A President In Isolation

I was astounded to learn that Howard Stern earns $1,000 in 24 sec., while police officers and high school teachers earn the same amount for 43 hr. of work. The disparity of earnings between celebrities and average Americans clearly shows how far our culture's values have fallen. A radio personality's value to our society is totally insignificant compared with that of hardworking police officers and teachers.
Forrest F. Leigh
Boulder, Colorado, U.S.

time's statement that "hispanics are the only group having more than enough children to replace themselves in the population" could imply that our continued population growth is a good thing. There will be another 100 million Americans in 37 years. At a time of diminishing resources, such growth is not an admirable goal.
Roaney Giles
Austin, Texas, U.S.

Punjab Puritans
"No dates, no dancing" [oct. 30] was about Punjab University in Lahore, Pakistan, where socializing between men and women is taboo. It is a prudish place, tightly controlled by a student group, Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (I.J.T.), whose goal is "training the young generation according to Islam so they can play a role in Pakistan's social and political life." But what about the country's economic life? The vice chancellor of this university — as in most other Pakistani universities — is a retired general lacking an academic background. There was a time when Arab Muslim countries led the way in advancing knowledge in literature, astronomy and mathematics. Islam was not considered inimical to such advancement. Sadly, Muslims have been in a deep slide since then.
Kangayam R. Rangaswamy
Waunakee, Wisconsin, U.S.

I was disgusted to learn that I.J.T. members have been known to physically assault students for drinking, flirting or kissing on campus. Any group that uses thuggery should be banned and the culprits penalized. A university campus should be a place that encourages free speech. If students want to wear the veil, then so be it. But if they do not, then they must be accommodated as well. However, in my view, Pakistan is becoming more liberal, especially on college campuses. All my friends and family who live there paint a picture that is very different from the society I left barely six years ago. Music on campus is a huge part of the social scene in Karachi, dating is rampant, the arts and culture are vibrant, and Western influences and a free press are spreading. Most of the middle- and upper-class urban population, although they may not support U.S. policies (Who does?), are not fanatic in their beliefs and would never vote for conservatives.
Omar Haq
Piscataway, New Jersey, U.S.

Exit Signs
Why is the U.S. not pursuing a diplomatic exit strategy [Oct. 30] that involves more help from our Middle Eastern allies like Saudi Arabia and Egypt? Their interests certainly supersede ours in that the tens of thousands of people who have been killed are their neighbors and not the U.S.'s. The war and attendant issues — its effect on the U.S. image abroad, the oil business and humanitarian concerns — would be better handled by the regional powers on our side.
Bruce Schulte
Ardmore, Oklahoma, U.S.

Nuclear North Korea
In a world in which firm and certain national, economic and political borders no longer exist, the danger of yet another catastrophe is exponentially larger [Oct. 30]. Quite unlike 60 years ago, we have nations within nations, religions within religions and interests within interests — all existing in a globalized world in which mankind's selfish quest for wealth has almost certainly destroyed its only habitat. When are we going to grasp how grave our situation is? We should rise up against the real enemies — power-hungry politicians and money-hungry exploiters who rape our earth in the name of development.
Johan Van Der Merwe
Hilton, South Africa

The Dance Of The Veils
Re columnist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown's essay "Nothing to Hide" [Oct. 16], on the controversy surrounding former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's request that Muslim women remove their veils in his office: The political and religious debate between Islamic fundamentalists and the West regarding female modesty cleverly sidesteps the root responsibility as being in Islamic religion or, as Alibhai-Brown says scornfully, in females themselves, "as carriers of original sin." That some Muslim women find solace in their exemption from the extremes of fashion and images that famously victimize so many of their Western sisters is quite beside the point. It is society's and, in particular, the father's role to raise our sons to respect their mothers and sisters.
Michael Bazeley
South Perth, Australia

Patriarchal faiths in countries where politics and religion intertwine have 100% compliance with such antiquated notions as compulsory wearing of the veil. The indoctrination of children into male-dominated religions will cause a persistence of sexist attitudes, moderated only by rational secular influence, as evidenced by Australian culture.
David Nicholls, President
Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc.
Maitland, Australia

The familiar adage "your freedom ends where my nose begins" is one of the foundations of modern civilization and liberal democracy. I would certainly like Islam's freedom (and that of every other religion and every political party) to end where my nose begins. I acknowledge my own fealty to such laws, and I shall fully reciprocate.
S. Suchindranath Aiyer
Bangalore, India

Cheney Gives No Ground
I agree with Cheney. anything short of total victory in Iraq is unacceptable [Oct. 30]. The coalition forces led by the U.S. Army need a renewed focus to simply, swiftly and smartly counter, decapitate and suppress the insurgency within a time frame and then go home. The pandering to the whims of insurgent leaders should stop. The much sought-after peace lies in the hands of the locals and will surface the moment they are allowed to take their destiny into their hands. The earlier they are allowed to do so, the better for the entire world.
Segun Ogunleye
Lagos

Cheney is a man of extraordinary determination. He is still looking for victory instead of a speedy exit in a degenerating Iraq. I wondered if he wasn't joking. He's like a person sinking in quicksand, yelling for help and hoping for a miracle.
Chen Ven Tzu
Penang, Malaysia