Letters: Mar. 1, 1999

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The Founding Fathers never considered behavior like President Clinton's when formulating the U.S. Constitution [NATION, Feb. 8]. Back then, people who engaged in illicit sex lied about it, and if found out, they were often thought to be possessed by the devil--a condition deemed beyond the reaches of constitutional law. Clinton's behavior would have been dealt with by burning at the stake in the town square. Were one to apply today such a stricture from the framers' era, there would be one big bonfire on Capitol Hill. WILLIAM JOSSE TRIEST Maldonado, Uruguay

GUILTY VERDICT IN MEXICO

I do not know if Raul Salinas De Gortari, brother of former Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, is guilty of the crimes he is accused of [WORLD, Feb. 1], but I find it scary to live in a country where a judge can sentence someone to prison for 50 years despite there being only circumstantial evidence. MARIA EUGENIA CANCIOLA Mexico City

Do you really think that Salinas' conviction shows there is an actual change in the implementation of the law in our country, hunting down all those who have enriched themselves working for the government? Give me a break! What we are really witnessing is the vengeance of dinosaurs who were affected during the Salinas administration. Of course, the Salinas family members are not white doves, but this case is more like a Mafia war than an application of justice. VICTOR SANCHEZ DE LEON Puebla, Mexico

MILLENNIUM FEARS

The fear of the year 2000 is again a perfect example of Americans' ability to create hysteria [Y2K, Jan. 18]. Your article "The End of the World as We Know It?" showed how normal American families are preparing for the millennium by purchasing handguns and storing food. Of course the year 2000 has always been the perfect date for the end of the world, but now the computer bug Y2K gives an even better reason for religious leaders to scare already paranoid believers. If people are so easily frightened, it would not be such a bad thing to let those who believe in the apocalypse have their own doomsday if they want it so much. VESA VIRTANEN Helsinki

THE HEART OF FAITH

Your article about Pope John Paul II's visit to the U.S. [RELIGION, Feb. 8] made evident a growing problem with the attitudes of Roman Catholics today. People want "convenient" religion. The Rataj couple featured in the article decided to disregard the church's position on birth control in favor of what they thought was right. That's quite a big decision to make! The fact is that to be a good Catholic, one must adhere to, although not necessarily agree with, the teachings of the Bishop of Rome, however inconvenient they may be. SCOTT A. LEGRAND Dubuque, Iowa

I have grown increasingly alarmed by the media's portrayal of Catholics in this country. It was inaccurate to present Americans as unfaithful bohemians who have traded their Catholic identity for support of the Pill, capital punishment and women priests. Rest assured, there are still many of us who have the courage to accept the Holy Father's words with humility and obedience. BRYAN HUDAK Pleasant Ridge, Mich.

BARRIERS FOR THE HOMELESS