Letters to the editor

Is Arianna Huffington naive about poverty? Plus: Don't arrest Whitney Houston, legalize marijuana! Esperanto is not a "fake" language.

May 5, 2000 | Elian and Elio
BY ARIANNA HUFFINGTON
(05/03/00)

I hope that when Arianna Huffington wonders why we feel so much for Elian and so little for Elio, she is being rhetorical, for surely she can't be this naive.

Politics aside, it is a simple matter of economics. The supply of Elios far exceeds the demand for them, therefore, each Elio is virtually worthless. On the other hand, there is only one Elian, which makes him virtually priceless.

It's the same reason why society values a rich, white woman like Arianna Huffington more highly than it values a nameless minority single mother of three working for minimum wages: There are many more poor, nameless minorities than there are rich, white Arianna Huffingtons.

This may not be "nice" but it is the reality of the world we live in.

-- Walt Roberts

Arianna Huffington has scored a direct hit. Like hers, my regard for insincere opportunistic hypocrites like Diane Sawyer and Gloria Estefan has now evaporated. While the Elios of America suffer, our media continues to ignore them, because they aren't "cute." There is no more dispassionate journalism on television, there is only infotainment. Perhaps we should ask Darva Conger what she thinks?

-- Jack Lifton

No other columnist, pundit or politician has put this matter so eloquently and beautifully as Arianna Huffington. If we can muster all of our righteous indignation over the plight of one 6-year-old, think of what we could do for all of the Elios in this country who will never see a trip to Disney World, or the bright, glimmering future we promise to every child born into a family with $100,000 in disposable income.

-- Chris Tharrington

Talking Dirty
BY SUSAN MCCARTHY
(05/03/00)

I loved your article about the perils of everyday antibacterials and how our immune systems need gainful employment so they don't get overexcited about pollen. After 13 years working in a hospital microbiology lab I have seen antibacterial resistance rise horribly. These "superbugs" are rarely the classic disease-causing organisms such as salmonella. They are far more likely to be our own skin or intestinal bacteria run amok. I don't use antibacterial soaps or lotions in my own home and discourage other people from doing so. (They are surprised to hear this from a microbiologist.) Of course antibacterial products are routinely used in the hospital, but there is a difference between scrubbing for surgery and washing your hands for dinner.

-- Susannah Keegan

The dirt-is-good theory of the hygiene hypothesis sounds quite rational, and in fact echoes what I learned at my mother's knee: Every kid should eat a peck of dirt before they're grown.

However, I'd be interested in seeing research into the antibacterial products themselves. Are they (like many pesticides) only superficially beneficial? Or are they contributing to the rise in asthma and allergy rates because they are also irritating to the human immune system?

-- Brigid Cassidy

Next Page: "A government has no right to prohibit its citizens from the simple act of smoking a plant"

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