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Commentator John Ridley's view-point column "Why I'm Good with the 'N' Word" [Dec. 11] disregarded the word's legacy of dehumanizing black people. The mere utterance triggers a mental videotape of hatred, violence and oppression. It's not just "mollycoddles" who oppose it. Employment discrimination based on race and color was pervasive. The epithet nigger was directed daily against black workers. Despite the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's successes in combating discrimination, this practice persists. The N word is so clearly poisonous that even nonblack employees file lawsuits when their co-workers or employers use the term against them. Some white employees charge hostility when blacks use the slur around them. Some employers cite the N word's prevalence in popular culture--and endorsements like Ridley's--to defend referring to black employees as "niggers." Ridley recommended that we simply "relax. Take a deep breath. It's gonna be cool." But we cannot. We will continue our efforts to eradicate this harmful slur from the workplace--forever. NAOMI C. EARP CHAIR, EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION Washington
A Fresh Look at Iraq
The release of the Iraq Study Group's report gave me hope that the U.S. will move back to a more cooperative foreign policy [Dec. 18]. In the shock following 9/11, the U.S. Administration stepped into a trap laid by al-Qaeda. Five years later, civil rights are restricted the world over, Islamic radicals have gained strength, and the so-called war on terrorism has produced more hostile fighters. I hope it is now understood that bombs don't spread democracy, whether in Iraq or in Lebanon. Real strength means you reach out to the other side and work out a solution that makes life better for both sides. The reconstruction efforts in post--World War II Europe provide a good example of what could be accomplished today. Why not repeat this approach in the Middle East? AXEL RUECKER Munich
Best Photos of 2006
I was happy to see the old Leica camera in TIME'S picture roundup [Dec. 18]. It was completely appropriate that the best photos of 2006 were introduced by the camera of the last century! The Leica camera was the ultimate tool for many great professional photographers as well as the ultimate dream of so many great--and less great--amateurs. Notwithstanding the often superb quality of its competitors, anybody with a heart for photography has to admit that there was one camera prized above all: the Leica. INGEMAR LINDAHL Lidkoping, Sweden
The photo of the children scavenging for food in Kanpur, India, reminded me of Jean François Millet's painting The Gleaners. It was really sad to see what these poor children's lives are like. I hope we can create a better world full of love and hope so that the next generation will not see the desperate conditions necessary to create another, updated version of The Gleaners. LETHER LAM Hong Kong
One thing "The Best Photos of the Year" showed us is how much more beautiful and peaceful the world would be without the toxic influence of American and Israeli politics. NATALIA AGAPIOU Brussels