Letters: Jun. 5, 2006

(3 of 4)

That the soft-drink companies have agreed to remove sugar-filled soft drinks from school vending machines is certainly a step in the right direction, but it doesn't address the issue of another ingredient kids are addicted to: caffeine. Replacing sugary caffeinated drinks with artificially sweetened caffeinated drinks isn't much of an improvement. I say, Get rid of all sodas in our schools.

RICHARD OVERTURF Cincinnati, Ohio

The days just before and after high-sugar holidays like Halloween and Valentine's Day constitute a veritable sucrose feeding frenzy in schools. Many school clubs and organizations depend on the sale of overpriced candy bars and other sugar-laden snacks as a fund-raising tool. There is seldom a time during the school year when some group is not selling some sugary treat. And obviously, if students buy it, they're going to eat it.

RICHARD LEE HUNTER Spiro, Okla.

Aiming for New Gamers

"A Game for All Ages" [May 15] reported that Nintendo hopes its new game controller, which senses a player's hand movements, will appeal to girls and grandparents. As a female gamer who has been playing video games since the days of Pac-Man, I am always amused by game companies that feel the need to target female gamers. Not one of the games aimed at girls has appealed to me. You know what I want in a game? How about realistic female characters instead of bouncy, skinny, half-naked ones? I've given up playing female characters in any game because of how they look. Does anyone really believe female warriors ran around wearing little more than a metal brassiere? If Nintendo is serious about wanting to reach the female audience, it should treat us with some respect. We like questing too!

MICHELLE HEDSTROM Santa Clara, Calif.

Nintendo believes that nongamers do not play video games because they are "really hard" and the "learning curve is steep." As a nongamer, I have another take: we do not play video games because we prefer fresh air and sunshine, exercise, good books and conventional card and board games that allow us to interact with other humans.

SUSAN MYCROFT Asheville, N.C.

Nintendo's new game controller is quite intriguing. As a nongamer, I quickly saw beyond its recreational use to its potential in other areas. Could the movement and motion described as part of the gaming experience be incorporated into a program of rehabilitation therapy for people recovering from illness or injury? If Nintendo is looking for new markets, perhaps its engineers and developers should meet with some physical-therapy experts and explore the possibilities.

KIM ENDERS Muscoda, Wis.

Faith and Politics

Columnist Andrew Sullivan, in his Essay "My Problem with Christianism" [May 15], drew a distinction between Christianity and faith-based conservatism and expressed what many of us in the mainline denominations have been thinking. Although I hate to admit it, there have been occasions when I have been embarrassed to tell others I am a minister because of the association that often gets made between people of faith and a particular political or social ideology. It is past time for those of us who believe in the all-inclusive love of God as found in Jesus to speak out against the intolerant, narrow understanding of grace held by some who call themselves Christian.