Letters: Dec. 5, 2005

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There have been many times when religion has fallen behind science and also when efforts have been made to reassert its authority. Intelligent design is a fleeting but dangerous effort to maintain a position that, in the face of science, becomes less and less credible with the passage of time.

ROY HEATH Truro, England

Yet Another Guy

Now that Samuel Alito Jr. has been nominated to become an associate justice of the Supreme Court [Nov. 14], will someone please make the argument that the biggest reason he should not be confirmed is his gender? If the Supreme Court is to reflect the nation's demographics, at least half its members should be women. The court's overwhelming maleness isn't a fair representation of the majority of Americans. Surely the legal profession has at least one woman as competent as Alito.

GLORIA J. KIESTER Northfield, Minn.

Politely Succeeding

As a businesswoman, I found your piece on the growing number of Chinese taking classes in Western etiquette very informative--and frightening [Nov. 14]. It said more about how much money the U.S. stands to lose, and China to gain, over the next 10 years than about how polite the Chinese may eventually become. Although I wholeheartedly applaud the efforts to teach helpful social skills to the masses, I am a bit concerned about the consequences we business owners here in the U.S. will face with the inevitable success of the Chinese. It's probably time for Americans to order out for classes in Mandarin.

MAURA GRABER Ontario, Calif.