The Misery of Zimbabwe

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Thank you for reporting on conditions in Zimbabwe [April 23]. I know the country well, having lived there for three years (and in Africa for more than 15 years). I was thrown out in 1999, for what reason I do not know. I was benefiting the people by teaching for nothing at the University of Zimbabwe, helping stone carvers sell their work in the U.S., working with hiv/aids educators and teaching tour groups about Zimbabwean culture. I am sorry that the great people of Zimbabwe have had to endure their government's horrific behavior. After President Robert Mugabe goes and the turmoil settles, Zimbabweans will come back even better, especially if they conquer hiv/aids.
Richard L. Kimball, FRANKLIN, NORTH CAROLINA, U.S.

One thought after reading Alex Perry's story about being jailed in Zimbabwe: by quoting his main interrogator and mentioning that several wardens asked for help in finding employment in London, has Perry not sentenced them to a similar or perhaps worse fate than being jailed?
Edward F. Kelly, SOMERSET, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.

Mugabe's decisions and actions that have led to the demise of Zimbabwe were clearly irrational. He is a dangerous person. The world must be reminded not only of his political ineptitude but also of the blood on his hands. I am thinking particularly of his treatment of the Matabele supporters of his erstwhile opponent, the late Joshua Nkomo. It is estimated that Mugabe's troops killed as many as 20,000 people while he was in the process of securing his absolute power over the nation. I hope that the International Court of Justice will investigate. Mugabe has become so mentally deficient as to be permanently incapable of rational conduct.
Mike Faure, JOHANNESBURG

A Debate on Teens
John Cloud's reassuring article about the current state of American teens [April 9], in which he discussed my upcoming book, The Case Against Adolescence: Rediscovering the Adult in Every Teen, bordered on the irresponsible. Each year more than 2 million U.S. adolescents attempt suicide, legal and illegal use of prescription drugs has increased dramatically among teens, the teen pregnancy rate is five times that in France and Italy, only 25% of high school seniors are competent in math, 80% of teens gamble, and 5.5 million are in psychological counseling. In more than 100 cultures around the world, teen turmoil is entirely absent; the serious problems of American teens are the creation of a culture that infantilizes young people and isolates them from adults.
Robert Epstein, Ph.D., DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

JOHN CLOUD RESPONDS:
While the absolute numbers are still too high, Epstein ignores that the trends over time are all good: the teen suicide rate is lower today than in 1980. The use of prescription drugs is up, but teens' use of all illegal drugs has dropped. The teen pregnancy rate is the lowest since 1976. While some education data could be better, sat scores are up. Finally, I think it's naive to believe that there are cultures in which teens are entirely without turmoil. To some extent, being a teenager means being in turmoil.
Read more at time.com/robertepstein

London Fog
Judging from the published letters that were critical of the European Union [April 16], many British do not feel European and still live in the atmosphere symbolized by that famous headline: fog on the channel; continent isolated. When people criticize the supposed lack of democracy with which the E.U. rules are instituted, they forget that those rules must be approved by the European Council, composed of elected ministers representing all the member countries. The problem is that, in many countries, a politician is used to saying "I decided it" when a measure is popular and "Sorry, but Brussels has decided it" when it is unpopular, even though he had the same role in voting on it in the European Council.
Jacques Scohy, BRUSSELS