Letters

I just finished reading President Clinton's side of the story [June 28]. He's still his same old charming self and one of our greatest Presidents, in spite of his weaknesses. And who has none? Under Clinton, the U.S. economy was great. The deficit was eliminated. No devastating wars. No killings. I'd vote for him again if he could run--and I'm an old-time Republican. ELLEN RUARK Southbury, Conn.

Good men do not have to explain themselves, just as good Presidents do not have to write books to shape their legacy or justify their deeds. A person's actions speak for themselves. JERRY GARBER San Antonio, Texas

How I miss Clinton's intelligent, thoughtful and truly compassionate leadership. He has the kind of genuine concern that pays more than lip service to the needs of the common citizen. I was struck by the fluidity of his responses and his understanding of complex geopolitical issues. I am so used to the current Administration's terse, repetitive and convoluted statements--which don't respond to anything--that I had forgotten what real leadership sounds like. LYNN CAPEHART San Diego

I voted for Bill Clinton--twice. I think he was a great President who did terrific things for our country. I absolutely deplore and abominate, however, the person that Clinton is. And I know the meaning of is. Anything for which Clinton should have been respected has been overshadowed by his lascivious behavior and abuse of power. DAVID PARK BROWN Kailua, Hawaii

Bill Clinton tells of how counseling helped him overcome his demons. Perhaps the Clinton haters who still seethe with rage at our former President--and who spent much of the '90s spreading vicious rumors about him--should follow Clinton's lead and seek counseling as well. Surely they have demons of their own to overcome. QUENTIN DUNNE Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Joe Klein thinks Clinton's book will usher in "a brief return to the noxious '90s, a brouhaha for which not many people are nostalgic." This is a clear example of a writer's getting carried away by his powers of alliteration. Everybody I know is nostalgic for the '90s, but maybe people like us, who come from the L.A. ghetto, don't count. When Bill Clinton dies, the streets of Washington will be thronged with weeping, praying mourners. But they won't be like the people who watched Reagan's funeral procession. Many of Clinton's mourners will be people who actually live in Washington: black people. VICTORIA BRAGO Los Angeles

Although Bill Clinton may have been relevant as President, he is largely irrelevant now. And so is his book. ROBERT BILLS Laguna Beach, Calif.

What Joe Klein glosses over is that Clinton was probably the only U.S. President who held up a mirror to the nation so it could inspect its own morality and yet survive the shattered image. Clinton's legacy will be much more than an attack on the moneyed right. His work in the field of AIDS through his foundation is more useful than George W. Bush's limp efforts. My guess is that Clinton will have a memorial better than an eternal flame: the collective respect of those who know that through transgression, suffering and humility we reach our full human potential. MARILYN KEEGAN Cape Town

Clinton is the personification of all Americans: vigorous, ambitious, flawed, talented, vain, sensitive and persistent. His America is the real America, not the movie version. Yes, we will cry real tears for Bill Clinton at his funeral. He is our family; he is us. PRESTON FOSTER Princeton, N.J.

I liked Clinton's statement that "WE should be trying to build alliances and acting with others whenever we can and acting alone only when we have to." Because the U.S. is a superpower, with almost no competition, it may feel it is always right. But that doesn't mean the U.S. has to prove that everyone else is wrong. Only respect for others' views can bring the world nearer to peace. GIRISH MEHTA Baroda, India

Women Answer the Calling

"Rising Above The Stained-Glass Ceiling" pointed out some real struggles that women clergy face [June 28]. I've been a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for 18 years. In my previous congregation, where I served for 10 years, I was told after eight years of service, "One of the reasons we called a woman pastor was that we could pay her less." Women clergy are just as well educated and just as dedicated as male clergy. Our spouses and children sacrifice just as much as men's families. I pray for the day when we will be more interested in the quality of a pastor's leadership than in his or her gender. (THE REV.) LESLIE SOYSTER Camarillo, Calif.

I was the chair of the search committee that called the Rev. Joanna Adams to her first position as a Presbyterian senior pastor almost 20 years ago. Although she was the first woman in our pulpit, we did not call her because of her gender. She was simply one of the best we had ever heard at preaching the Gospel. She inspired all of us, male and female, young and old alike, with her sound theology, charisma, thoughtfulness, compassion and humor. J. TOM MORGAN Atlanta

How His Faith Is Received

Your story on religion and the oval Office [June 21] included a quotation by me. Contrary to the implication and context of your reference, my remark had nothing to do with President Bush personally. Instead, I was referring to the way he invokes God and Jesus, and good and evil, in policymaking speeches, apparently intending their impact to "bypass the mind and go straight to the bloodstream" of his listeners. ELAINE PAGELS PROFESSOR OF RELIGION PRINCETON UNIVERSITY Princeton, N.J.

What About Phylicia Rashad?

I was very disappointed by "10 Questions for Phylicia Rashad" [June 28]. The interview was apparently not about her but about what she thinks of Bill Cosby and Sean (P. Diddy) Combs. A woman should not be assumed to play a secondary role when, like Rashad, she is a talented actress who deserves to be the center of attention for her own outstanding accomplishments. FU-LIN Y. LEE McLean, Va.

Unanswered Questions

After months of work, the 9/11 commission has found no evidence that Iraq was involved in the 2001 attacks on the U.S. [June 28]. Shortly after that news, President Bush said, "The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam [Hussein] and al-Qaeda [is] because there was a relationship between Iraq and al-Qaeda." I am so tired of mindless, circular and arrogant reasoning from this President. It doesn't convince me of anything and leaves me with an empty feeling about the leadership of this country. TOM BENSKY San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Now that all the hoopla is over regarding how the 9/11 hijackers did their dirty deed, one might hope the discussion would turn to why they did it. Americans deserve a public debate on that issue. Besides going to war, spending billions and making more enemies, is there anything we can do to prevent its happening again? ROBERT S. MOORE Huntsville, Ala.

Culpability or Shame?

You wrote about how Bush Administration officials looked into reshaping America's stance on torture [June 21]. Torture is torture. Period. Honor is honor. Period. There are no shades of gray. If the U.S. wishes to hold itself up as the light of freedom and civil rights, it must maintain moral principles in all situations. Punishment of the soldiers directly involved in the Abu Ghraib abuse is pure hypocrisy if we do not also bring to justice everyone in the military chain of command, as high up as necessary. The U.S.'s standing in the world community requires this. MICHAELENE PENDLETON Moab, Utah

Marketing Savvy

Your article "Pitching It To Kids" told how children under 13 are a key target for marketers [June 28]. Dealing with the problem of the hard sell to children is simple, but you have to be a firm adult. Just say no, and explain that the sugary cereal--or whatever--is bad for children, but that the company wants to sell it to make money. You'd be surprised how easily young kids get this concept. LANA CARLSSON-IRWIN Wayland, Mass.