Letters: Jun. 6, 2005

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Klein put it best when he stated, "Bill Clinton was a good President. Hillary Clinton is a good Senator. But enough already." Am I the only one who feels that Hillary is overly ambitious? Does she want to ascend to the highest rung of the political ladder just for the sake of it? If she runs for President, she will further polarize Democrats and Republicans. Who needs a more divided country? Hillary is a good politician. She's also a hard worker who delivers on her promises. She has my respect. But I don't want her in the Oval Office! We need new, new, new options.

ADRIAN M. GONZALEZ - Chicago

Hillary would make a great President, but that's not the only reason I would vote for her. I would do it for the sheer joy of watching the Republicans pale as Bill Clinton moves back into the White House.

JULIE KORNACK - Los Angeles

Summer Reruns

One thing Richard Corliss overlooked in "Once More, with Feeling," his story on this summer's film remakes [May 16], is that adaptation is a common practice in Western culture. Greek drama and the works of Homer were based on familiar legends and stories from the oral tradition, and the plays of Shakespeare were often adapted from literary sources. It's what you do with the material, and how you make it new, that counts.

M. THOMAS INGE, BLACKWELL PROFESSOR OF THE HUMANITIES

RANDOLPH-MACON COLLEGE - Ashland, Va.

As an avid movie buff, I found the report on this summer's hot movies a breath of fresh air and a break from your more serious news stories. Even though some of the films are sequels or remakes of movies from decades ago, they promise to bring enjoyment to us moviegoers.

JOSEPH P. PARIS - Rochester, N.Y.

Bad Manners

I was extremely disappointed by Patricia Marx's essay "Wedding Etiquette for the Runaway Bride" [May 16]. The situation of the Georgia bride-to-be [Jennifer Wilbanks], who concocted a story of having been kidnapped, was sad. Although law-enforcement authorities became involved in what should have remained a personal matter, the media devoted excessive coverage to the events. I feel sympathy for the groom and his family, and I certainly don't condone the bride's behavior. But TIME's poking fun at a tragic family situation in a satirical Essay was meanspirited and way over the top. Clearly, the bride has some serious problems. The media should leave her and her family alone and let them deal with the matter privately.

DIANA HENNEUSE - Sunnyvale, Calif.

Trauma Clinic

I was appalled by the grisly realities described in Aparisim Ghosh's harrowing account of a day in the emergency room at Baghdad's Yarmouk Hospital [May 16]. Conditions couldn't be worse for the medical staff and the unfortunate victims of insurgent attacks. But most frustrating is the bungling ineptitude in providing Iraqis with basic health-care essentials. Companies like Halliburton can profit while wounded Iraqi citizens struggle to survive and overwhelmed Iraqi doctors and nurses fight to save them with outdated or inadequate medical equipment. Good luck winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi populace with such underfunded and mismanaged efforts.

ERIC J. MORROW - North Cedar City, Utah