Inbox

Please Help Yourself

As our economy closes in on a possible recession, the end of customer service will only help it slide into one [March 24]. While shopping might become quicker and more convenient, what about the jobs that will be lost? Companies will make more money without needing to pay as many employees, but will that really make the world better? I'm no economist, but I feel it will just make the rich richer. Jeff Richmond, MONROVIA, MD.

As someone who runs a company dedicated to automating customer-service systems, I think your article should have been titled "The End of Customer Service--As We Know It." Thanks to the Internet, not only are people more empowered to access information on their own, but in many cases, they also end up more knowledgeable about a company's product than the customer-service agents themselves. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly difficult to retain employees, making service inconsistent at best. Technology will fill these gaps and provide better, more consistent service. John Putters, President, Visionstate EDMONTON, ALTA.

I'm curious to know where the saved dollars are going. Are they lowering prices for customers, or are they padding CEOs' retirement funds? Betty Kroupa, EAST TROY, WIS.

Jesus in a New Light

Viewing Jesus as a member of the house of Israel is prevalent today in academia, though that has not yet made it to the pulpits and pews [March 24]. Grasping the full Israelite identity of Jesus of Nazareth and his family is essential to understanding his historical roots, behavior and teaching. It will go a long way toward demolishing the delusion of Jesus as a blue-eyed Aryan, defanging Christian anti-Semitism and affirming that Judaism and Christianity have a common ancestry. Among his own people, Jesus was known as an Israelite and his followers were known as Galileans or the "party of the Nazarenes." (The Rev.) John H. Elliott, Professor Emeritus, University of San Francisco OAKLAND, CALIF.

A Crusader Crashes

All the psychoanalyzing about what drove Eliot Spitzer to risk his career by getting into illegal extramarital entanglements seems pointless [March 24]. I doubt such urges in elected officials are different from those of ordinary people who jeopardize their families and careers with similar behavior. My heart goes out to Spitzer's family members, who have to endure publicly what others suffer privately. Nadia El-Badry, DOBBS FERRY, N.Y.

I can't help recalling Bill Clinton's impeachment. While the underlying circumstances of the events are different, they do share some common elements: marital infidelity and alleged criminal acts (perjury for Clinton and violation of the Mann Act for Spitzer). Isn't it curious that at the end of the day, Clinton stayed in office because of his popularity and Spitzer got thrown under the bus for his lack of it? It's little wonder the public has so little regard for elected officials. Scott Thompson, DALLAS

Is There a Doctor in the House?

I was pleased to see the article examining Hillary Clinton's role in her husband's Administration [March 24]. A brain surgeon's wife doesn't become a brain surgeon by watching her husband operate, even if she was the nurse handing him the scalpel. Clinton may have more knowledge than Barack Obama because she has been in the operating room, but I'm not certain I'd want her handling the scalpel. David Wilson, CARSON, CALIF.

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