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Army on the Edge
I am a captain in the U.S. Army currently deployed for my second tour in Iraq and can relate all too well to many of the points raised in the cover story [April 23]. It is important for the American people to know the state of the Army. Many of my fellow junior officers are leaving because of frequent and lengthy deployments. We all understand the call to serve and have done so without complaint and with distinction. But there is no substitute for spending time with your wife or children—something multiple deployments have taken away. The Army is at a crossroads, and the only way to prevent a further decline in readiness and fighting ability is by electing leaders who have a clear, attainable vision for the future, not a shortsighted, knee-jerk reaction to everything.
Name Withheld, U.S. Army,
Baghdad

Any deficiencies in our military are directly attributable to the press and Congress. The press has kept up a drumbeat of negative, antimilitary coverage, and Congress has acted as a willing accomplice. Both strive to undermine this country's ability to defend itself and are determined to see the U.S. fail.
Rodney Dahl,
Bend, Oregon, U.S.

My story is the same as that of many other military wives. My husband is well on the way to his third tour in Iraq. We have two little girls who barely know their father. Each time he deploys, I brace myself: he may not come home alive. This war is ridiculous. Our soldiers are worn out, the equipment is worn out, and so are our children. How long can we sustain this lifestyle? Every other year, until the war is over, my husband will be deployed. And when my soldier is home, he isn't resting. He is hard at work training in the classroom and the field. It is time for our military families to stand up to this Administration and say, No more.
Stacy La Forest,
Fort Campbell, Kentucky, U.S.

I am a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom. Your article provided no benefit to the U.S. and helped only the enemy. I would hope TIME would do all it could to help the U.S. win this war. Now is the time to fight for our country and way of life. I understand you may not wish to fight, but do not hinder those who do.
Major Frank S. Shaw III, U.S. Army,
Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.

Verbal Villain or Victim of Censorship? If the outrage over radio-show host Don Imus' racist and sexist slur is to hold any meaning, it will be in its power to help us reflect upon the freedoms, values and conflicts that compose our collective psyche [April 23]. Sadly, our society too often rewards those who traffic in disrespect. Let Imus encourage us to question all who profit from debasement and remind us of the dignified existence our freedoms were meant to provide.
David Terhune,
New York City

I could never understand why anyone would want to listen to Imus even before his "nappy-headed hos" debacle, but Ican't help wondering whether his castigation illustrates a double standard. If Chris Rock were to say the same thing, he'd probably get another HBO special. Isn't it time we all stand up and say that race, gender, sexual orientation and nationality are off limits for cracking jokes? Humor is great, but let's not tolerate it at another's expense.
Russ Bannon,
Palmas Del Mar, Puerto Rico

It is unfortunate that many people who heard Imus' coarse comment don't know about the many good works he has championed and the valuable political discourse heard daily on his show. The Rev. Al Sharpton has stated that the firing of the radio icon was not about taking Imus down but lifting decency up. Perhaps he speaks the truth, but millions of radio listeners will probably conclude that it was more about promoting activists and opportunists. For the friends and fans of Imus, and for all who are growing tired of selective outrage and sporadic forgiveness, there is always the option of boycotting products and networks to convey our dismay.
Buck Rutledge,
Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.

As a black woman, I am bothered that Imus went too far, that he's been allowed to spew his garbage virtually unchecked for decades, that the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Sharpton are hypocrites and that too much hip-hop degrades women. But I am even more disgusted that Imus' defenders try to trivialize his remarks by citing his charity work. Philanthropy is not a license to discriminate. Doing good works doesn't give anyone the right to disrespect me, my race or my gender.
Renee Newbold,
Newport News, Virginia, U.S.

I suspect that if Imus had been talking about a men's basketball team, he would not have been so colorful in his comments. Some men seem to have a problem with successful women, even though men still hold most positions of power. I have never understood what thrill there is in degrading another human being or why I should tolerate it. I learned just the opposite in Sunday school.
Ellen Linderman,
Carrington, North Dakota, U.S.

Where are the feminists? Why haven't the leaders of the National Organization for Women been front and center protesting the sexism of the Imus remarks? And where have they been all these years as the gangsta rappers have labeled women "hos," enabling that derogatory word to become commonplace? In the good ole days of feminism, Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan would have been as visible and vocal as Jackson and Sharpton. In the current storm, sexism has taken second place to racism.
Jean M. Alberti,
Lombard, Illinois, U.S.

I'm a 47-year-old black male, and I think Imus was genuinely contrite and apologized more profusely than Jackson and Sharpton have for their missteps. I will go to my grave believing that taking Imus off the air was a huge mistake. This will prove to be a missed opportunity to generate dialogue about many subjects that are currently being discussed only in the privacy of our homes. Many problems are devastating the black community, but Imus is not one of them. The time for blaming the white community for minority problems has expired. We must hold ourselves accountable.
Curtis Sims,
Lake Stevens, Washington, U.S.

A white man from an older generation chose the wrong slang, and it ended his career. I am not defending what Imus said; I only defend his right to say it. If you don't like what someone has to say, don't listen. Truly offensive speech does not dignify a response.
Daniel J. Graeber,
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.

Many Imus admirers are asking, whatever happened to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and freedom of expression in this country? Well, we all believe in free speech, but that doesn't give anyone license to insult someone else's ethnicity, religion or gender. I am not a fan of Imus, but I believe he is a decent, compassionate and complex man who was badly in need of a refresher course in tasteful humor.
Isa K. Mushahwar,
St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.

Hasn't Imus always been a racist jerk? Although there is a line between satire and insult, it seems to me the line is very clear. I think hip-hop music is offensive, so I don't listen to it. I thought Imus was offensive, so I didn't listen to him. Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Sacha Baron Cohen and Sarah Silverman are funny because they point out painful truths in our culture.
Meredith Hodgkinson,
Austin, Texas, U.S.

Cox Signs Off
Ana Marie Cox must have been kidding in her piece "No More Imus for Me" [April 23]. Like everyone else who appeared on the Imus program, she knew what the show was about. Everyone was happy to use the program for self-promotion but wants to claim ignorance now that there is some heat. Imus was on the air for nearly 30 years doing the same routine. His comments about the Rutgers women were indefensible, and he apologized for them. MSNBC and CBS should have shown some courage and said that censorship is unacceptable.
Joseph Buonpastore,
Wayne, New Jersey, U.S.

As a woman working in a male-dominated field, I too have sat at lunch with male colleagues and choked at their strip-club humor and sexist, racist remarks. I commend Cox for not tolerating it any longer. But she shouldn't be so hard on herself about putting up with it before: it's still a man's world. Thankfully, that's starting to change.
Linda Plackowski,
Midland, Michigan, U.S.

The Misery of Zimbabwe
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

Fathers on the Fast Track
The dads' dilemma in Asia and beyond is compounded by father substitutes such as television, the Internet, gaming gadgets, nannies and even mothers willing to take on the role of fathers [April 16]. Fathering is deliberate and takes a lot of hard work. Sometimes it is easier to be passionate about excellence at work than at home. If we fathers have goals and visions for our careers and businesses, we need to have a greater vision for our families and an even greater resolve to do everything that we can to make that vision a reality.
Jeremy Tan,
Makati city, The Philippines

A Wayward Regime
Joe Klein says it all about Bush and his arrogant, incompetent and cynical Administration [April 16]. It's a wonder how the U.S. Congress has not made a move to impeach him for his sins against the American people. There seems to be a double standard in how they impeached Bill Clinton for his sexual pecadillo, which resulted in not one death, while Bush, whose lies sent over 3,000 Americans to their graves and imperiled the peace and stability of the world, remains free from the threat of impeachment. How can Congress let his many impeachable offenses stand?
Oscar T. Sevilla,
Tacluban, The Philippines

Fighting to Live
After reading that Elizabeth Edwards is living with metastatic breast cancer, I have to warn women that cancer still kills [April 9]. While treatments have improved greatly, without early detection of the first onset or of recurrence, cancer remains deadly. I urge all women to listen to the subtle messages your bodies send. Challenge your doctors, and do not be too afraid or too busy to make an appointment for an examination. Fund-raising commercials and cancer-center advertisements show smiling, apparently healthy patients who seem to have beaten the disease. What Edwards and TV commercials show is only one part of the picture. Cancer is a killer, and we are still engaged in battle. Early diagnosis and detection are what will keep you smiling, improve statistics and keep you alive.
Valerie Mehta,
Lansdale, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Thank you for your excellent article. I have been a cancer survivor since March 14, 2005. Although what you reported is very important, what was not mentioned is perhaps even more important. After completing chemotherapy, surgery and radiation treatments, cancer survivors have critical needs. Far too many of us are left on our own after completing a course of treatment. In too many instances, the physician says, Come back and see me in a year. We all need accurate and up-to-date information as we move forward with our lives.
Mervyn Kopp,
Thousand Oaks, California, U.S.