Love Under a Microscope

It has been my impression for many years that we are creatures of evolution — as far as Mother Nature is concerned, whatever works wins [Jan. 28]. Obviously, heterosexuality has won out. The sexual attractiveness of women to men and vice versa is genetic, as modified by the environment. Although many marriages are initially based on sex, the success of a good marriage relies on the ability of two people to get along. That demands a democracy in which both accept each other as equals and help each other in a loving, kind way. They do not take advantage of their mate's psychological weaknesses.
David Hertz, M.D., TARZANA, CALIF., U.S.

All but one of the articles treated humans as no more than breeding animals. Humans differ from the other animals because we have been given the gifts of reason and free will. In your attempts to bring to your readers knowledge of the human condition, you labored under a curse. As William Faulkner might have put it, you wrote not of the heart but of the glands.
Roger Bonilla, SUNNYVALE, CALIF., U.S.

Comparing gay and straight relationships is like comparing apples and oranges simply because straight couples are formed by people who have been exposed to religious, social, familial, legal and cultural promotion of and support for such unions. Gay couples don't get any such reinforcement. In fact, they get the opposite, to the point of being attacked and demonized.
Zeke Sutherland, TAMPA, FLA., U.S.

Love and romance have to do with matters of the spirit, not science. The obsession with measuring things that are immeasurable is science's Achilles' heel. Leave the mystery of love to those who know something about it: the artists.
Peter J. Vogel, COLUMBUS, OHIO, U.S.

Rating a Renegade
Telling the truth can sometimes be a detriment to political fortune. However, McCain's reputation as the most honest man in Washington [Feb. 4]will help him win his party's nomination this year, particularly since GOP moderates have finally started to reclaim their party from neocon fundamentalists. Love him or hate him, McCain is the real deal. His credibility juxtaposed with Mitt Romney's flip-flopping will further underscore McCain's credibility this election cycle, virtually guaranteeing him the nomination.
Jeff Robertson, FAIRBORN, OHIO, U.S.

As a Ronald Reagan democrat, I was all for McCain in 2000 until the unfortunate effects of the Republican Party's upper echelon sank his efforts. But the traits that made me admire McCain's Straight Talk Express in 2000 are no longer apparent today. He lost my respect when he made a Faustian bargain to get the vote of his party's base, abandoning his critiques of the Iraq war and Jerry Falwell. I doubt independents will support him. The "straight talk" candidate is just a shell of who he was in 2000.
Mary Elm, CHICAGO

Your article captured my feelings as a Democrat perfectly. My trust in and respect for McCain will make it difficult for me to vote for anyone else if he becomes the Republican nominee. This makes me torn between rooting for him and wanting him to lose so I won't have to make that choice.
Ron Nerio, HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF., U.S.

Fighting the Fiscal Fix
It's not often that I agree with michael Kinsley, but his Essay opposing a fiscal stimulus was a winner [Feb. 4]. For years we have overspent on oversize homes, flat-screen TVs and gas-guzzling SUVs, with little regard for our ability to pay for them. Now it's time for the people and the government to break the addiction.
Kent Nash, HENDERSON, NEV., U.S.

Of all the articles I've read about the economic-stimulus package, Kinsley's makes the most sense. The U.S. infrastructure is in deplorable condition, and rebuilding it would create high-paying jobs that couldn't be outsourced. Bridges and highways need repair, new nuclear power plants would replace coal-fired plants, and an agency dedicated to developing new energy sources would allow us to end our dependency on foreign oil. But if this is too ambitious a plan for our politicians, they can give me my handout and I'll buy a large-screen TV.
Jerry Ebersbaker, HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, ARK., U.S.

Tribute to a Troubled Genius
As an elementary-school chess coach, I read with great interest Garry Kasparov's tribute to the late, great Bobby Fischer [Feb. 4]. Although chess is thriving where I live, I have noticed that many talented young players have never heard of Fischer, and those who have do not view him positively. It is sad that he was never pardoned for violating a U.S. ban by playing a 1992 match in Yugoslavia. He was a chess champion who was not welcome in his own country. I think that may be partly to blame for his mental breakdown. He spent so much of his life as a fugitive — simply for playing a game of chess.
Lauren Kuckelman, REEDLEY, CALIF., U.S.