Letters

The Bomb Was No Joke

In "Look Back In Angst," James Poniewozik wrote about the new television programs that treat the cold war era with nostalgia [Television, Sept. 23]. He referred to the era of bomb shelters and the Cuban missile crisis and said, "Back then, we joked about it." As a 63-year-old curmudgeon, I remember how we felt then, and there was nothing humorous about bomb drills or the Cuban missile crisis or the likelihood that going into a shelter wouldn't save you. If we joked about the Bomb, it wasn't back then but well after the fact. And the laughter, when it came, was nervous indeed.
JEFF GRALNICK
Weston, Conn.

A Kid at Heart

Your story on novelists who are writing fiction for older kids and teens [Books, Sept. 23] quoted author Michael Chabon as saying that "you have to sell adult readers on fantasy. Kids just accept it." If Chabon is right, then explain to me why I, a middle-aged adult, have read the Harry Potter books five times each!
MARIANNE L. ADAMS
Diamond Bar, Calif.

Campaign Maneuvers

The Republicans are trying to win the November congressional elections by harping on patriotism and the war on terrorism [Nation, Sept. 23]. What they don't realize is that across the political spectrum, all of us want to win against terrorism, and all of us are loyal patriots. Bush is making the same mistake his father made — trying to win votes for his party by using foreign policy at a time when most Americans are struggling to pay the rent. The economy was horrible under the first President Bush. It rebounded under Clinton, and now the economy is horrible again. When will the Bush family ever learn that most Americans still find "it's the economy, stupid!"
DAVID MICHAELSON
New York City

A Class Act

"Raise your hand if you are sick of Sept. 11" were not the words of an apathetic teacher, as some of your readers might think [Verbatim, Sept. 23]. Rather, as your explanatory text noted, teacher Liz Morrison was making an effort to engage her students in a discussion of the Sept. 11 attacks. Morrison is a beloved, well-respected teacher who has spearheaded patriotic campaigns to raise money for a World War II veterans memorial and to register voters. In reporting that two-thirds of the students raised their hands, you perpetuated the media's negative stereotype of teenagers as selfish and insensitive. I have the pleasure of working with young adults every day, and our future looks bright to me.
COURTNEY YEAGER REJNIAK
Manchester, Mo.

Unpleasant Aftereffects

Re your report on the pros and cons of various prostate-cancer treatments [Personal Time, Your Health, Sept. 23]: As one who has had the surgery and gone through the impotence and incontinence and psychological effects that followed, I would not have had a prostate operation if I had known about the aftereffects. The trouble with prostate surgery is that once it's over, you have no more options. I was 74 years old when a very small portion of my prostate was found to be cancerous. I am now 84, but I do not think my abrupt change of lifestyle has been worth the so-called extended years.
CLIFTON BLAIR
Hillsboro, Ore.