A Fertile Discussion

Congratulations to NEWSWEEK for capturing the heart of a movement that for decades has sought to promote the link between the way we farm, our health and the health of our planet (“Should You Buy Organic?” Sept. 30). Of all the truths presented in your cover story, nothing stands out more than the last line: “But an organic ethic could be the very key to our survival.” Forty years ago Rachel Carson published “Silent Spring” and gave the world a serious wake-up call. How many more do we need? Buying organic minimizes human exposure to toxic pesticides in the foods we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the soil in which our children play. Katherine DiMatteo, Executive Director Organic Trade Association Greenfield, Mass.

Organic farmers may be fine examples of hardworking Americans who share with conventional farmers the desire to produce food for a growing global population. But your statement that “an organic ethic could be the very key to our survival” is delusional and increases public expectations unrealistically. Organic farming will never produce all the food the world needs today, let alone what is needed in coming decades. You also fail to note that organic farmers use plenty of chemicals, such as sulfur, copper and rotenone, and because these chemicals are approved for organic production, they are typically used at enormously higher rates because they are less effective. Jay J. Vroom, President CropLife America Washington, D.C.

When I saw this week’s NEWSWEEK stuffed in my mailbox, my stomach clenched as I visualized what might be on the cover. What a pleasant pause to see a big organic apple instead of war drums. Betsy Borchgrevink Portland, Ore.

As a farmer, I live in the middle of our crops and work to be a good steward of our land. Most consumers demand an unblemished product and are so far removed from natural food that they could not cut out an apple worm and eat the rest of the apple, but would throw the whole apple away. I applaud the consumers who are searching out organic foods in an effort to avoid pesticides, but I challenge them to carry this over to their daily lives. Most use cleansers, sprays, detergents, deodorants and antiflea products for their pets, to name just a few. Consumers demanding a perfect product are the driving force behind the use of pesticides in food production. Nancy Ripken Lodi, Calif.

While it was gratifying to read a generally positive cover story about organic agriculture, I believe you should clarify a statement by Dennis Avery of the Hudson Institute, which gives the false impression that consumers should be more concerned about E. coli bacteria in organic as opposed to conventional produce. In fact, the reverse is true. Both organic and conventional growers often use cattle manure as fertilizer. The difference is that organic-certification regulations prohibit organic growers from using raw manure in ways that would contaminate food crops. In composting manure, organic growers are required to fol-low USDA guidelines in a process that may significantly minimize E. coli bacteria. Conventional growers are currently not subject to these regulations. Larry Pletcher, President Northeast Organic Farming Association-N.H. Concord, N.H.

I was glad to see your feature on organics. Never more true is the statement “You are what you eat.” Organic foods may sustain health and also heal. After an agonizing 10-year cancer battle, which included ineffective treatments and medications, while watching my young life go by, I embarked on organic eating, juicing and running six miles a day. I have been cancer-free for more than four years. Organic is not snake oil or a scam of herbals–just food the way we should be eating it, with antioxidants that cleanse the system of toxins. Parker Allen Marietta, Ga.

Your article on eating organic states that while consumers of organic have common sense on their side, scientific evidence has yet to prove it’s healthier. Common sense also told us smoking was unhealthy long before studies and lawsuits proved it. Mindy Huston Campbell, Calif.

A chart accompanying your article on organic food says that “organic wine lacks those headache-causing sulfites.” All wines contain some sulfites, which are a natural byproduct of grape fermentation. People with high-sensitivity sulfite allergies should avoid all wine to protect themselves from potentially fatal reactions. Michael DeLoach, President DeLoach Vineyards Healdsburg, Calif.

Schooling and Education

The next time someone asks me why I’m retiring after 30 years of teaching, I plan to hand that person a copy of the Sept. 30 My Turn by Evan Keliher (“Forget the Fads–The Old Way Works Best”). He said it better than I ever could. Lucy D. Thompson St. Paris, Ohio

I am an educator who has been working for more than 35 years in public school, and believe there is no shortcut to learning. While we continue to try new methods and fads, students continue to complete school without being able to read, write and do math at acceptable levels. Why can’t Americans face the obvious? Hard work by students is what is required, not another experiment based on some catchy theme. We need our teachers in front of students, leading them in traditional, time-proven methods of learning. Chris Greene High Point, N.C.

The suggestion made by Evan Keliher that the $500 million that philanthropist Walter Annenberg provided to various school systems failed “to make any difference in the quality of public education” is plain wrong. In New York City, where I was commissioner of Cultural Affairs for eight years, a $12 million matching grant from the Annenberg Foundation in 1996 enabled the Center for Arts Education to raise an additional $24 million, which supported partnerships between 181 public schools and 188 cultural organizations, parents programs and student internships in the arts industry. So many schools applied for the partnerships that Mayor Rudy Giuliani allocated an additional $75 million annually to restore arts education to the city’s schools. The Annenberg funds were the catalyst that brought arts education back to 1.1 million students–surely an improvement in the quality of public education. Schuyler Chapin New York, N.Y.

In the hands of a good teacher a piece of chalk can be a remarkable educational tool, but some students will never learn while sitting, listening or looking; their brains are not wired that way. There is a very simple reason that school reforms haven’t seen positive results. Ours is the first society in history to attempt to provide education to every citizen. Going back to “the way it used to be” is fine as long as we ignore a large segment of our population. Mark Picus Houston, Texas

Would Evan Keliher trust a doctor who still employs medicinal practices, knowledge and technology that were used 50 years ago? Why should education be any different? Leandra Stevens Dearborn, Mich.

Islam in America’s Mosques

It’s about time someone had the courage to expose the terrorists within the American Muslim community (“A Safe Haven?” Sept. 30). Political correctness has been carried so far that we haven’t been able to root out enemies within our midst. Elizabeth Powell St. Louis, Mo.

“A Safe Haven?” which questions whether American mosques have been taken over by extremists, betrays an unfamiliarity with Islam. The article states that “an April 2001 survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations found that 69 percent of Muslims in America say it is ‘absolutely fundamental’ or ‘very important’ to have Salafi teachings at their mosques.” The information from our survey has been misrepresented, and implies that a majority of Muslims are “Salafi,” a term that was never properly defined in your article. The claim is apparently derived from a question that asks Muslims to rate the importance of various sources of religious authority in their mosques. One of the choices was the “teachings of the righteous Salaf.” The term “Salaf” refers to Muslims of the three generations after the Prophet Muhammad. Salafi teachings have always been considered one of the most authoritative sources of Islam, along with the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet (Sunnah). Their texts are consulted to clarify issues not explicit in the Qur’an or the Sunnah. To call someone who believes in the teachings of the Salaf a “Salafi” is akin to calling everyone who believes in the teachings of Jesus a “Jesuit.” Ibrahim Hooper National Communications Director, CAIR Washington, D.C.

Uncertain Drug Trials

You recently cited three drugs that have “failed clinical trials or FDA tests,” listing Corixa’s Bexxar, an investigational treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, among them (“Beyond the Lab in Biotech,” Next Frontiers, Sept. 23). In fact, although Bexxar did fail its original FDA review, the article did not mention that it is currently under review by the FDA and expected to appear before an upcoming advisory committee. The information reported by NEWSWEEK on Bexxar’s review status was incomplete. Steven Gillis, Chairman and CEO Corixa Corp. Seattle, Wash.

Corrections

Our Oct. 7 story about columnist Bob Greene (“Tribulations at the Trib”) included a photograph of NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell and her husband, Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, with a caption that said she had met him on assignment. Although they first spoke by phone in connection with a story she was reporting, they did not meet or start dating until several years later, and she has not covered him since they became involved.

In the Oct. 7 article “Rate Bait” (Tip Sheet), we said that the new 4.1 percent interest rate on TIAA-CREF’s tax-deferred Fixed Account annuity took effect before Oct. 1. In fact, it took effect on Oct. 1.

In “Certified Organic” (Sept. 30), we should have said the girl pictured is named Nicole Mikshowsky.