Letters
Readers Respond to the September Issue
- By Smithsonian magazine
- Smithsonian magazine, November 2011, Subscribe
We have not “overreacted” [“What 9/11 Wrought”]. The reason no major attacks have occurred is the vigilance and hard work of our soldiers, government and the general public.
Donna Jensen
Grosse Ile, Michigan
9/11 Lessons
For some reason Joseph Lelyveld cannot connect the dots linking Guantánamo, the Patriot Act, wiretapping and other practices that have helped keep us safe over the past decade. He has come to the conclusion that 9/11 was a one-off, despite evidence of other plots uncovered. Thank God people like him were not making decisions about security after the attacks.
Earl Williams
Stevensville, Michigan
Joseph Lelyveld writes “there was no hard evidence linking at least one-fifth” of the Guantánamo detainees to terrorism. Conversely, some 80 percent were suspect. Why emphasize the 20 percent and ignore the 80 percent?
Frank Tilton
Lake Frederick, Virginia
Congratulations to Smithsonian magazine and Joseph Lelyveld for the essay “What 9/11 Wrought.” Mr. Lelyveld reminds us that those who attacked us ten years ago attacked not only us but the principles for which we stand. To the extent that we allow those principles to be compromised or ignored, we allow the attackers to win.
Brother Christopher Buck
Chicago, Illinois
Finland’s Teachers
Of all the differences between schools in Finland and the United States [“A+ for Finland”], what impressed this former teacher is that Finland guides its best college graduates to teaching, pays them well and allows them broad autonomy in the classroom. Structural reforms are less important than talented teachers who are given the freedom to succeed.
Norman Bledsoe
Gainesville, Florida
The reality is that Finland’s academic success is not something Americans can duplicate because of our more diverse population. Finland’s homogenous population—only 4 percent are foreign born, the article says—is the straw that stirs the drink.
Mark Antinoro
Claremore, Oklahoma
Islamic Law
I think Robin Wright’s article “The Struggle Within Islam” is correct about young Muslims’ desire to modernize their lives. But the fact is many live in countries guided by Shariah law, based on the Koran or the Prophet Muhammad. Ultimately, religion influences elected officials’ actions.
Frank Myers
Downey, California
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Comments (1)
As corroborative testimony in support of Meghan Daum's musings; my family passed through Lincoln Nebraska on one of many cross country trips in 1975. I was 14. We were in town for a total of about two and a half hours and my urban teenage brain assessed that, if through some twist of fate, we ended up staying in Lincoln forever, I would be content. That, of course, didn't happen but "Plains Speaking" reminded me of what a bewitching place Lincoln can be. It leaves an impression.
Posted by James Balmer on November 14,2011 | 12:16 AM