Can't please everybody

Thank you to Andree Seu for the insightful and scripturally well-reasoned column, "The camel's nose." The president should not try to make both sides happy-that will only end in political and spiritual defeat. Taking a stand for biblical principle, however, will begin to restore what our nation lost in 1973. - September West, Wright City, Mo.

Rich and insightful

I recently read a Sept. 5 article on the CNN website about the situation in Afghanistan, and soon after read WORLD's article on how that country's Islamic government was persecuting Christian relief workers ("An unholy war of nerves," Sept. 1). I was struck with how thoroughly plain and uninteresting the brief CNN article was, in contrast with the rich and insightful reporting by WORLD. - Brian A. Schwartz, Nashville, Tenn.

Leaders vs. members

Your article on unions failed to adequately differentiate between the organizations and their membership ("State of the unions," Sept. 1). Union leaders have aligned themselves with the radical left and use the union dues to support political candidates opposed to biblical teachings on family, abortion, and homosexuality. It's hard to trust an organization saying it is for the working people while it undermines what is most important to them. - Bob Clark, Mansfield, Ohio

Saving money at home

In your coverage of the Time article about homeschooling, you correctly recognized the negative tone of the article ("Time takes notice," Sept. 1). However, WORLD reinforced a misconception about school funding in stating that Florida "loses $130 million because 41,128 [homeschooled] children are out of the system." The state might lose that much in federal dollars, but neither does it have to build classrooms, pay teachers and other staff, maintain the buildings, and so on. As a former school board member, I don't believe that Florida could cover the costs of schooling that many children for $130 million. How many school districts need less than $3,161 per pupil? Hence, Florida is saving thousands of dollars per homeschooling student, and those parents should be commended for saving their fellow citizens' tax dollars. The public systems are really concerned about losing power, because when children leave the system to be homeschooled their constituency shrinks. - Ursula Smith, Chesterfield, Mo.

Newt unrealistic

Your special issue on race had several really encouraging and biblically based visions of what might take place by 2063. The essays by Star Parker ("Confidence in the unseen") and others who addressed the reality of sin and necessity of repentance in order for restoration to take place were especially relevant. I was, however, disappointed in Newt Gingrich's pollyanna article where everyone suddenly wakes up to love each other and finds the race relations problem magically solved. It was shallow and unrealistic. - Steve Bowman, Cumming, Ga.

Emergency

I found "Sex-ed sells" in the Aug. 11 issue inflammatory and unhelpful. Mr. Kirby's research, suggesting that "comprehensive" sex-ed programs were effective, was written off without thoughtful study of the science behind it because of the researcher's conflict of interest. As a physician, I find that dispensing "abstinence only" advice to non-Christian, sexually active inner-city teenagers, whose single parents typically change partners frequently, is akin to advising a patient in full cardiac arrest to watch his weight and lower his cholesterol. We are in a societal emergency room of promiscuity, resulting in sexually-transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. The delivery of crisis care and prevention needs to be carefully tailored to each audience. Just saying no has proven, in my experience, to be impotent. - Curtis P. Hamann, Phoenix, Ariz.

Sounds familiar

As the pastor of a small Bible church, Andree Seu's Aug. 18 essay, "On writing," struck a very personal nerve. As I compared it to the weekly process of composing my sermons, I could almost swear she's been looking over my shoulder. It's comforting to recognize that my first drafts aren't the only pathetic ones in the world. - Aaron Telecky, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Frozen to death

Once again Andree Seu hit the nail on the head with her Sept. 1 column, this time regarding an issue with stem-cell research that is not normally emphasized ("The camel's nose"). A co-worker and I were discussing whether it could be ethical and caring purposely to fertilize extra embryos and then have them die in storage-really not much better than direct destruction of embryos. WORLD arrived that afternoon, and Ms. Seu's article eloquently discussed that very issue. - Zanese Duncan, Norcross, Ga.

Meanwhile?

Marvin Olasky's column on labor seems encouraging: Welfare reform is responsible for 60 percent of the increase in employment among single moms ("Priceless labor," Sept. 1). But the thought of all those single moms going off to work makes me wonder what their kids are doing meanwhile, and how those moms can have time to impart security and character to their kids. - Kit West, St. Louis, Mo.

Power lust

American capitalist support for the left-wing agenda has been going on for a long time, although Mr. Veith's point about many businesses getting sucked into this through their good intentions is probably true ("Business unusual," Sept. 1). Individual businessmen supported the early Soviet regime back in the 1920s, and think of all that has been supported by the great foundations established by super-wealthy capitalists such as the Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Ford foundations. It is truly unfortunate that great wealth-often made possible by capitalist principles-seems frequently to lead people into a desire to control the lives and thoughts of others, which, for many, has led to support of the leftist agenda. - Ben Torrey, South Windsor, Conn.

Duly noted

One notable exception to your coverage of major corporations that support leftist causes is ExxonMobil, whose CEO, Lee Raymond, and his pro-family values have been recently reported. The politically correct crowd, whose knowledge of the energy industry is limited to Valdez oil spill and opposition to oil production in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, are furious at such anti-liberal social policy from this company. I continue to be proud of having devoted my working career to Exxon. - Ray Vigneault, Houston, Texas

Shuddered

The Aug. 25 special issue on race was very informative and thought provoking. I shuddered at the atrocities listed in the timeline. I long for justice and healing in our nation and pray that each of us will be part of the solution. - Linda Truman, Louisburg, Kan.

"Favoured races"

As a twentysomething, your timeline reminded me of all I missed. Thanks for the much-needed history lesson. I would add to your timeline only the 1859 publication of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species with its subtitle: "Or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life." The book hit the market on the eve of the Civil War. People need to wake up and realize the far-reaching implications of evolutionary theory. Until we embrace the truth that we are all endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights, slavery in all of its ugly forms will never die. - Sarah E. DelliGatti, Etters, Pa.

Innocents exposed

"Sex-ed sells" was of particular interest to me. I ran for local school board last year and found out more than I wanted to know about what public education is teaching our kids. I was disappointed you did not display the "Programs that Work" curricula for the heinous and disgusting program that it is. We should do whatever we have to do to help get them out of the public school system. Not everyone has the ability, emotionally or financially, to either homeschool or send children to private school, so these innocents are exposed to what amounts to pornography at taxpayer expense. I will sacrifice whatever necessary to keep my five grandchildren out of the public system, including homeschooling one here in my home. - Diane M. Giddings, Aiken, S.C.

Correction

Natives of Pakistan are Pakistanis, but natives of Afghanistan are Afghans; Afghanis are units of money there (Sept. 1, p. 25). The cholesterol-lowering Pravachol is one of a family of prescription drugs known as "statins" (Sept. 8, p. 13). - The Editors