Letters

Sunday, Aug. 07, 2005
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Denial can kill. I believe that Manji is mistaken, however, in blaming religion for terrorism. A person's actions are decided and forged in reality, not religion. Islam is not to blame. While religion is a powerful force, it is not the reason that terrorism exists. The terrorists are trying to protect their culture, land and dignity in an unreasonable, extreme way. Manji asks Muslims to "own up" to the negative ideas that radicals find in the Koran. But that does nothing to rectify the situation or change the system. Change is needed--not just personal change but social change as well.

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LISA ALARCON - Stanford, Calif.

Return to Hogwarts

Your report on J.K. Rowling and the latest installment in her fantasy series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, gave me new insight into a true legend of literature [July 25]. It was good to learn about her struggles as well as her triumphs as a writer. I had thought the Potter books just flowed easily from Rowling's imagination. Now I understand that writing isn't magic, and that makes her books even more compelling.

MATTHEW LIPTAK - Boardman, Ohio

A friend asked me why I would stand in line and wait for the new Harry Potter book to be released at midnight. Couldn't my children wait until Saturday morning to get their copy? The answer is in the magic spell that Rowling spins. You simply can't wait one extra moment, and the same is true for her readers all around the globe. Rowling has brought kids together. They all know Harry.

KAREN BROOKS - Phoenix, Ariz.

Hurting All Over

Your story about the federal crackdown on physicians who prescribe narcotics [July 25] asked why the DEA is hounding doctors. Answer: Because the DEA can't catch the real drug dealers. So the agency took a cue straight from the White House: if you can't capture Osama bin Laden, go after Saddam Hussein. As bad as it sounds, I would like DEA personnel to experience intense pain. If, like the rest of us, they had to suffer the consequences of the DEA's incompetent attack on painkiller abuse, maybe that would put an end to this nonsense.

ROSLYN REID - Bernardsville, N.J.

As a husband whose wife is battling a recurrence of breast cancer, I have some advice for the DEA: be sure your far-flung investigative net snares real abusers, not just physicians whose patients, without treatment, are unable to live decently. In comparing a physician convicted of drug trafficking to a cocaine or heroin dealer, DEA administrator Karen Tandy sends a threatening message to physicians and patients alike. Unless rhetoric is followed up with a thoughtful and commonsense policy, it will be government run amuck. You can be sure that I and thousands of others will do what is necessary to get access to drugs needed by our families.

STEFAN N. MILLER - Baltimore, Md.

I am a registered nurse. I get a glimpse every day into the world of people in pain. It is surprising to me that today there are so many stigmas associated with narcotics use. There are many people like those mentioned in the article who require high doses of narcotics to deal with their pain. They don't need to encounter difficulty in getting them.

EMMA WALLACE - Montreal