Letters: Jan. 21, 2002

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Person of the Year

"Mayor Rudy Giuliani has stood out as the representative of the U.S. and of Americans for all the world to admire." BARRY O'BRIEN Iron Mountain, Mich.

I was utterly delighted to learn that New York City's Rudolph Giuliani is TIME's Person of the Year [Dec. 31-Jan. 7]. New Yorkers are the most resilient, compassionate and extraordinary people anywhere. In times of hardship and tragedy, we come together, and the mayor has led the way. He has been a tower of strength for all of us who were frightened, shaken, sorrowful and depressed. FRANCINE M. SCHWARTZ New York City

Not to take anything away from the heroic performance of Mayor Giuliani, but your choice of him was hypocritical and cowardly. Can any rational person think the effect that Osama bin Laden's heinous crimes had on the world was less important than the mayor's wonderful deeds? When Giuliani went to ground zero right after the attack, he showed something TIME's editors lacked: courage. EDWARD RADOSH Weston, Fla.

On Sept. 11, as I was trying to make sense of the terrorist attacks and wondering where I would find my courage, I heard Mayor Giuliani utter his now famous words "the number of casualties will be more than any of us can bear." I knew then that I had heard the voice of a man I could trust, and I believed that if he could act with so much courage and honesty in the middle of the storm, so could I. Rudy has been my choice as Person of the Year since Sept. 12. BARBARA POTTER North Barrington, Ill.

Giuliani is certainly deserving of the designation Person of the Year. But the greatest impact for good or ill in 2001 was made by Osama bin Laden. Neither Mayor Giuliani nor President George W. Bush would have been a candidate except for the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Without the events of that day, 2001 would have been a run-of-the-mill year. TIME chickened out. JAIME ARBONA Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

Nancy Gibbs made some good points in recognizing that bin Laden is too small a man to get the credit for all that has happened in America since Sept. 11. Anyone like bin Laden, with money and a plan, could have sent messengers of death to New York City, but it took a man of Giuliani's courage, his instinct and intelligence to take on the responsibility for action in the face of this catastrophe. Rudy took charge. He led all the people of New York--the fire fighters, the police, the survivors and those who suffered the loss of loved ones. He was truly heroic. JEANNE HUM La Mirada, Calif.

Giuliani did not cause our armed forces to attack a foreign country. Nor did he cause the average traveler to be treated as a common criminal at airports. He didn't make people afraid to open or even touch their mail; he made no great impact on the economy and jobs. Giuliani did not cause two of the world's tallest buildings to become rubble. He surely does not meet your criteria for Person of the Year. WILLIAM K. GREENE League City, Texas

Giuliani has been called tough, abrasive, insensitive and indiscreet. So has New York City. His leadership united a great city, as the courage of the people of New York united a great country. We should thank Giuliani and the city he has led through the terrorist attacks. MARTIN SCHLANK Aberdeen, N.J.