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Obama on the Offensive
Despite what the naysayers tell us about Senator Barack Obama's supposed inexperience, he is what this country needs after seven years of outrageous mismanagement by the grossly incompetent incumbent [Dec. 10]. In my native land, the pessimists said Corazon Aquino and her lack of experience didn't stand a chance against President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. History proved them wrong. A unifying figure like Aquino, without the usual political baggage that accompanies experience, was what the Philippines needed at the time. Obama presents himself as a figure whose crossover appeal can help bridge the gap between those in the blue and the red states. He is a much needed breath of fresh air in the musty corridors of power.
Cheers Echevarria-Leary, PINOLE, CALIF.

Like me, my eightysomething mother, a politically savvy liberal who has loved Oprah Winfrey for years, is deeply disappointed by Winfrey's support for Obama. Yes, we have to consider that there are men who will vote for anyone but a woman, and especially anyone but Hillary Clinton. But for "O" to support Obama, who's vastly less experienced than Clinton, makes Winfrey's decision seem divisive, racist and against the best interests of the country as a whole. Her choice is an example of reverse racism, a subject white people feel too guilty to discuss.
Susan Mather, SAN FRANCISCO

I would like to see an article that omits the candidates' faces and party affiliations and lists only their names and their stances on important issues. It embarrasses me to be an American when fellow citizens vote on the basis of celebrity endorsements, sex and race. I think we need to look at the real issues of Iraq, immigration, education, poverty, health care, national security, maintenance of our roads and bridges, English as our national language, etc. I want to know how these issues would be handled. Then I will make my decision.
Suzanne Caravella, EAST WINDSOR, N.J.

I am 75 years old, and my husband is 80. We have an annual income considerably less than $50,000. We no longer have children to raise or educate, our medical insurance is adequate, and we do take advantage of the elderly tax credit. Obama has proposed eliminating income taxes for senior citizens at our income level. I surely hope that he does not believe our votes are for sale.
Patricia Gershon, LAVERNE, CALIF.

Caught Between Color Lines
In "The Identity Card," Shelby Steele offered an insightful, thought-provoking examination of race in politics [Dec. 10]. I have a couple of questions, though. What exactly are black values vs. white values? What white shame does he believe binds my actions? He stated that "racist societies make race into a hard fate," yet he perpetuated racist beliefs in his article. Each individual is a cornucopia of various physical and behavioral traits. No single trait, most certainly not the pigment in one's skin, remotely defines any of us. If we want to end racism, let us end the practice of using accepted but clearly racist words to define individuals. The truth will set us free; let's open our eyes to that truth.
John Conlin, LITTLETON, COLO.

Is Steele trying to reduce the remarkable achievements of Winfrey and Obama — two of our country's most compelling citizens — to their ability to make whites "think well of themselves"? Millions of black and white Americans deeply admire Oprah Winfrey and Senator Obama for their character, energy and ideas, not because of skin color or guilt. Every step Americans take toward common ground will bring all those who sell hopelessness a step closer to a richly deserved obscurity.
Margaret E. Young, WEATHERFORD, TEXAS

Border Patrol
Judging from his piece "The Hottest Issue," it seems easier for Joe Klein to cast opponents of illegal immigration as mostly a bunch of nativist bigots rather than concerned citizens [Dec. 10]. But is it racist to say that a legal immigrant from Chile deserves a job more than an illegal immigrant from Mexico? I hope it is not considered bigoted to be in favor of the rule of law and against the systematic disrespect of it by those who enter our country illegally and those who help them.
Jeremy Slavin, TUSCON, ARIZ.

Members of the élite, like Mitt Romney and Representatives Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo, are whipping up the U.S.'s xenophobia to divide the nation. The root of the problem is that the law does not allow needed immigrant workers to come to the U.S. legally. The so-called illegal immigrants are no more illegal than those who settled America. If anyone is to blame, it is the companies that provide employment to the new settlers.
Neil Redlien, TOWSON, MD.

I am an immigrant from Bulgaria, but I found Klein's article disturbing. Why does he make it seem that the growing anger over illegal immigrants comes from racist rednecks? If a candidate comes up with a plan for strict control of immigration, he or she will be patriotic, not racist, and might get elected. I hate to watch this great country turn from a welcoming nation to a naive one.
Yordan Yordanov, WEST YARMOUTH, MASS.

A Stem-Cell Breakthrough?
Michael Kinsley's commentary regarding stem-cell research was disappointing, especially in that he let emotional rhetoric overshadow scientific evidence [Dec. 10]. Many cures and treatments have been derived from stem cells — but none from embryonic cells. Ethically sound adult stem cells, which have been studied for 30 years, are a proven source of medical advances. Moreover, taxpayer dollars weren't used to fund the destruction of human life. It was a moral stand President George W. Bush made. Let's move on with consensus on this new research.
Ronald Simpson, M.D.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences,
MOUNTAIN VIEW, ARK.

Treating Parkinson's disease is much more complicated than just using stem cells to produce more dopamine. Stem-cell growth and dopamine production can't always be controlled, and too much dopamine can cause involuntary movements and hallucinations. Embryonic stem cells transplanted or injected into the brain have produced mixed results. Parkinson's affects the whole brain, and dopamine alone cannot cure it. Why should I hope for an ethical cure? My wife has been living with Parkinson's for nine years.
Steve Maloney, FRANKLIN, KY.

I am a high school student who avidly supports stem-cell research. I like that Kinsley brought to light the fact that the embryonic stem cells used in research come from fertility clinics, which otherwise would discard them. The advances scientists have made without government funding prove that with the necessary backing, we could be well on the way to curing Parkinson's and myriad other illnesses.
Jessica McLellan, MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS

Discomfort in the Lab
Michael Kinsley said the moral dilemma over embryonic stem cells is not real and never was [Dec.10]. That is not the view of James Thomson, who was the first scientist to isolate human embryonic stem cells and who observed that "if human embryonic-cell research does not make you a little bit uncomfortable, you have not thought about it enough." Would I be more certain about the lack of moral questions related to this research if I suffered from Parkinson's disease, as Kinsley does? I doubt it. My mother died with the disease, and my brother battles it every day. Being touched by a disease doesn't make the moral questions easier. And though I hope that stem-cell research will yield untold benefits, my excitement is muted — perhaps because I was a research chemist for more than 40 years. Only when we see giant corporations risk their dollars on research will we see progress.
Joseph K. Valaitis, BRECKSVILLE, OHIO

A Tinseltown Christmas
In "Generation X-mas," James Poniewozik described how A Christmas Story has supplanted It's a Wonderful Life as the favorite Christmas movie of 18-to-41-year-olds [Dec. 10]. But he ignored the generation of the moment — the boomers. We too have our own iconic Christmas movie: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Clark Griswold personifies all of our ideals to the extreme. Every year we confront the hassles of "exterior illumination," the perfect tree, the extravagant and costly family gifts, the visiting relatives who wish they were somewhere else, the big dinner, the disorganized cleanup afterward and the demolished house we are left with. Yet, despite it all, we say to ourselves, "We did it." When we watch the movie every year, we are not laughing at Griswold's foibles — we are laughing at ourselves.
Craig J. Miller, DUNCANSVILLE, PA.

Poniewozik never mentioned that A Christmas Story was narrated and written by Jean Shepherd, who based the film on his memories of growing up in Indiana. He deserves credit for the movie.
Vince Treacy, WASHINGTON