Al Gore is 100 percent right: the American public does not know him (“Al Gore’s Best Hope,” National Affairs, May 24). Which is to say he played the role of vice president perfectly and didn’t try to overshadow or upstage the president. But the time has come for Gore to define himself. He has to learn how to fight; he has to know his best punches and throw them hard and often. The president for the new millennium must have a fresh vision. Al Gore’s high-tech and environmental interests are the perfect balance for a future America. There is also support to be won from conservative Republicans, once they realize Gore holds strong family values. He shouldn’t be afraid to lose this election. He should stick to his principles, keep them simple and clear and always speak from the heart. Robert Munro Vancouver, Canada
In response to your article on Gore, I’m ready for a boring, down-to-business president. I don’t care if he has little humor or lacks charisma. He is not there to entertain us. We have a president now who can literally “charm the pants off” some people. Thanks, but no thanks. We need a leader, not an entertainer. Lynn D. Kingston Marietta, Ga.
Team Gore? It’s more like Team Snore. M. L. Chastam Miami, Fla.
The Clothing Conflict
I nodded my head while reading David Updike’s My Turn about his son’s clothing (“I Don’t Like What You’re Wearing,” May 24). For six years, from the time my son was 13 years old until he was 19, I shook my head at his attire, including his hairstyles. I was convinced that he would be wearing a grunge outfit with shaved head (save for a ponytail) to his first job interview. And it bothered me, too, even as I laughed it off and remembered the shock of hot pants and bell-bottoms from the time when I came of age myself. However, I am happy to report that when I got home from work the other night, I found him in his bedroom wrestling with a tie and putting together what turned out to be a very nice, conservative first-interview outfit–a suit, and even a shirt with a button-down collar. Be patient; it’s just growing pains. Susan Downs Hampton, N.H.
As a high-school teacher, I would like to observe that if you are letting a 9-year-old dictate to you–the parent–what he wants to wear, your problems have only just begun. You are in for a long, rough ride. John Gunder Delphos, Ohio
The Academy’s Delicate Balance In your article “Last Chance Class” (National Affairs, May 31), about Medill School of Journalism professor David Protess, the statement that “Northwestern [University] has considered pulling the plug” on Protess’s course is untrue to my knowledge; it didn’t during my years as Medill’s dean (1989-97). In close consultation with faculty colleagues, I did feel compelled to raise some specific questions about the conduct of the course–a very different matter, and one that goes to the heart of the delicate balance between the prerogatives of academic free speech and the duty of administrative oversight of the best interests of students who are working somewhere between an academic environment and the reaches of the real world. Your reporter and I discussed this nuance in detail. By placing the statement immediately before a quote from me that characterizes Protess critically, you pull the plug on the distinction, and do a disservice to Medill and its recent administration and faculty. Michael Janeway, Director National Arts Journalism Program Columbia University New York, N.Y.
