Inbox

Layin’ Down the Law On the Street

Re “The New Sheriffs of Wall Street” [May 24]: Certainly, a sample of three is not large enough to project what our financial system would be like if it were run by women for the next 40 years. However, given our experience over the past 40 years–and what the three “sheriffs” have started to do to clean up the mess created by our testosterone-laden captains of finance–I sure hope more women get a chance to exercise their unique brand of leadership.

John Ineson, NEW PALTZ, N.Y.

You describe Washington as getting “down to the hard work of putting laws into place that are designed to prevent another crisis.” Congress and the White House have spent the past 25 years slowly dismantling similar–if not the same–laws, put into place during the 1930s for the same purposes. Very original spin control!

Joseph Couture, IPSWICH, MASS.

My career in consulting for corporations about “system thinking”–the ability to see a situation in terms of what is good for the greater whole vs. what is good for an individual–showed me that women get this notion much more easily than men do. It is refreshing to see the possibility of women’s playing major roles in our struggling financial system.

Tom Lane, COLUMBUS, IND.

Of course women are called in to clean up messes. Hasn’t that always been the case? What’s surprising is that it continues to take so long for women to be appointed or elected to key positions of leadership. Now imagine what might become of war, poverty and hunger if women ran the world.

Phoebe Toland, HELENA, MONT.

Three sheriffs and not a six-shooter among ’em. No bullets, no enforcement and, ultimately, no effect.

Robert Leigh, CONIFER, COLO.

As a student entering college in the fall, I hope to alter the statistic of the slim 3% of Fortune 500 companies that have a woman as CEO. Even in the year 2010, it is wonderful to see women like Schapiro, Warren and Bair challenging the status quo and paving the way for the next generation.

Becky Williams, ABINGDON, MD.

You Never Can Tell

Re “Now Playing for Center Court,” TIME’s profile of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan [May 24]: To quote a dreadful but historically-minded movie, Supreme Court Justices turn out to be “like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” The most famous recent example is retired Justice David Souter, the so-called stealth candidate nominated by George H.W. Bush. Souter turned out to be not nearly as conservative as his original backers had hoped. Liberals, likewise, should check their enthusiasm about Kagan’s nomination until she is seated, and maybe for longer than that. As Harvard Law dean, Kagan was willing to curtail the speech rights of the military by barring it from recruiting at Harvard–until it threatened to cost the university millions of dollars in federal aid; she also appointed conservative scholars “over strenuous liberal objections.” These facts should give liberals looking for a champion for their cause on the court … pause.

Gregory Knapp, CHICAGO

I can assure you that those of us from the hinterlands (I am originally from Ohio) are very happy that another Ivy League–educated Justice, this time from New York, is going to the Supreme Court. But seriously: the idea that the high court represents this great, broad, diverse country is ludicrous.

Ellen Cummings, NORWALK, CONN.

Specter’s Backfire

Re Joe Klein’s column “Opportunism Costs” [May 24]: In his ads, Senator Arlen Specter told the people to elect him “because there’s much more work to be done.” One of the reasons there is much more work to be done is the expensive Big Government policies, featuring mammoth debt, that Specter wholeheartedly adopted when he felt the need to ingratiate himself with his new Democratic Party. Thank heavens his chicanery did not work.

Oren Spiegler, UPPER ST. CLAIR, PA.

That’s No Happy Meal!

My heart dropped into my stomach when I read “Cancer, Cancer Everywhere” [May 24]. As a parent, I am bewildered about what I am supposed to do with this information. I am also angry that it is left on my shoulders. Why is food that is harmful, even deadly, to children permitted in our schools? Why is plastic-wrapped, sugary processed food even allowed to be marketed to children with cute cartoon characters and misleadingly healthy-sounding labels like “low fat”? We as parents try our best to navigate confusing labels, scary reports like this one and our children’s tastes. However, the system is rigged against us. We need transparency in labeling, as well as education about what is healthy and what is really in the food we are giving our children.

Nicole Betancourt, NEW YORK CITY

Attacking Bullying in School

Thank you for highlighting, in “Kindness 101,” an antibullying program that deserves much praise for efforts to teach children about empathy and kindness [May 24]. My third-grader was fortunate in being able to participate in Roots of Empathy (ROE) this year, and the lessons learned from Baby Ryan created some wonderful discussions outside the classroom. Teaching and encouraging children to express how they feel through language is an essential tool if we are to raise socially and emotionally competent children. Too bad there isn’t an adult version available for the governor of Arizona.

Glynnis Vaughan, SEATTLE

We take very seriously our responsibility to teach children reading, writing and math but often skip over the importance of teaching them how to engage socially and empathize with others. ROE is an excellent primer, and all of our nation’s schools could benefit from it. But remember: while empathy and social skills may be taught in the classroom, parents reinforce the same lessons at home. There is no more important homework.

Harold S. Koplewicz, NEW YORK CITY

Language, Language!

I enjoyed the column by Joel Stein on personal branding until the last paragraph, when it was ruined by the word supergay, intended, I gather from the article’s tone, as an insult [May 24]. What does this even mean? How exactly are superhero costumes supergay? As a gay man, I am disappointed in your ignorant choice of words. As an active member of the Human Rights Campaign, I feel the need to remind you that using the word gay in a derogatory way in a publication as widely read as TIME legitimizes its use as an instrument of hate.

Daniel Diez, NEW YORK CITY

If TIME consisted of nothing but biweekly columns by Stein, a.k.a. the Sultan of Snarkâ„¢, the subscription fee would still be a bargain.

Bruce Friedrich, BALTIMORE

Should the Sultan of Snarkâ„¢ predecease me, I would be honored to officiate.

Rabbi Jack Abramowitz, NEW YORK CITY

Lost and Never Found

I’ll readily admit that what tenuous thread of comprehension I managed to grasp watching TV’s Lost was gone in the minute it took me to accept a pizza delivery sometime during the third season [May 24]. So I excitedly pored over James Poniewozik’s piece dissecting the series, hoping to find the one key missing element that eluded me. But the article served only to roil the waters more. Lost has resulted in such a disparate spectrum of theories, reactions and emotions that whatever amount of time is spent tying up those loose ends will probably satisfy, well, no one. But as they say in showbiz, “There is no such thing as bad publicity!”

J.C. Smith Jr., BEECHHURST, N.Y.

Brew It On!

I find it refreshing that the microbrewery BrewDog isn’t afraid to ignore or even mock critics who have blasted the company as “irresponsible” for its high-alcohol products [May 24]. The high-priced Sink the Bismarck! beer is obviously intended for enjoying, not chugging. Young, inexperienced drinkers who have their hearts set on complete intoxication would probably opt for a cheaper means.

Matt G. Bren, CHICAGO

Maturity Before Marriage

Re “Divorcing by the Numbers” [May 24]: After getting engaged in my senior year of college only to break it off a year later, I completely agree with Tara Parker-Pope’s concept that older couples with higher education have the best chance to avoid becoming statistics. Had I waited longer and been more mature before getting engaged, I’m certain I would have made a different choice. I would also add that seeing a couples therapist before heading down the aisle is a good way for couples to equip themselves with the appropriate tools for a life together and stave off signing divorce papers down the road.

Anna Rose Kessler Moore, VENICE, CALIF.

The Pill, 50 Years Later

I was pleased that Nancy Gibbs remembered the 50th anniversary of the Pill but disappointed that she did not mention the name of one of its developers, my late husband Min Chueh Chang [May 3]. Gregory Pincus was Chang’s boss, and they were considered co-discoverers of the first oral contraceptive pill. John Rock was brought in later when the pair needed a medical doctor to test the Pill on humans. As Chang’s wife, I watched the whole process.

Isabelle C. Chang, SHREWSBURY, MASS.

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