React

LETTERS ON THE OCTOBER ISSUE

Kid Power
I have been made to think
I’m irresponsible for
allowing my children, ages
7 to 14, to walk to school,
ride their bikes to tennis
lessons, and stay home
alone for short periods
(Is It Just Me? “Let’s Stop
Scaring Our Kids”). When
will society give its permis-
sion for my children to Hoorah for Lenore Skenazy’s courage.
do things that make them
capable, confident individ-
She recognized her son was mature enough
uals not afraid of their to ride the subway alone. Our children need to
own shadows? be nourished in mind and body, but they don’t
Col l een Da me, Petaluma, California need to be coddled so much that we smother
them. Vicky Mummert, Colorado Springs, Colorado
My two boys, ages 11 and
13, are constantly asking
me for more freedom and inde- sary spending is a smart way to save,
pendence, but I don’t think a parent and he also learned the value of
can be too careful today. No mother service to others. That is exactly the
has ever regretted keeping her way we need to think in order to live
children as safe as possible, but better, happier lives.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ANDREW BRUSSO

there are mothers who regret not Lisa Fusco, Stanfordville, New York
keeping them safe enough.
Sharon Nickerson, Deal Detective

Savvy Saver
North Brookfield, Massachusetts

F inally, frugality is fashionable

(“Get a Great Deal on Any-
thing”). No longer do my friends

D avid Hochman’s article, “My

Family’s No-Buy Experiment,”
was especially timely given the state
of the economy. Cutting unneces-
readersdigest.com 12/08
laugh at my great garage-sale and
thrift-store finds. Now they join me
in the hunt to reuse, recycle, and
save money. With Americans tight-
11
ening their budgets, I foresee a
nation of bargain hunters. I should
have kept this secret to myself.
K rishna Morgenroth,
Corpus Christi, Texas
Wisdom Shared
J ane Goodall’s words about
compassion for animals and the
environment are inspiring (“What
I’ve Learned”). My mother loved
animals, and our house was a home
for many pets when my brother and
I were growing up. Her gift to us
was a deep respect for them. Now I
think carefully about what I eat, buy,
and support. J ud y Tayl or-Atkinson,
Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada
Need and Greed
M ichael Crowley hit the nail on
the head: Corporate greed has
run rampant (Outrageous! “Runaway
Taxes”). The “greed is good” mantra
from Wall Street has become a way
of life for corporate CEOs. They
need to understand that it’s not
about them or their shareholders
but about the workers who get up
every day and work 60 hours a week
just to survive. Now my taxes will
have to pay for their greed in the
form of a bailout.
Chery l Pagano, Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Rx for Change
A s a practicing pharmacist for
more than 14 years, I appreci-
ated the information in “Thirteen
Things Your Pharmacist Won’t Tell
You” (The Digest). These items are
so true, and the list goes on and on.
Thanks for sharing this.
Julie Wil kinson, Alexandria, Louisiana
As a pharmacist, I’d like to add one
thing to the list: People need to take
some responsibility for their health
care. If you wait until you run out
of medication and have no more
refills, there’s little I can do. Yes, I
will try to reach your doctor, but
don’t get mad at me
if he doesn’t answer
my phone call.
Dawn Szylw in,
Auburn, Washington
The Legacy
T hank you for “The
I L L U S T R AT E D B Y K I M W A R P
Gift,” about Ish
and Arlene Hatch, the
frugal farmers who left
a secret fortune for our
community. I had Mrs.
Hatch as my math
teacher in middle
readersdigest.com 12/08
 A Message to
Our Readers
Please beware of fake-check scams.
Con artists are preying on consumers
and fraudulently using the names
of trusted companies like Reader’s
Digest. Some scams mimic prize award
notifications. Victims receive a phony
check and are asked to return a por-
tion of the winnings to the sender.
Remember, a legitimate sweep-
stakes never asks an entrant or a win-
ner to pay money to collect a prize.
If someone says you’ve won and asks
for payment of any kind, contact the
National Consumers League at 1701
K St. NW, Suite 1200, Washington, D.C.
20006, or go to fakechecks.org. Learn
more at readersdigest.com/scam.
school and have fond memories
of her class. The Hatches had big
hearts. Our area will never forget
them. Ca rol y n Ca va na ugh, Alto, Michigan
It’s a shame the Hatches’ house
may not stay in the family because
so much of the inheritance money
went toward taxes. This article
should be required reading for our
legislators. It’s a firsthand account
of what the death tax can do to an
estate. T homa s W. May, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Time to Move?
I have visited Kivalina, Alaska, the
village that’s melting into the sea
because of climate change (“Land’s
End”). There are wonderful people
and nice homes there. I wish the
government would move the resi-
dents to another location.
Judy Chase, Roseburg, Oregon
It appears the good folks of Kivalina
have become well versed in a chorus
of “you owe me.” To demand com-
pensatory damages from others and
blame them for the village’s demise is
absurd. I don’t object to the Inupiats’
lifestyle choices, but they live on a
sandbar, and sandbars are constantly
expanding and eroding. Anyone
anywhere who chooses to reside on
one is taking an obvious risk.
J. Bruce Anderson, New Castle, Pennsylvania

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