Letters

Schwarzenegger Muscles In

The real travesty in the California recall circus is not that Arnold Schwarzenegger, an underqualified actor with an overinflated ego, may be the state's next Governor but that the recall election is happening at all [NATION, Aug. 18]. Both political parties have abdicated their responsibility to come up with tough solutions to the state's budget deficit, opting instead for the political cop-out of recalling Gray Davis. A recall is supposed to be an emergency measure to allow voters to remove corrupt officials. In California it is being subverted to remove an unpopular Governor. I fear this precedent may cause recalls in other states and have a paralyzing effect on the ability of elected officials to govern. To borrow titles from two of Arnold's movies, California's "total recall" may soon turn into the nation's "raw deal." ANDREW J. BINGHAM Kirkwood, Mo.

What ever happened to choosing the candidate best qualified to manage a state or a nation? With more than 130 candidates running, who does TIME put on its cover but the most famous California gubernatorial wannabe? Shame on you for helping to feed the misguided culture of celebrity. JAMES PLATH Bloomington, Ill.

Now the country is laughing at us Californians just as we laughed at the Texans over their protest at redistricting. But the underlying cause of both circuses is the same. This is about Republicans trying to seize power in a state by going outside the normal electoral process. Go ahead and laugh at us. We deserve it. But what's happening in this country really isn't very funny. MELANIE NICKEL San Diego

After the 2000 Florida recount, I was worried that California's distinction as America's paragon of peculiarity was in danger of being lost to another state. Happily the Golden State is once again playing the role as the country's flagship theater of the absurd. ROY KOMOTO South Pasadena, Calif.

The media frenzy around Schwarzenegger saddens me. I am sorry to see the low expectations we have established for a political candidate. The citizens of California deserve a Governor who is educated and politically savvy and can represent everyone. The recall election is not a Hollywood movie premiere. It is a costly process in which the citizens of California have much to lose. LINDA J. ROBERTSON Oakland,Calif.

For Californians to elect Schwarzenegger Governor would be the equivalent of New Yorkers' electing Sylvester Stallone Governor after 9/11. Running a state the size of California is not a job one just walks into. Californians must realize what they need is not an actor but someone with the experience necessary to get the state back on track. BEN MILANO Lindenhurst, N.Y.

The battle between Schwarzenegger and Davis could be called the Terminator vs. the Nauseator. Gentlemen, come out fighting! HERB STARK Massapequa, N.Y.

Sex and the Clergy

Some Anglican leaders in the U.S. think the confirmation of gay bishop V. Gene Robinson will cause a "shattering of the Episcopal Church" [SOCIETY, Aug. 18]. Perhaps this display of intolerance and bigotry will sever the church into two parts: the side of love, tolerance and peace vs. the side of hatred, prejudice and condemnation. The latter group may not realize how fortunate they are to be able to practice their religion freely, as they selfishly quest to make others conform to their own narrow standards. ROBERT GENNET Los Angeles

It's wrong to label the current dissidents in the Episcopal Church as "conservatives." The dissidents have compromised or accepted such issues as the revised liturgy, women in the priesthood and heretical clergymen. They are, in fact, the church's moderates. True conservatives left the church years ago. RICHARD S. SHAWKEY Arnold, Calif.

The controversy surrounding the ratification of Bishop Robinson is just one symptom of a much deeper divide: between those Christians who consider the Bible to be literally the unchanging, inerrant word of God and those who reject this view. From the Fundamentalist perspective, the elevation of Robinson is equivalent to acknowledging that Scripture is not inerrant, that its prohibitions against homosexuality are neither the word nor the will of God. There is more than homosexuality at stake here; gays have been caught in the cross fire. GRANT GRISSOM Media, Pa.

Lethal Border Crossings

In "People Smugglers Inc.," you described how the traffickers who smuggle migrants over the border into the U.S. have become violent and are using automatic weapons to fire on American and Mexican authorities [WORLD, Aug. 18]. The Bush Administration has stationed 139,000 troops in Iraq but none on the Mexican border. Bush's priorities are upside down. He refuses to deal with this ongoing scandal. When will he put 20,000 troops on the Mexican border to defend the U.S.? LAWRENCE BRISKIN Centerville, Ohio

I would like to remind all those who feel the welling of compassion for the "undocumenteds" who come across the U.S.-Mexico border that when migrants choose to deal with criminals, they should expect them to act like criminals. While no sane person would wish harm to the migrants, do not forget that they choose to enter the country this way. They could go through the immigration system, as millions of others do. It is their choice to trust the "coyotes." If granting permanent residency to migrants is the only thing Washington officials can think of, we may as well throw up our hands and open the border completely. It's hardly stopping anyone now. MERRY DOBBINS Dallas, Ga.

Self-Interest at Work

In Daniel Kadlec's "They're Getting Richer," Kadlec noted that it is corporate executives who are benefiting most from President Bush's tax cut on dividends [BUSINESS, Aug. 18]. I guess Kadlec thinks he can decide for me who deserves the money and who does not. A much more useful article would have noted how much corporations have raised or lowered their dividends in the latest quarter compared with dividend figures for past quarters. GARY BARTLETT Oakton, Va.

Wow, what a surprise that the rich are getting richer under a Republican President. I personally think this country is spinning out of control under this Administration, with a war that nobody wants, a relaxation of environmental-protection laws and states and cities that are bankrupt. If Bush is a President of the people, I would like to know who those people are. I will be very active during the next presidential race working to remove this prancing peacock from office. FRANCES J. BELL Pittsburgh, Pa.

His Toughest Critic

In James Poniewozik's review of VH1's show I Love the '70s [TELEVISION, Aug. 18], he mentioned me and the show Ed, characterizing me as a "B-list celeb." I strongly resent this statement. Anyone who has seen my work on television knows I am on the C list. MICHAEL IAN BLACK New York City

Taming the Flames

Your article "Fireproofing The Forests" discussed the thinning of undergrowth and prescribed burns as methods for reducing catastrophic forest fires [ENVIRONMENT, Aug. 18]. In Australia I saw many examples of the maintenance of the land through planned burnings. And as you noted, the practice was also used by the White Mountain Apache tribe. Why can't we learn from these people who have thousands of years of applied knowledge? CHARLES E. PERUCHINI Los Angeles

As the report by J. Madeleine Nash made clear, fire behavior is a complex and highly variable phenomenon that depends not only on geography and the type of vegetation involved but also on the management history of a given stand of trees. This complexity often overwhelms policymakers, who strive for simple solutions to complex problems. It was refreshing to read such a well-written, balanced and scientifically accurate article addressing the nuanced subtleties of a complex issue in a form understandable to both the general public and legislative staff members. JEFF KENNEDY INFORMATION CENTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Davis, Calif.

Helpful Iraqis Under Fire

Your report "The War's New Front," about attacks on Iraqis who have been assisting U.S. troops [IRAQ COLLABORATORS, Aug. 18], quintessentially depicted the American policy toward the Iraqi people. You noted that Iraqi Fayek Kudayar Abbas was paid $40 a week as a translator, but quit his job after he was attacked. Since anyone working with Americans is in grave danger, it is paramount for the Americans to guarantee Abbas' personal protection. For Americans, Iraqis seem to be the equivalent of paper napkins: cheap to buy, quickly used and disposed of. And there is no shortage of supply. About 25 million desperate people have to find a way each day to get by until the next. GREG PYTEL London

It's not a solution to bomb a country down to the ground for questionable reasons and then totally lose control of everything. Iraq is not the only evidence of the U.S.'s flawed foreign policy. Think of Afghanistan. Has anything improved there since troops landed almost two years ago? No. Corruption is still proliferating, the Taliban is lining up again and the country is still among the poorest in the world. I'm sure we'll see the same results in Iraq. LUC DEFERONT Marseilles

Staying Power

As your story on the bombing in Jakarta made clear [NOTEBOOK, Aug. 18], Islamic terrorist organizations have shown once more that they have not been defeated by the global war against terrorism. Otherwise they wouldn't have been able to damage a luxurious hotel in the heart of Indonesia's capital. Is it really necessary to maintain the risky fight against Islamic fundamentalists? They can appear everywhere, they can hide anywhere, and they're constantly filling their ranks with new, young and motivated members. It seems senseless to react with violence. It would be much more useful to find a compromise. MAIRA FELUPINTIS Piraeus, Greece

Forgive and Forget?

It is high time that the world accept Libya's confession that it was responsible for the 1988 bombing of Pam Am Flight 103, which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people [NOTEBOOK, Aug. 25]. Libya has been isolated and sanctioned for nearly 15 years, and it has already paid enough for this atrocity. Why should innocent Libyans be made to suffer any longer from enormous unemployment, a bad medical situation and a disastrous economy, all of which are the result of the sanctions? MICHAEL DUNINGER Salzburg, Austria