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Profiles in Foreclosure

“House of Cards” paints a sad picture of two people who allegedly followed all the rules yet are still in jeopardy of losing their homes, but I’m short on sympathy [March 9]. My grandfather had a rule, and it was to never spend capital gains on disposables. In other words, don’t cash out of real estate to buy junk you don’t need. Paula Stevens refinanced three times so she could spend freely on “clothes and gear for her girls”? Are you kidding me? Sorry, but while there certainly are legitimate cases of distressed homeowners, many refinance-based dollars got spent on things people really didn’t need and couldn’t afford. There may not be a law against that, but they still broke the rules. Will Pattison, DALLAS

TIME’s article on foreclosure was heartbreaking. How is it that some people pay more to pamper their dogs than other people pay for their mortgage? Also, how does one pay $800 a month for health insurance yet still owe $15,000 in medical bills? I think this story uncovers another part of the financial industry that has contributed to the economic meltdown. Thank God we finally have a President who gets it. Bonnie Huggins, CENTENNIAL, COLO.

My wife and I, both professionals with college degrees, are raising five children in a 2,400-sq.-ft. home. Most people we know live with less. Perhaps if Stevens had shot for the American dream instead of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, she’d be in better shape today. Nick Kasoff, FERGUSON, MO.

Welcome to the SEC Circus

I was incensed after reading your article on the lack of accountability and oversight at the Securities and Exchange Commission [March 9]. Thousands of hardworking people lost their jobs and homes as a result of the incredible nonfeasance, misfeasance and probably malfeasance of Christopher Cox and friends. Those responsible, from government to local banks and mortgage brokers, need to pay for this bailout. If we don’t get legal justice, we need to take it to the streets. I did not serve 20 years in the military for this. James C. Byrk, PLATTSMOUTH, NEB.

Help for Homeowners

I can’t figure out how far into his cheek Joel Stein had his tongue while writing “I Bought a Bad House” [March 9]. My house is paid off, but for my own benefit, I support a bailout for my neighbors. If my neighbor’s house is foreclosed on, the value of my house drops and I suffer. I can pay additional taxes and help, or I can agree with CNBC’s Rick Santelli and say, “Screw them, they made a mistake.” I’d rather help my neighbor. Bob Connelly, MILFORD, DEL.

A homeowners’ help plan, fairly implemented across the country, would save millions of Americans their home investments and allow them to spend money again. This would in turn actually stimulate our economy and not just add another event to the spa calendars of the idiots who got us into this mess. Oh, and we’ll pay back our loans too–which is something the AIGs of the world will never do. Steve Goodwin, DISCOVERY BAY, CALIF.

Who You Calling Nuts?

Overall, your article about nut allergies was balanced and informative [March 9]. But enough already with the “nuts” puns and references to how hysterical some parents are! That assessment depends on which side of the diagnosis you are on. As the parent of a child with food allergies, I have found that raising such a child is a constant balancing act. How can I keep him safe with three square meals a day while allowing him to thrive in his social and school life? My son is well adjusted–and not “surprisingly” so. I do my best but cannot help but worry. What the statistics you cite don’t show is the number of close calls: “mild” reactions subdued by Benadryl; anaphylaxis controlled by an injection of epinephrine and an emergency-room visit; an overnight hospital stay to monitor for a biphasic or delayed anaphylactic reaction. What is the frequency of these less severe, yet significant, incidents? Because I always wear a seat belt, would you say I’m too anxious about driving? I will continue to be diligent about keeping my child safe–no matter how I am labeled. Eileen Hoekstra, ANN ARBOR, MICH.

Alice Park writes, “in some instances, peanut-free zones seem downright silly. Upon request, Delta and Northwest … will set up a peanut-free buffer zone spanning three rows in front of and behind an allergic passenger.” Since when is dying from anaphylactic shock at 30,000 ft. silly? Kate Kelly, INDIANAPOLIS

Park’s article is right on the mark. Now 20, I received a peanut-allergy diagnosis 18 years ago, and guess what–I’m still alive. And, yep, I’ve eaten peanuts before (by accident, of course). When I realize something is wrong, I know what to do. I’ve never had Chinese food, because a lot of it is made with peanut oil. The smell of peanut butter annoys me, so I ask my roommate to close the jar when she’s done putting it on her sandwich. When someone finds out I’m allergic, they start freaking out, making sure I’m O.K. if they eat a granola bar. All these overreactive parents are giving a bad name to those of us who know how to handle our situation. Katie Bakalarski, STEVENS POINT, WIS.

Yes, only a small number of kids die each year from food allergies. But only a small number of children have food allergies, so the relative risk is much higher than that of a lightning strike. Besides, what exactly does it mean to say “only” 15 to 20 people die per year? Does that make those deaths O.K.? Why should my allergic son be less important–and less protected in school–than a diabetic child? Elizabeth Kite, LIBERTYVILLE, ILL.

I’m 16, and I’ve been allergic to peanuts, eggs and other allergens all my life. I was appalled by the mocking tone of your article. Let me give you some insight into the life of a kid with life-threatening food allergies. When I was in elementary school, the school was very attentive to my needs; during lunch I sat at a peanut-free table with my friends, and I felt safe. In high school, guidelines about food in the classroom are not enforced. Insensitivity to my allergies has turned me into an introvert who sits by herself at lunch and doesn’t touch the table for fear of a fatal allergic reaction. As a high school junior, I’m not reviewing colleges based on programs alone; I’m looking at colleges that will take my allergies seriously. Don’t treat those of us with allergies as if we’re making all this up. Our lives are bad enough without your making us feel worse about ourselves. Teresa Olah, PRINCETON, N.J.

I Wouldn’t Moondance with Him

Re 10 Questions with Van Morrison [March 9]: It’s disenchanting to have spent a chunk of your life admiring and being moved by someone’s creative work and then discover that the person who created the work isn’t nearly so likable. Asked “Are there any musicians or groups today that excite you?” Morrison responds, “No. Absolutely not. It’s all been done, you know?” In that and other responses to TIME’s questions, Morrison comes off like a bitter old man–not the soulful troubadour I imagined him to be. Holley Aufdemorte, MURRELLS INLET, S.C.

Credit Where It’s Due in Basra

I am currently serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and noticed some inaccuracies in your “Rebuilding Basra” article [March 9]. You state that in March 2008 the “Iraqi army–trained by the Brits … launched an operation to disperse the militias [in Basra].” From August 2007 to August 2008, I served on a military transition team working with the 1st Iraqi Army Division. In March 2008, our team was ordered to Basra to help restore order and peace in the southern city. It was the U.S. Marine transition team, along with the Iraqi army, that cleared Basra, block by block, in order to restore peace and government to the hostile city. This mission is near and dear to my heart as well as those of other members of my team, because we lost a fellow Marine in Basra during the fighting. Please give notice and respect to the U.S. military for taking the lead in this fight. Harry Boyd, LEXINGTON, S.C.

U2? Me Too!

I have been a fan of U2 since the start [March 9]. I’m from Ireland, am the same age as Bono, have every one of their recordings on vinyl and CD, and have seen the band live, in Dublin and elsewhere many times. I wanted to thank Josh Tyrangiel for his incisive, honest and, above all, brave review of their new album, No Line on the Horizon. I’ve listened to an advance copy about 30 times, and it’s a poor, disjointed, unmusical record with a few listenable songs. The only good ones sound like Brian Eno tunes with guest appearances by U2. The other publications to which I subscribe have written reviews that left me wondering if the critics were listening to a different record. (To Rolling Stone, the album is a “5-star masterpiece”; to ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, an “A–“; and to the New York Times, “head-spinning.”) Thank you, TIME, for your objectivity. Joe Martyn, BOSTON

I’m surprised that you rate boy as one of U2’s four worst albums. It is an excellent album that many younger fans will probably continue to overlook based on articles like this one. If U2 released Boy today, critics would probably be fawning over the rebirth of a pop/rock giant rather than analyzing the band’s ongoing decline. Jeff DeVito, BOUND BROOK, N.J.

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