Letters: Apr. 18, 2005

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Can poverty in Africa be ended? Of course it can. But first Africa has to be freed from the heavy burden of the past and allowed the liberty and unconditional means to set its own course for the future. Then it could preserve some of its spiritual strength and cultural beauty, much of which has already been lost. Africa's resources have contributed immeasurably to Western wealth, and the continent has been exploited, often brutally, for decades.

RENÉ VAN SLOOTEN -- Maarssen, the Netherlands

Sachs presented a course of action that social-development workers like me have been waiting for. On the global scale, his recommendations deserve swift implementation. But on the micro or country-by-country level, I would strongly recommend the inclusion of what I would term cultural economics: values education that would make adults discard the beliefs, customs and lifestyles that are obstructive to human development. Poor societies at some point must decide for themselves to foster and support responsible sexual behavior that leads to an AIDS-free lifestyle. Donors may build irrigation facilities, but beneficiaries must ensure their continuing operation. Schools may be established, but farmers must first appreciate the value of formal education for their children. In many impoverished villages, parents still bear dozens of children to be unpaid farmhands. Responsible and planned parenting is urgently needed.

LORIE TOLEDO

Paranaque City, the Philippines

Ignorance Is Rich

I detected a pattern in your story on the fall of WorldCom's former CEO Bernie Ebbers and other corporate fraudsters who may be facing hard time [March 28]. You reported that "Ebbers said he was too ignorant about accounting to detect the financial crimes of his underlings." John Rigas, CEO of Adelphia Communications, "claimed he was CEO in name only." And Richard Scrushy, CEO of HealthSouth Corp., "thought his financial officers, though aggressive, were operating within the confines of the law." It is stunning how men who claim to be so clueless came to run huge companies and earn salaries that would make Croesus blush. I would like any corporation looking for a new CEO to know that I am available and ignorant--just the qualifications, apparently, for a job at the top.

ALLEN J. SCHULER -- Louisville, Ky.

Home-Run Heroes

If baseball stars barry bonds and Mark McGwire used illegal steroids, they deserve to be in a Hall of Shame [March 28]. But perhaps one good thing will come from this scandal: a greater appreciation for home-run king Hank Aaron, a man of decency and dignity and a record holder worthy of a child's adulation. Thirty-one years after breaking Babe Ruth's record for most career homers, Aaron still remains in his shadow. How ironic that it might be Bonds' downfall that finally allows Aaron to emerge. It's about time.

TOM STANTON -- New Baltimore, Mich.

To cast McGwire as a lying cheat is grotesque. He has raised a lot of money for worthy causes, and his 1998 race with Sammy Sosa to break Roger Maris' single-season home-run record saved the sport of baseball. Whatever the outcome of the House committee hearings, McGwire will always be a hero.

STEVE WEICHSELBAUM -- Oceanside, Calif.