Caught in the Dark
Along with the rest of the world after September 11, I watched with awe and great respect as New Yorkers carried on their lives with dignity, generosity and resolve. I witnessed that same resolve and graciousness during the “Blackout of 2003” (cover story, Aug. 25). We were in New York searching for an apartment for my daughter, who is attending graduate school there in the fall. We had just gotten off the subway when the lights went out. Along with the rest of the city, I feared the worst, but people all around us, wherever we walked, were calm and considerate of each other. We didn’t see any looting and, more astonishing, there wasn’t even a short-tempered horn honk. As the evening went on, the relief was palpable–young people were drinking beer outside bars, people were huddling with strangers, sharing radios and information. I am grateful that I experienced New York at its finest. Carmie Winters New Orleans, La.
Instead of “How America Coped,” your headline should have read how New York City coped, for you summarized well how 8 million New Yorkers dealt with the blackout, but, with the exception of a few passing sentences, gave short shrift to the other 42 million people who were affected by it. It is somewhat understandable that your coverage would focus primarily on New York, the nation’s most populous city, but it is somewhat less defensible to chalk up the smoothness of the post-blackout period to New Yorkers’ “bottomless well of resourcefulness.” Did Clevelanders or Torontonians lack the resourcefulness and resilience to cope with the blackout as smoothly as New Yorkers? Your issue proved that the adage that New Yorkers think they are the center of the universe can still hold true from time to time. John Moye Chapel Hill, N.C.
I have many relatives in Memphis, Tenn., who in July experienced 100mph winds that knocked out power for more than 300,000 people and destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes. The national media gave the storm little or no coverage, but most people in that area remained without power for a week or more. The pictures and stories from New York about people coping for one night in the dark must seem amusing to others who spent days without electricity, cleaning up hurricane-like damage to their homes and businesses. All that most New Yorkers had to deal with was a night without computers or TV. Holly Schafer Cape Girardeau, Mo.
As the responsible operator of a central California water system supplying nearly 1 million gallons of water daily to almost 1,000 homes and businesses, I find it ludicrous that people who depend on electricity to operate their businesses do not have a backup system for emergencies. Our two generators are tested monthly, extra fresh fuel is on hand and we can readily supply almost 600,000 gallons of water daily in an emergency. Why should the government be responsible for protecting the storage or production of companies that depend on electrical power to function? Steve White Tehachapi, Calif.
I take umbrage at the prominently displayed quote equating the power outage in Detroit with the sci-fi movie “Mad Max.” The quote gives the impression that Detroit was chaotic during the power outage, but that’s just plain wrong. There were less than a handful of arrests for looting. Nearly all the power was restored by late Friday, as was most of the city’s water-supply system, one of the largest in the world. I was on the 25th floor of an office building when the power went out. The building occupants were courteous and helpful as they made their way down the stairwell. I then drove many miles in stop-and-go traffic to get home. Everyone was cooperative, despite the fact that there were no police at the intersections. On Friday morning, I went to a local grocery store to pick up water and other supplies. Sure, customers were anxious. But we made it through the crowded lines by joking with one another and sharing stories about the outage. I’m proud of this city and its 4,500,000 people. Steven R. Gabel Novi, Mich.
During my drive home on the day of the blackout, I was delighted at the thought of an open-window night with no lights, no computer, no TV, no cleaning, no incessant air-conditioner hum or other noises and, best of all, reduced pollution. Alas, I was disappointed to find upon my arrival home that my section of New Jersey was fully operational. Considering the negative environmental impact of our energy sources and the long-term potential for creating an unlivable planet, I am very surprised that so much emphasis has been placed on repairing the grid. Instead, we should take the billions of dollars used annually for grid maintenance and focus more attention on developing effective and efficient renewable energy alternatives. Elizabeth Loew Flemington, N.J.
If the recent power outage teaches us anything, it is that technological failures of this magnitude, or even greater, can happen any time. With that in mind, do we really want to name this the “Blackout of 2003”? After all, there are four more months left in this year. A. J. Hamler Manchester, Conn.
Thank you for the excellent coverage of the blackout. Even though I live in Phoenix, I, too, was profoundly affected by the blackout because it caused me to miss my mother’s funeral. Scheduled to arrive in Detroit early Friday morning, my husband and I were delayed by flight cancellations due to the power outage. We didn’t arrive until Friday night. My brother and his wife were similarly stuck midroute in Houston–without their luggage, and with my mother’s ashes. We all finally made it to her hometown of Frankenmuth, Mich., and were grateful we had time to spend with family and to visit the places where my mother grew up. But we missed the opportunity to deliver the eulogies we had written. Kari Carlisle Phoenix, Ariz.
America needs to change its attitude toward energy production and transmission. Unless we want to live with increasing fossil-fuel-based pollution and indefinite policing of the Middle East, we need to get away from the centralized-power-grid concept and start using alternative energy sources such as solar or emerging fuel-cell technologies. If the government and consumers are to spend billions of dollars upgrading the system, cleaning up air pollution and providing military and economic support in the Middle East, it seems clear that we should be discussing alternative energy. John M. Goeke High Point, N.C.
Ilkka Uimonen’s photo essay of the blackout was beautiful and something I would expect to see in a specialty photo magazine or a book. I applaud NEWSWEEK for running these unconventional pictures. As a photojournalism student, I am inspired by both Uimonen’s work and news- week’s commitment to using quality, cutting-edge pictures. Mark Murrmann Berkeley, Calif.
Still Not Married? Oy.
If I were surrounded by people telling me that three millenniums of Jewish teaching could be summed up by “Thou shalt be married by the age of 40,” I’d probably be ready to abandon Judaism, too (“Every Jewish Mother’s Worst Nightmare,” My Turn, Aug. 25). Maybe Wendy Aron just needs some different Jews to hang out with. They might tell her about the growing number of programs at synagogues and community centers for singles older than 40–not just for matchmaking but also for meeting new friends and feeling part of the Jewish community. I would urge Aron not to let her Judaism be defined by a bunch of yentas, but instead to dig deeper into the beautiful culture and enduring faith that is her birthright. Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman Houston, Texas
I found the woman of my dreams (yes, over 40 and Jewish) and married her for many reasons. One is that, unlike Wendy Aron, she had not a shred of desperation or bitterness. If I want to read an angst-filled rant on Jewish families, I’ll pick up “Portnoy’s Complaint.” At least Philip Roth has a sense of humor. Jim Cavagnaro Pittsford, N.Y.
Surely, by the age of 42, Wendy Aron knows that nagging single women to marry is a tradition in every culture (think “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” or “Moonstruck”). My Irish and Italian Catholic friends have bemoaned the same pleas. However, their complaints are logically directed at the source of the irritation: their family members, not the Vatican. June S. Neal West Hartford, Conn.
Understanding Suicide Bombers
Finally, someone has the courage to address the seemingly taboo subject of regarding suicide bombers not merely as evil, but as a phenomenon based on cause and effect (“Suicide Bombers Can Be Stopped,” Aug. 25). Suicide bombers haven’t risen out of a vacuum–they have been victims of oppression. In no way do I condone their tactics, but to go after them in the way, for example, that Israel does treats the symptom, not the cause. This will not work. Linnea Mielcarek Los Angeles, Calif.
I am offended by Fareed Zakaria’s suggestion that oppressive regimes create the environment that allows suicide bombing to flourish. The bombers and their handlers are responsible for their own subhuman behavior, and no excuses can be made for them. It is interesting to note that neither of the groups mentioned in Zakaria’s article, the Kurds and the Chechens, are primarily interested in obliterating a nation and its people. The Palestinians are. Adam Rose Bronx, N.Y.
