The TIME 100

The TIME 100 this year was full of big names, big people and big stories [May 10]. It was very interesting to read, but my favorite story was on Reem Al Numery. In high school I’ve been learning about the dangers of being a girl in an Islamic nation and was told these girls live their desperate lives without hope of change. It really moved me to see that a girl not much younger than me had the strength to stand up not only to her abusive father but also to an institution as powerful as the Islamic faith. Thank you, TIME, for not letting her get lost among the bigger names. Now she can serve as an inspiration to us all.
Emily Saeli, ORCHARD PARK, N.Y., U.S.

What a sad sign of the times that in the profiles of two men who have dedicated their lives to serving the nation (General Stanley McChrystal and Admiral Mike Mullen), the word patriot was not used. Yet it was used in the profiles of two others who have promoted divisiveness while making millions in the process: Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck.
Michael Lerseth, VALLEJO, CALIF., U.S.

I had to laugh at your editorial choices as to who are the 100 most influential people in the world. It is not the first time that TIME has mistaken backyard fame in the U.S. for influence. By missing many of the obviously influential on this planet and naming the globally insignificant, you do all the inhabitants of the world a disfavor.
Michael McCann, CELBRIDGE, IRELAND

I was deeply disappointed to see Chetan Bhagat on your list. While your list is about the power of influence, there are many more deserving artists out there who could have made the cut. A purveyor of prose that is nothing more than pulp fiction, Bhagat only appeals to those who think that three text messages sent together is a short story.
Sunita Wadekar Bhargava, MUMBAI

Trust an American news magazine to get it wrong when reporting on soccer. Didier Drogba is hardly a “sensitive young man” — most neutrals know of him as an arrogant player who often runs afoul of referees, as proven by his frequent dismissals as well as a foul-mouthed tirade toward match officials captured live on TV in the Champions League last season.
Tony Davison, CANBERRA