Vision for a shared Jerusalem
Your article "Mideast peace: down to the wire" (July 11) accurately describes the level of Arab-Israeli contention over Jerusalem. However, it fails to mention a vision for the city that is upheld by many supporters of a just and lasting Middle East peace: a shared, undivided Jerusalem that is capital of both Israel and the emerging Palestinian state.
Since its inception in 1996, the American Committee on Jerusalem, a coalition of diverse American groups and individuals, has been advocating such a proposal for the future of Jerusalem. No religion and nationality can be privileged or preeminent in Jerusalem if there is to be real peace. Palestinians and Israelis, indeed members of all faiths and nationalities, must be guaranteed unimpeded access and freedom of worship in the city; otherwise the conflict will persist indefinitely.
Laurel Severns Washington The American Committee on Jerusalem
Teachers' pay
Regarding your July 11 editorial "Apples teachers will eat": Your position on merit pay for teachers is inconsistent. On one hand, you uphold the idea that teachers are professionals and should be protected as such. On the other, you feel it is OK to pay them for piecework like any other assembly line worker.
Either teachers should stand up as professionals and address today's educational needs with personal dedication, or school boards should do away with tenure and other special perks and simply pay for performance. Teachers cannot have it both ways.
Jay Putt Setauket, N.Y.
Cybernews coverage
Regarding Dante Chinni's July 10 column "Sifting through Web news": I find no contradiction between not watching ABC News and visiting ABC.com. With the Web site, I determine which stories are important - not Sam Donaldson. Furthermore, reading is faster. In general, the World Wide Web allows me to go directly to other sources. During the Kosovo conflict, I could go directly to the State Department Web site, and to German, Russian, and Yugoslavian sites to form my own opinions.
The anxiety in the press about the Net comes from one source - fear of losing control, of losing one's job. Hand-wringing discussions about the quality of the news are covers for this one fear. At their best, ABC and CBS could point me to questions that can be resolved on the Web and elsewhere.
The press is undergoing a revolution in access. The pipelines of economic control are no longer in the hands of a few companies. The news consumer has more control than ever. The wonders on the Net are liberating millions. Will it cause job loss in the journalism industry? That's to be seen. In the meantime, quality journalism will float to the top.
Conder Seasholtz Portland, Ore.
Not all British are English
Your article "What to do about Britain's soaring crime rates?" (July 5) refers to "Britain" smarting at its loss to Romania in the Euro 2000 soccer championship. Great Britain comprises three separate nations: England, Scotland, and Wales. England was the only British nation competing in the championship. Sporting rivalry between British nations is pretty intense, and it is highly unlikely that the Scots or Welsh were mourning England's loss. To be accurate and fair, the Monitor report should have referred to English - rather than British - fans as perpetrating violence during the championship.
Alistair Budd Elsah, Ill.
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