatened him, Gates now poses as a man whose only joy is promoting innovation and competition. If his practices aren't monopolistic, then John D. Rockefeller and Jay Gould were just misunderstood capitalists. JACK MORROW Long Beach, Calif.

Blaming Microsoft for bundling its own browser with its Windows software is like blaming Henry Ford for installing the internal-combustion engine in all his cars! Imagine if people had to choose an engine separately for a car before they bought it! Since the breakup of AT&T, my phone bills have become astronomical; since Congress "fixed" the cable-TV companies, I have higher bills and fewer channels. Now I wonder what will happen with my computer. Maybe if it ain't broke, don't fix it! SHEILA MARIA KORTLUCKE Lawrence, Kans.

Bravo and congratulations to Janet Reno, the Department of Justice and Judge Jackson for standing up to and beating Microsoft, at least in the first round. As much as Americans love their financial heroes, they love their freedoms, financial and otherwise, more. GRANT D. CYRUS Boulder, Colo.

It no longer pays to be innovative and highly successful in marketing one's ideas in America. The nonachievers, well aware of their paucity of brains, attempt to destroy the successful at every turn. PAUL J. FROST Camas, Wash.

Microsoft is extremely important to the U.S. economy. How much federal tax revenue comes from the firm and its employees? And how much state and local tax revenue? What would happen if Microsoft were to move its operations to another country? I am sure the company would find a welcome anywhere. The Justice Department should consider these questions before proceeding further in the case against Microsoft. MARK A. SMITH Uhrichsville, Ohio

It is awful that Gates and microsoft are barring others from achieving success. I have used Windows since its first release here, but my next personal computer is going to be an iMac, and I'll be surfing the Net via Netscape Navigator, not Microsoft's Internet Explorer. EVE VOSLOO East London, South Africa

I wonder if Monopoly was one of those favorite games that Gates and his family liked to play when he was growing up. Despite the fact that little Billy's friends are upset because he owns all of the good properties and has hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place, one still has to give him credit. Gates has made it his business to remember those in this world who are born into absolute poverty. For instance, he recently donated $250 million to the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization--and that's not play money. BARBARA J. HALEY Victoria, B.C.

Don't be too hard on Bill. He gave us what we needed! Many of us older folks who are computer literate remember the impossibility of exchanging information in computer form. Gates and his team substantially eliminated the obstacles. The dismemberment of his empire would take us back to the old days of incompatibility and frustration. Chaos may be around the corner. ROBIN T. GREENWOOD Longworth, England

RELIGION IN HOSPITALS

As a Catholic, I am ashamed of the actions of the Roman Catholic Church and its hospital systems, which proscribe abortion and other reproductive services, including birth control, morning-after pills and sterilization [HEALTH, Nov. 15]. The essence of Catholic teachings is "Follow your conscience." Along with the people who embrace other faiths, Catholics of conscience deplore the church's attempt to force them to do its will. CORINNE SABO San Antonio, Texas

While Catholic-sponsored health-care facilities are bound by the church's teachings prohibiting, among other things, contraception and tubal ligations, it is imperative that these teachings be balanced with the medical needs of the community. Other health systems have found creative solutions to accommodate both women's health needs and the church's position--through an independent provider or separate funding source. Without practical alternatives, women across America could be left without the affordable reproductive health care that is the most basic to women during their child-bearing years. ALEXANDER C. SANGER, PRESIDENT Planned Parenthood New York City

It's very troubling that so many of these hospitals receive tax-exempt status and can still impose their teachings on patients. You asked if it is fair for a Catholic hospital to impose its morals on patients. The answer is no. PEG VINES Wichita, Kans.

EASING SIGHT LOSS

It was with great interest that I read the article on Henry Grunwald's book Twilight, about his battle with macular degeneration [BOOKS, Nov. 15]. Having lost my vision in midlife, I can empathize with Grunwald and understand his daily struggle. I would like others with vision problems to know that reading machines are available that convert the printed pages of books, magazines and newspapers into speech through technology that scans the printed text. This is an absolute blessing and eases the burden of sight loss, affording blind people the opportunity to enjoy topical printed material without additional human assistance. CYNTHIA GROOPMAN New York City

POLYGAMY BY ANOTHER NAME?

Re your report on polyamory, openly loving more than one person simultaneously [FAMILIES, Nov. 15]: Once we accept "gay marriages," accepting polygamy and recognizing "marriages" of three persons or more is next. If the traditional model of marriage is discarded, by what logic can our society hold that only two people can enter into a marriage contract? Being sensitive to and tolerating polygamy will become the next test of enlightened virtue. TERRY L. CLASSEN Eau Claire, Wis.

You described a situation in which two men and a woman were successfully living together and raising a daughter, only to have a judge remove the child from the home. But surely a home with three loving parents has to be better for a child than the socially acceptable alternative of a mother who breaks up with one partner to be with another. LOREN DAVIDSON Fremont, Calif.

TEENS ON A PEDESTAL

In Mark Katz's commentary "Power Children" [ESSAY, Nov. 15], he criticized the teen worshipping of recent years. I am a part of the generation that has grown up with countless television shows and self-help books on how to be a teenager. You need not worry that teen worship will turn us from the golden calf into a tarnished cow. Even though we have got more attention, we are still the same people. The extra focus on teens and children in today's society is not necessarily a bad thing. LISA CHEN, AGE 17 New York City

Like Katz, I grew up when teens were tolerated, not celebrated. Now, at 46, I am an antiquated adult with a 16-year-old who thinks that I was stupid to be alive during the civil rights movement. And he has the media, insistently telling him how smart the sacred young are, to back him up. GLENDA M. JOHNSON Gautier, Miss.

People constantly point out teenagers' shortcomings. I am tired of hearing about those stereotypical mistakes. What is adolescence about, anyway? We don't need someone telling us we're going about growing up all wrong. The youth of today need to get support from adult members of society so that we can continue to make this world a place that believes in tolerance and accepts people who learn from their mistakes. LINDSAY GLASSCOCK, AGE 16 Fort Collins, Colo.