Letters

Saving the Big Cats

"Until we are able to control human overpopulation, any species that competes with Homo sapiens for space and food is doomed." KARLA KELLENBERGER Stow, Ohio

I applaud time for its cover story [Aug. 23] on the vulnerable status of big cats (lions, tigers, snow leopards, cheetahs and others)--surely one of the saddest legacies of today's world. Human overpopulation, hunting, poverty and ignorance--along with the horrendous practice of buying and selling animal parts--have proved to be obstacles too tough to overcome, even for creatures as magnificent as the big cats you pictured. Every solution mentioned by the scientists and conservationists is worth trying. We owe these animals our best efforts. GILLIAN BEACH CIERI West Palm Beach, Fla.

I fear that humankind's plundering of the habitat of these majestic animals and misguided attitudes toward them will be their downfall. I respect the right of ranchers to protect their herds from predators, but a global realization of the threat of extinction should motivate us to protect the big cats and allow for their survival. BRETT I. GINGOLD Bend, Ore.

Big cats are only doing what humans do: they are predators, and so are we. IRVING STANTON ELMAN Pacific Palisades, Calif.

You provided a great overview of the problems facing all big-cat populations. If we can protect the megafauna, we can also protect whole ecosystems. And if we can't, then what about our future? LINDA REIFSCHNEIDER St. Louis, Mo.

It must be a great consolation to the family of the victim killed by a mountain lion in California to know that the death was simply a result of "being in the wrong place at the wrong time." Best of all, by being some cat's dinner, the victim contributed to its survival. Any man-eating animal is our natural enemy. Are we willing to sacrifice human lives to prevent their extinction? RICHARD PACKHAM Roseburg, Ore.

Your report suggested that trophy hunting of lions and tigers might be an approach to conserving these species. The dwindling populations of big cats won't be saved by allowing trophy hunters to kill the animals. Trophy hunting not only removes the biggest and most genetically fit animals but also helps create markets for big-cat parts--undermining the long-term conservation of increasingly isolated populations. Conserving big cats is a culturally and socially complex issue but not so complicated that the direct killing of the fittest animals can turn out to be helpful. WAYNE PACELLE, PRESIDENT HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE U.S. Washington

Save the big cats! finally, a cover story to be enthusiastic about. A trek into the savanna--a land unpopulated by those other man eaters, Bush and bin Laden. What I would give for this vacation to never end! LEIF JOHNSON Orinda, Calif.

Border Business

Your article about smuggling marijuana from Canada into the U.S. [Aug. 23] did not fairly describe how diligently Canada addresses the problems of illicit drugs. We take the issue of drug trafficking in both directions across our shared border very seriously. The cooperation between our governments and law-enforcement agencies is a model for the international community. In recent months, binational law-enforcement teams have successfully dismantled numerous criminal drug networks. The increase in marijuana seizures reflects greater law enforcement along the border. Still, only 2% of the total marijuana that the U.S. seizes at all its borders is produced in Canada, which has the same objectives as the U.S.: to reduce the supply and consumption of illicit drugs and the harm they cause society. BERNARD ETZINGER, SPOKESPERSON CANADIAN EMBASSY Washington

Your story mentioned that A 16-YEAR-old girl from Washington State had been charged with intending to smuggle Canadian marijuana across the border into the U.S. Imagine the devastation that will befall the girl's family if the prosecutor has his way. She may be incarcerated until she is 21 because of a drug that is likely to cause no other harm than fits of laughter and mindless cravings for junk food. Canada should be commended, not criticized, for its steps toward decriminalizing marijuana. America's current marijuana policy is paranoid, stubborn and cruel. BENJAMIN SELMAN Cambridge, Mass.

Reining in Research

Re Charles Krauthammer's specious Essay on politicizing the issue of stem-cell research [Aug. 23]: President Bush took his position to limit federally funded stem-cell research to satisfy his Christian Fundamentalist base. Krauthammer is doing more than just politicizing the issue of limited stem-cell research. He is also doing harm to many people with diabetes, congestive heart failure and Parkinson's disease, and he is foreclosing hope. No one expects a cure to be available tomorrow. What we expect is that scientists will be allowed to work without being stymied by political obstacles framed as ethical arguments. CHRISTINE BENTLEY Valparaiso, Ind.

I have been following the development of stem-cell research since I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma more than 15 years ago. Krauthammer's Essay was one of the most instructive, nonbiased articles that I have ever read on the issues involved. LARRY M. KAPLAN Dallas

Three cheers for Krauthammer, especially for his courage not to seek to regain the ability to walk "at any price." Humanity has been entrusted with advancing the gifts of scientific discovery and technology. We are expected by a higher power to use them ethically and responsibly. The ethics that define our responsibility are not mysterious; they are commonsense values that reflect the sanctity of human life at all stages. BETSY MAYER Rapidan, Va.

There are good reasons so many scientists are interested in stem-cell research, but Krauthammer never explains them. And he trivializes scientific research by opposing the use of "embryos created purposely and wantonly for nothing but use by science." The entire purpose of the piece seems to be to take shots at anyone who disagrees with him, rather than to shed any real light on this "complex moral issue." STEPHEN L. BROWN Boston

A Governor's Secrets

The title of the article on New Jersey Governor James McGreevey [Aug. 23] should have been "What a Wimp!" He is not a hero or victim, as he would like to be portrayed. He could have been open about his homosexuality. Instead he chose to marry, run for Governor and have a secret life. He might have succeeded if he had not created scandals with some of his choices while in office. The people of New Jersey, both gay and straight, should feel betrayed. DANIELLE QUINN Middletown, Del.

We cannot let McGreevey use a double standard. Homosexuality cannot be an excuse for adultery and granting political favors to personal friends. If McGreevey were a straight man, he would probably have been impeached already. As Governor, he should assume responsibility for his actions. ABILIO COLON San Juan, Puerto Rico

Hail to the Chef

Joel Stein's tribute to Julia Child, "Living Through Better Cooking," was right on the mark [Aug. 23]. I owe my passion for cooking in large part to this remarkable woman. I watched her regularly throughout her long television career, and I still refer to several of her books. My favorite is her masterpiece, The Way to Cook. At first, the definite article in the title seemed a bit presumptuous, but it was entirely appropriate. Millions draw on Child's expertise to prepare a better meal, a fitting tribute to a real national treasure and a friend we all shall miss. JOHN HOWARD Ventura, Calif.

GEorge Bernard Shaw once observed, "There is no love sincerer than the love of food." A member of the Bread Bakers Guild, Julia Child shared with the public the secrets of great cooking, encouraging us to master the fundamentals and use the best ingredients. We take solace in the fact that Child's last meal was a bowl of French onion soup--which of course includes a toasted baguette slice. We recall fondly her closing line at the end of every show: "Bon appetit." GINA PICCOLINO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BREAD BAKERS GUILD OF AMERICA North Versailles, Pa.