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Mark Twain's America
Mark Twain on the cover of TIME magazine [July 14]! This is TIME at its best, just as Twain is America at its best. You can't be the leader of the free world if you are not led by freethinkers. And that's what Twain was and still is: a great free mind. Are these signs that an Age of Reason is dawning? Arben Kallamata, MISSISSAUGA, ONT.
When I was a youngster and I should have been sleeping, I would read about Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher by flashlight underneath the covers at my grandparents' home. Later, a friend and I built a raft and tried to sail across Diamond Lake in Illinois, only to be rescued by fearful adults. When I was 11, my grandmother took me aboard the legendary Delta Queen. Now, after more than 80 years afloat, the Delta Queen is to be put out of service because of inaction by Congress. It brings to mind a Twain saying: "Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." I can't imagine an America without Twain's writings, the Mississippi River or the Delta Queen. Charles Greene, LEWISBURG, KY.
My only quarrel with your Twain story is with Rick Stengel's comment that Twain is the godfather of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Twain may be their godfather, but there is no doubt in my mind that he should be considered more a legitimate father of George Carlin and Bill Maher. Alice A. Grimes, WATERTOWN, MASS.
Stephen Carter is right to point out that "Was Twain a racist?" is a ridiculous question. He was raised in Missouri in the 1830s and 1840s. Of course he was racist--at least for part of his life. And so is Huckleberry Finn, which is part of what makes the book so brilliant. The reader, through Huck, comes to see how absurd racism is, as Jim is fully humanized on their trip down the river together. Twain's point is that racism is socially conditioned and is contrary to the natural inclinations of the human heart. Huck defies the laws and customs of his people and acts with his individual conscience, which is what makes him such a great--and uniquely American--hero. Pamela Martin, PRESCOTT, ARIZ.
Loved your articles on twain, but I'm sick of reading that the 15th Amendment of 1869 granted former slaves the right to vote. The 15th Amendment granted only male ex-slaves the right to vote. Women of all races occupied a rung well below male slaves on the U.S. ladder of rights. This failure to include women should not be ignored or forgotten. Glenice Reed, PUNTA GORDA, FLA.
Courting the Catholic Vote
Re TIME's article "how america decides": Perhaps Amy Sullivan could have rephrased her last sentence [July 14]. The "very full bowl of wafers" that she refers to is the body of Jesus Christ. Rita Healy, CHARLOTTE, N.C.
Shame on Sullivan for her reference to a "bowl of wafers." And shame on the Catholic priest for denying Christ to Douglas Kmiec for endorsing Barack Obama. Judith N. Thelen, CUMBERLAND, MD.
Let's Still Meet in St. Louis
Re TIME's postcard from St. Louis: It's clear that the loss of Anheuser-Busch would be a huge blow to the city's self-esteem [July 14]. But St. Louis, Mo., still has a beautiful urban park, a great orchestra, many art venues and an enviable architectural tradition. Dominic Ricciotti, WINONA, MINN.
Gas-Guzzling
TIME's suggested adaptations to expensive gas sound good, but with teenagers driving to school instead of taking taxpayer-subsidized buses and with mall parking lots full on weekends, I don't see them happening [July 14]. I think gas will have to reach $6 a gallon before old habits change. Kenneth Lee, RAYTOWN, MO.
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