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"Johnny Cash taught us that every person is both a sinner and a saint. No one could doubt which side of him finally prevailed."
JON W. NELSON
Estes Park, Colo.

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Like many who grew up in the 1960s, I never went long without hearing Johnny Cash's unique voice and memorable songs [MUSIC, Sept. 22]. Everything you need to know to get through life can be learned from his music: prison and guns are bad, God is good, you should stand up for what you believe in, love often breaks your heart, and a good train ride is one of life's simple pleasures. Cash experienced every high and low, and he survived with dignity.
NADINE M. HENNING
Whittier, Calif.

Cash was far, far more than a mere singer. He was the voice of God and the conscience of man. He was not ashamed to acknowledge his human frailties, and he taught us that we could call on our angels and be better for our struggles.
MARK STIELPER
Clarksville, Md.

I am not a fan of most country music. So much of it is little more than superficial pop, lacking the real soul of the blues tradition. But Cash's music is different. Whenever I heard his voice and earthy poetry, I was moved. He was the people's poet, with a heart and mind rooted deep in the human experience.
JOHN A. SORRELS
London

There is no tribute too big for this giant of a man. Cash was a true American hero. His music knows no genre or boundary; he was a tremendous inspiration to so many people.
JULIE JACOBSON
Woodbury, N.Y.

When I was a boy, my father was not around, but his Johnny Cash records were. I listened to them often, and by age 11, I knew all the songs by heart. I loved Cash, and when I was finally able to see him in concert, he signed a copy of an album for me. I never thought I could part with it, but my 8-year-old son saw me cry the night I gave the album to him and told him what Cash meant to me.
LARRY MONACO
Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Cash stood as a hero to many and spoke to the common people. He introduced me to the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, songwriters whose music has a purpose and meaning. Cash taught me that you have got to stand for something in this world, or you lose a part of yourself. He went through life's valleys with courage and grace.
CAROL NEAL
Orange, Calif.

I didn't particularly care for Cash's singing style. But after reading Richard Corliss's story about Cash's life, his struggles and his triumph, I have to reconsider. Thank you for an exceptionally well-written and moving article.
GEORGE LOHNES
Hopkinton, Mass.

Cash laid the groundwork for succeeding troubadours who tell stories with their songs, in which the message is more important than album sales. Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Petty and Steve Earle are just a few who followed the model of the Man in Black.
MIKE VINSON
McMinnville, Tenn.

Many readers saw striking resemblances in Ruven Afanador's stark cover photograph of Johnny Cash. "That magnificent face had the appearance of one of America's Founding Fathers or a pioneer who pushed westward over the Appalachian Mountains," wrote a Floridian. Asked a woman from New Jersey: "Was that a picture of Cash or of another musical icon, Ludwig van Beethoven?" And a Rhode Islander offered her thanks "for the wonderful cover portrait of Cash. It is as beautiful as a Rembrandt etching and as welcome as a snapshot from a friend."

Shifting Strategy

In "Facing Reality," Michael Elliott was far too lenient in his assessment of the situation this Administration finds itself facing with Iraq, Israel and radical Palestinians [WORLD, Sept. 22]. Gone are the Administration's chest beating and taunting of enemies. Reality has set in. The Bush doctrine, our new national defense strategy, with all its unilateralism, militarism, boldness and unrealistic dreams, is dying right where it began, in the deserts of Iraq — a complete failure. The U.S. has not taken a bold new step toward solving all its problems in one clean sweep but has compounded them immeasurably, creating a monster where there was none.
CARL MATTIOLI
Newtonville, Mass.

What part of "We Are At War!" don't the politicians understand? How long did World Wars I and II last? Stop your complaining, batten down the hatches, and let's go get these guys! It doesn't matter how much money it costs. Would you like to guess what the price will be if we lose this war?
PAUL R. DEL VECCHIO
Gunnison, Colo.

My parents were in college during the height of the Vietnam War. They remember the pain of a long-term conflict with no end in sight. Now my generation sits comatose in the face of world events that should make anyone's blood boil. My fellow youth: Are we afraid?
MICHELLE SISSON
La Jolla, Calif.

A Wedding-Eve Tragedy

"One Last Father-Daughter Chat," about the deaths in Jerusalem of Dr. David Applebaum and his daughter Nava, 20, victims of a suicide bomber the night before her wedding, was a heartrending piece [WORLD, Sept. 22]. As an emergency-medicine physician, Applebaum showed absolute concern for victims, whether Palestinian or Israeli, and his work to build better, more efficient facilities to treat the sick and wounded made him a role model for the world. How tragic that his life was cut short by those who represent the antithesis of everything he stood for.
ROBERT ISLER
Fair Lawn, N.J.