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The Power and the Spirit

What a tribute to Billy Graham by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy [Aug 20]. I enjoyed the article immensely--to the point that I had to go over it a second time. I have always thought of Graham as one of the most outstanding and gifted spiritual leaders in the world. His sermons have always been uplifting and meaningful in my personal life. The article certainly portrayed a man with great spiritual faith in God and love for all mankind. Graham's comments in the sidebar "On Life and Loss" were exceptional. The significance of his loss of Ruth in June 2007 and knowing that he will one day join her in heaven is something that everyone should come to understand, as well as the true love and devotion expressed by him. TIME, you paid a special tribute to a very special person. Thank you.

Don Evett, BOUNTIFUL, UTAH

No one would say Graham is not a nice guy, but hagiography does little justice to history. As an evangelist, Graham helped swell the ranks of those vulnerable to political propaganda and right-wing ideology. In the wars his President pals waged, he stood right by their side, lending his prestige to their policies. He has helped lead the nation toward theocracy and abolishment of the constitutional separation of church and state. Perhaps more dangerous than any other encouragement of hubris, Graham has provided a model for President George W. Bush's belief that God directs his every move.

David Ray, TUCSON, ARIZ.

Like the evangelist's message, the cover image was timeless. Many bloggers have opined about whether it was coincidence or conspiracy behind the "devil's horns" they saw on Graham's head, but the way I see it, the editors chose to superimpose the powerful image of America's pastor at prayer over the magazine's logo to reflect that the Good News he preaches is outside the confines of TIME--both the magazine and the dimension. That is consistent with veteran writers Gibbs' and Duffy's story, which focused on a spiritual rather than secular mission in which Graham was not confrontational about policy and politics but constantly challenged the state of each President's soul. Graham has always been very direct and urgent about the Gospel--the truth he most cared about conveying to people in power.

A. Larry Ross, Director of Media/Public Relations for Billy Graham

CARROLLTON, TEXAS

As a Hindu Indian who has been a naturalized American for many years, I have been deeply concerned by the clout and popularity of Graham. To believe that whoever receives Christ as his Saviour goes to heaven is quite acceptable to me. To say Christianity is the only way to God and heaven is outrageous.

Vishwanath Ayengar

WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y.

I hope everyone who read the story on Graham will see how he exemplifies Christian belief. His faith is not dogmatic or wrathful, as so many depictions would have it. It is a faith of forgiveness, strength, humility, perseverance and, most important, love. It is a love for mankind from a creator that will not stop loving us. It is with this love, belief and acceptance of Jesus as his Saviour that will he will be led to his eternal home and back to his precious Ruth. Thank you, Rev. Graham, for being our modern-day Paul and fighting the good fight.

Kristie Jent, JACKSONVILLE, FLA.

Battle-Tested Leaders

William Kristol argued that "The soldiers who have done well in Iraq will be major figures in American life for the next few decades" [Aug. 20]. So we bomb Iraq back to the Stone Age, causing the death of hundreds of thousands of people, spend billions of taxpayer dollars looking for WMD and terrorists, all so that we can train a few future American leaders. This is another classic example of warped Western thinking.

Nate Stone, PHILADELPHIA

Leadership by those who have actually served in Iraq would be infinitely preferable to that of the prevaricating crew of Vietnam shirkers and chicken hawks who "led" us into this appalling war in the first place.

Victory Van Dyck Chase, PRINCETON, N.J.

The Money Trail to Better Roads

Amanda Ripley was right to suggest that we need to develop a new mind-set about maintaining our infrastructure [Aug. 20]. The question is, How? Let's look at how all transportation tax monies the Federal Government has collected for the past 10 years have been disbursed, including the pork and earmarks that had been allocated before the balance was dispensed for transportation. Then we'll see who the real culprits are. Surely, our country would be better served by such accountability.

Dale Russo, BEAVER FALL, PA.

Room at the Inn?

I have noticed the "American Owned" signs at motels for some time [Aug. 20]. Do the people who post them believe that being American by accident of birth makes them better than being American by choice? I never stay at one of the motels displaying such signs because I have made assumptions about the people behind them. Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe they are just particularly proud citizens.

Louise Walden, WILLCOX, ARIZ.

I admit I shy away from motels that are obviously run by Middle Easterners. In my many nights on the road, I have found them to be less clean and poorly maintained. My favorite motel went downhill fast when it was taken over by Middle Easterners. Writer Hilary Hylton should have talked to a few travelers before calling us prejudiced against foreigners.

Donald D. Gardner, RENO, OHIO

Putting a Cap on Bottle Waste

Re Bryan Walsh's "Back To The Tap" [Aug. 20]: Replacing high-calorie drinks with more healthful bottled water should not be a threat to the health of the environment. On average Americans get 226 more calories from beverages than they did a generation ago, and the number of overweight and obese children is up 360%. Clearly, Americans need to drink more water, whether bottled or tap. People want to make environmentally responsible choices, and Nestle Waters does too. Our Eco-shape half-liter bottle has less plastic than any comparably sized beverage container in the U.S.--and all our plastic bottles are recyclable. We make all our small plastic containers in-house and don't truck them to our plants. What's needed most, though, are recycling programs for all plastic food and beverage containers. Our company is stepping up to be part of a 21st century recycling solution.

Kim Jeffery, President and CEO, Nestle Waters North America, GREENWICH, CONN.

After living more than 30 years in countries in which drinking tap water was a known risk, I was amazed to come home and find everyone buying water. I think tap water is great. Selling water is surely the biggest scam of the century, and Americans have fallen for it.

Marjorie Dye, PASADENA, CALIF.

Good, Clean Eating

Dr. Sanjay Gupta asked if there are real benefits to organic fruits and vegetables [Aug. 20]. He answered the question by analyzing only nutritional value. A different answer might be reached if we look at the health of workers who manufacture and apply chemical fertilizers and pesticides and of those who live downstream and downwind of chemical plants. How about the nutritional value of fish living in waters polluted by agricultural runoff? What if we take into account the myriad species of native insects, birds and fish facing extinction from exposure to pesticides? Buying organic products, especially from local farms, rewards good stewardship and protects the health of us all.

Karen Reddick Yurka, MANZANITA, ORE.

Pesticides are poisons designed to kill living things. It is because pesticides are harmful that the EPA and USDA have set limits on pesticide residues. These limits assume that everyone eats an average diet. If you eat more than the average amount of any one food, you exceed the safe limit.

Don Steinke, VANCOUVER, WASH.

While it is true that no cadavers have been labeled KILLED BY DBCP, scientific bodies from the National Academy of Sciences to the World Health Organization have classified dozens of pesticides as powerful animal carcinogens that are likely to cause cancer in humans. Human studies have found that pesticides also cause birth defects in farmworkers, as well as nerve damage and genetic mutations.

Al Meyerhoff (Past Director, Natural Resources Defense Council Public Health Program), STUDIO CITY, CALIF.

More True Romance

Perhaps Belinda Luscombe needs to expand her parameters a bit on what is considered a "romantic movie" before declaring the genre a lost art [Aug. 20]. In 2005 an acclaimed and beloved film was released detailing a heartbreaking love story. It earned $170 million worldwide, was nominated for eight Oscars and won three. That film was Brokeback Mountain. I was surprised that neither it nor The Notebook rated a mention, as those films are the two highest-grossing romantic dramas of the past several years.

Dean Backus, HILLSBORO, ORE.