Letters: Where Jihad Has Found a Home

The free media, the Supreme Court adjudicating on the important issues and the vibrant Parliament, are  all pointers to the functioning of democracy in accordance with the constitution. Indeed, a robust, independent press and civil society are important voices on the political horizon of the country.
M. Akram Shaheedi

Can Germs Be Good for You?
As a physician and parent of three sons, I believe that well-meaning parents are becoming overly protective of kids, whether it be in requiring sterile playgrounds to prevent injury, fighting their battles with teachers and other authority figures, or wiping their kids' hands every 15 minutes with antibiotic wipes ("Caution: Killing Germs May Be Hazardous to Your Health," Oct. 29). It is intuitive that early childhood exposure to germs provides immunity, and vice versa. Attempts to eliminate the natural flora in our skin and gut play a significant role in the increasing allergies and autoimmune diseases that plague our children. Furthermore, it is typically American to buy one product to eliminate the bacteria, then buy yogurt to repopulate our gastrointestinal system with that same bacteria.
Brad Piatt, M.D.
Moraga, Calif.

On "Caution: Killing Germs May Be Hazardous to Your Health"
"As long as industry is promoting antibacterial products and doctors are making large quantities of money and prescribing unnecessary antibiotics to keep patients coming back, this destruction of our health will continue."
William A. Hardman, M.D., via internet

Reasons to Worry About Iran
Fareed Zakaria correctly points out the absurdity of Washington officials' attribution of apocalyptic powers to Iran ("Stalin, Mao and … Ahmadinejad?" Oct. 29). However, he errs in stating that Iran is a country "we know almost nothing about." In fact, there are hundreds of academic experts on Iran in the United States who travel there regularly, speak fluent Persian and know precisely the realities of the Islamic republic. These experts' voices are almost never heard in the circles of power. They are drowned out by the overwrought Iran-hating denizens of wealthy conservative Washington think tanks, such as Norman Podhoretz, who have the ear of public officials and journalists while real expertise goes begging.
William O. Beeman, President
Middle East Section American Anthropological Association
Minneapolis, Minn.

There are two concerns about Iran—that it will get a nuclear weapon and use it against Israel or some other American ally or interest, and that it is providing the weapons and training needed to kill American soldiers in Iraq in the hope that it will have a?strategic influence with certain Shiites after the United States leaves.?It's that simple and that dangerous.
Mark Strand
Woodbridge, Va.

Let's Hear It for Clean Elections
Anna Quindlen has clearly defined the single most important issue facing our country: the restoration of our representative democracy through the complete elimination of all corporate funding of federal elections ("Dialing for Dollars," Oct. 29). America's No. 1 problem is not Iraq, Iran, not even Al Qaeda, but the insidious and devastating influence of corporate interests that now rule the halls of Congress by drafting the legislation and selecting our congressional leaders.
Randall Tolpinrud
Salt Lake City, Utah