Minority report

Your article about illegal immigration ("Standing in the gap," Nov. 5) was timely. I recently attended a United Methodist Church conference and people like myself, who are for tighter border security, were definitely in the minority. Someone suggested that as the "body of Christ" we must help the illegal immigrants, but no one who defended illegal immigration responded to my challenge to give money to the rancher who was tied up, shot twice, and left for dead, or to help fix the destroyed fences, replace stolen horses, or pick up the garbage. -Kim Acree; Las Vegas, Nev.

U.S. immigration laws may be convoluted, but that is no reason to break them. The United States takes in more legal immigrants every year than the rest of the world combined. No one has a "right" to immigrate to the United States. -Randall K. Van Meter; New Brighton, Minn.

I was quite surprised and offended at the picture of illegal immigration you painted. You only added to the negative stereotype of immigrants from the south of us by portraying them as violent and destructive. Of course there is a problem and there are bound to be some incidents, but you should also look at the degree to which the U.S. economic policy toward Mexico is spurring on this phenomenon. -Drew Jennings; Chattanooga, Tenn.

Sure, there's a little property destruction, littering, assault, robbery, gang activity, murder, rape, death, child abandonment, and drug trafficking, but these "undocumented workers" just want jobs. Who could think that there's any real reason other than impatience to get to our "beacon on the hill" that they're crossing illegally instead of going through immigration? Some people are so paranoid. -Daniel Sweet; Houston, Texas

Miers down

It's very disappointing that Harriet Miers never had a chance to testify before the Senate ("End of the road," Nov. 5). I feel like something has gone very, very wrong with the process, as well as within the GOP. And for those who say no one will remember her a month from now, I say, "Shame on you." Ms. Miers will remember this unfounded character rape for the rest of her life. -Scott R. Nowlin; Oxford, United Kingdom

Ms. Miers may have made a great impression at the hearings and become a capable and conservative justice, but it's more likely that this nomination would have come to a more damaging end than it did. By getting out when he did, the president gets a fresh start. Those who opposed him on Ms. Miers are back on board and most of those who supported him will like his new nominee even more. -Eric C. Bohnet; Indianapolis, Ind.

One off

"Why hesitate at the finish line?" (Nov. 5) was right on point, with one exception. When asked about Roe v. Wade, Supreme Court nominees shouldn't say, "Count on me to side with the weak and defenseless," but "Count on me to overturn cases that created rights from thin air that are not in the Constitution, one of which is the 'right to abortion' created by Roe v. Wade." We want justices who exercise judicial power in a constitutionally correct way, but Joel Belz makes it sound like we want justices who make policy, exactly the judicial methodology that got us Roe v. Wade. -Alan Davis; Austin, Texas

CareNetful shopper

Thank you so much for your article concerning Interstate Batteries' support of CareNet ("Powerful charge," Nov. 5). They have found renewed interest from an old customer. I will look for and purchase their products over others, and I will urge my law firm to do the same. -Charles E. Frost; Houston, Texas

Easing anxiety

As an adoptive parent, I thank you for the column addressing "adoption anxiety" ("The 4-A way," Nov. 5). It was a great way to kick off National Adoption Month, and more importantly, a reminder to Christians of the wonderful opportunity to fulfill the James 1:27 mandate. -Paul Golden' Clarks Summit, Pa.

Back-alley insiders

Your article on the PBS documentary "The Last Abortion Clinic" in Mississippi ("Scary movie," Nov. 5) did not surprise me. Pro-abortionists cry that ending Roe v. Wade would bring a return of the "back-alley abortionists," yet they fight attempts to make abortion clinics meet health-care facilities standards. When abortion doctors don't have admitting privileges at a local hospital, aren't they just "back-alley abortionists" who have come inside? -Glenn Tuley; W. Melbourne, Fla.

Innocents scared

Is Andrew Coffin unaware of McCarthy and his tactics ("Murrow vs. McCarthy," Nov. 5)? The Red Scare was real, but in using character assassination, innuendo, and guilt by association, the senator was the antithesis of democratic American values and did have innocents hiding under their desks. -Thomas A. Karman; Shawnee, Okla.

Wrong lord?

I was amazed that Dick Staub's assertion, that the "Lord of the Rings" in Tolkien's books is not Sauron but the God of the Bible, went unchallenged ("Beyond the Force," Nov. 5). Did I miss the meeting? Has mainstream Christianity decided this question while I was asleep at the wheel? -David McMeans; Dayton, Ohio

Celebration

Regarding Marvin Olasky's review of books on witchcraft ("Navigating strange lands," Nov. 5): I grew up in an agnostic household and loved Halloween and all the occult stuff, too. Now, as a Christian, I want to celebrate Jesus rising from the dead, not His enemy reveling in death. -Shannon West; Edmonds, Wash.

Disturbing

"Blood hunters" (Oct. 29), about the use of DDT for controlling malaria, was disturbing. We still cling to the utopian belief that we can generate perfect solutions for the problems we face. As a result, millions die from malaria while we withhold DDT. We were wrong to abandon Africa to malaria, even if all Rachel Carson's claims about DDT had been true. A proper view of risks and benefits would have sided with DDT utilization until a better alternative was found. To be the good stewards God calls us to be, we must accept that our best solutions will be imperfect. -Clarke McIntosh; Asheville, N.C.

The sad division

Andree Seu's contribution to the "worship wars" ("Strike up the lyre," Oct. 22) highlighted well the sad division of the church on the very thing that ought to unite us-the worship of God. The tension she expressed over conflicting worship materials betrayed the woeful man-centered attitude today's church has regarding God's praise. Instead of debating whether our worship songs and music are "contemporary" or "traditional," perhaps we ought to ask, "Are they biblical?" -David Whitla; Indianapolis, Ind.

Correction

Mercy Corps delivered 16,000 pounds of corn meal to a district in Guatemala ("Forecast: accumulating exhaustion," Nov. 5).