Danish Dilemma
"Culture Clash in Denmark" [January 8] included the comment: "I don't want to impose my ways on them, and I don't want them to impose their ways on me." Immigrating to a country should mean the immigrant wants to become a citizen of that country and learn its ways. If the immigrant does not want to accept the ways of the new host country, then the immigrant should stay at home. I was born in Denmark, immigrated to the United States, became a citizen and a proud American. I received U.S. citizenship in Seoul while serving in the armed forces. I fly the American flag every day to show my appreciation for everything the United States stands for.
OLE L. BRANDAL
Renton, Wash.
"I don't want [the Danes] to impose their ways on me," said the Muslim immigrant in the story. That quote sums up the problem concerning many Muslim immigrants today, not only in Denmark but also throughout Europe. To a certain degree, even the most multicultural and tolerant societies can and should expect immigrants to be imposed upon by their new countries, especially when the welfare benefits provided to immigrants are extremely generous, as in Denmark. Immigrants who do not want European ways "imposed" upon them are free to emigrate to Islamic countries.
DANIELLE MCKANE
Fremont, Calif.
Why wasn't "Culture Clash in Denmark" a cover story? If my wife hadn't noticed the article, I would have missed it, and the content of that story was too important to miss. It made clear that Muslims in European countries are not minorities but part of a billion-people Muslim world. That was evident when a cartoon published in a Danish newspaper last year became a cause for Muslim rioting and killing.
DAVID BASCH
Fairfield, Conn.
Upstate Frame of Mind
"The Forgotten New York" [January 15] correctly cites the economic challenges upstate cities like Schenectady have faced for nearly half a century but fails to report the dramatic economic comeback Schenectady has made over the past three years. Under a new city administration, and working with our partners in county, state, and federal government, we have eliminated an inherited $10 million deficit, finished last year with a near $5 million surplus, raised our municipal credit rating from junk-bond to investment grade, and provided property owners with a welcomed tax cut for 2007. At the same time, we have brought more than $150 million in new business investment to our downtown, including a new hotel, cinema, restaurants, high-tech offices, and loft housing. The sprawling riverfront property, once home to the American Locomotive Co., the rusting hulk pictured as emblematic of upstate in general, is targeted for a 65-acre, multiuse redevelopment project that will include housing, businesses, and recreation. Gov. Eliot Spitzer publicly proclaimed Schenectady's dramatic economic turnaround as a model for how economic revitalization should work across upstate New York. Schenectady's future is brighter than it's been in decades.
BRIAN U. STRATTON
Mayor, Schenectady, N.Y.
I am one of those "under 25" who got out of upstate New York as fast as I could. I grew up in the beautiful area outside Rochester, watching as many businesses, like Eastman Kodak Co., sank and took entire towns with them. I watched as one person's parents after another got laid off and as many businesses closed without any new ones coming to replace them. All anyone has to do is take a look at the American side of Niagara Falls for an accurate description.
BOBBIE GOODRICH
Charlotte, N.C.
"The Forgotten New York" was an excellent article that described the wasting away of U.S. manufacturing and subsequently, the American middle class. Unfortunately, this has come in the name of corporate profits by way of cheaper foreign labor. Politicians who continue to spew about the health of the economy, based on unemployment and corporate wealth, should spend some time in upstate New York. Chances are they would run into more than one person who raised a family while working in a factory, before the doors slammed shut. A few leaning silos are reminders of the many family farms that once populated the countryside. It's sad to say, it's history.
DARD MOONAN
Syracuse, N.Y.
The Upside of Down
After putting my daughter with Down syndrome to bed tonight, I read "Screening for All" [December 18] on the expanded testing for Down syndrome. Though you did mention first-trimester testing gives parents a chance to prepare early for the birth of a child with Down syndrome, the other option seemed to be abortion. Another option is adoption, with more Down syndrome children requested by families than are available. Frustrations that come with raising a child with a disability are more than offset by the child's gifts. Children with Down syndrome and similar disabilities teach that what is important in life is not outward appearance but a matter of the heart. In their unhesitating acceptance of differences in others, genuine compassion, joy in small things, and unconditional love, the young adults with Down syndrome who are my daughter's friends demonstrate the essential qualities of being human that our society could do well to emulate.
ANITA REITH STOHS
Shawnee, Kan.
In "Screening for All," information is given for a new and easier test for detection of Down syndrome in unborn babies. Are we heading more and more toward eliminating people who don't measure up? Life is a precious thing, and we should treasure each person, no matter what, and take away the option of callously denying life because we are not willing to give extra care. I would support the widespread use of this new test if it were given with the intention of preparing parents to search for resources and support for a child who might be needy or different, but certainly not abortion.
JEAN M. HAMMOND
Reisterstown, Md.
Our Identity Crisis
With increasing problems of ID theft and terrorist threats, it is incredible but hardly surprising the short-sightedness that politicians exhibited in "Will Real ID Cause Chaos at the DMV?" [December 18]. Would our governors issue licenses for surgery without requiring and validating credentials because it is too cumbersome? Longer waits at the Department of Motor Vehicles and higher fees should not be a problem for rational people to apply for and receive a valid driver's license, and for assurances that the person presenting a driver's license is in fact the person to whom the license has been issued, not someone who has stolen another's identity. Let's hope the whining governors do not scuttle a perfectly sensible federal program.
IVAN ROTH
Boca Raton, Fla.
In the post-9/11 world, the United States must take measures to ensure that all government-issued identification cards, whether state or federal, are secured. State driver's licenses represent one of the largest personal identification databases in the country used as proof of identity to cash checks and obtain library cards, for employment, and in rental housing. The sad fact is that there has never been a federal standard or uniformity among states in regard to required documentation to secure a license, or even a uniform look to the license. Until recently, New Jersey didn't require a photo.
LOUIS DE HOLOZER
Forest Hills, N.Y.
This story appears in the January 29, 2007 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.