A'jad in the Big Apple

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An Anniversary of Hope
On every anniversary of Sept. 11, I think of how much trust was lost among so many Americans and Muslims [Sept. 17]. Yet not long after that tragic day, one seemingly delicate American woman with an iron will and amazing intellect trusted my family and me with her most precious treasures for a week: she left her two teenage daughters with us in Montreal when she went to a conference in the U.S. In that moment of difficulty, she trusted a bearded Muslim colleague at her university and his veiled wife. God knows I would have given my life to safeguard that trust. While they were with me, her daughters were as precious to me as if they were my own. My friend reaffirmed a lesson I had learned back home: although it is our right, indeed our duty, to be reasonably prudent and careful, the hate shown to us by a few people should never completely stifle the possibility of building bridges with others who sincerely offer us their love and friendship.
Asif Iftikhar, LAHORE, PAKISTAN

Reading the names of every victim of the 9/11 tragedy at the anniversary memorial is ridiculous. This country has a nauseating habit of sensationalizing every event with a fervor that borders on fanaticism. We all grieve for the victims of tragedies, but there comes a time when we must be left to our own manner of grieving. Splashing memorial ceremonies throughout the media only dredges up sorrow, which we hardly need at this time in our country's sorry state. If we could bring such passion to the truly important issues, we could forge a better future. Let's move on.
Patricia Green, COLUMBIA, MO., U.S.

If we do nothing on 9/11, if it just becomes another day on the calendar, what will that say to the people who lost loved ones on that day? And what message will we be sending to the men and women who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to the soldiers who have come back scarred and maimed? If we stop commemorating 9/11, it will become just another event in the history books that will eventually fade from the collective memory. We must not forget.
Esther Ann Horwitz, COLORADO SPRINGS

Enough Is Enough
What a great question: is Obama black enough? [Aug. 27] I also want to know, are the rest of the candidates white enough? Is Hillary woman enough?
Charlie Kearns, ZANESVILLE, OHIO, U.S.

A City in Ruin
Michael Grunwald is right: New Orleans isn't safe [Aug. 20]. But how could anyone expect a guarantee that a city built below sea level will not flood? Why are so many residents expecting better protection than they received against Katrina? The poor and elderly who endured the horror at the Superdome are back. How will they make it through the next storm?
Mary Frances Herrin, GALLIANO, LA., U.S.

A Commitment to Care
My son received a diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma when he was only 8 years old [Aug. 20]. He is now 15 and thriving. We go for follow-up examinations every year, and he is involved in clinical trials at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. I hope your article will help other parents realize that follow-up visits are necessary to make sure our children grow up to be healthy adults.
Marcy Bucy, SUNLAND, CALIF., U.S.

More True Romance
Why no mention of once, the best love story of the past few years [Aug. 20]? Steven Spielberg said it gave him enough inspiration to last the rest of the year. How about an article on this little film that is hanging on in a few theaters by the skin of its teeth? How good and how successful does it have to be before your writers will notice it?
Christopher Dalrymple, NEW YORK CITY