To the Editor:
Re “A Stunning New Peek Into the Ancient Cosmos” (front page, July 13):
Human beings are a remarkable toolmaking species, with an insatiable curiosity, imagination and a yearning to explore and understand. In that very human spirit, ingenious astrophysicists, mathematicians and engineers have roaringly entered stage left, giving the world the James Webb Space Telescope.
These modern-day explorers are making it possible for us to gaze many light-years across space with far greater clarity, and to peer ever closer to the universe’s beginning billions of years ago. They are familiarizing us with the brilliance of innumerable galaxies appearing deceptively to coast in space, the churning birth and death of stars, and the increasing number of exoplanets circling the cosmos’s other suns.
We might be excused for finding this new window on the world, including our place and mission in the roiling universe, emboldening and humbling at the same time.
Keith Tidman
Bethesda, Md.
To the Editor:
The James Webb Space Telescope’s out-of-this-world photos propelled me to the first words in Genesis, “In the beginning …” — and as close to God as I have ever felt. Let this be a beginning of light.
Suzanne Levine
New Haven, Conn.
To the Editor:
Re “Gawking in Awe at the Universe,” by Shannon Stirone (Opinion guest essay, July 13):
Ms. Stirone beautifully describes the context in which the early images from the James Webb Space Telescope fit.
However, in her enthusiasm, she goes one step too far. The Webb Telescope and future exciting scientific endeavors will undoubtedly provide many new answers on how the universe developed and whether or not we are alone in it. But science will never answer the question “Why.”
Why the universe exists and why the evolution of life developed on our Earth and led to intelligent and sentient humans are questions that have been addressed by philosophers and religious leaders, but they are unanswerable. This is the truly awesome mystery of our lives.
Norman J. Sissman
Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.
To the Editor:
If, as many astronomers suspect, there is plentiful life throughout the massive expanse portrayed in the Webb photos, then many thanks to the Creator(s) for having the wisdom to keep vast distances between planets so the inhabitants can harm only themselves, not others.
David Smollar
San Diego
How Abortions Benefit Men
To the Editor:
Re “The Voices of Men Affected by Abortion” (news article, July 4):
What is missing in most abortion coverage is its benefit to men. When I was an abortion counselor in the 1970s, the most common response of the men accompanying patients was relief — and with good reason. They are relieved of the time, money and effort of raising a child they did not plan to have.
They are often fathers struggling to provide for the children they already have. They want to make sure the women they care about do not face the major risks of a botched abortion or carrying a pregnancy to term.
In short, abortion benefits men, women and the children they have or may have in the future, along with society and the country as a whole. These men and women are taking responsibility for their lives. What is irresponsible are cruel and dangerous actions that deny this reality.
Naomi Fatt
Brooklyn
Reduced Media Coverage of Ukraine
To the Editor:
One of the things that has worried me in the last few months is the reduced coverage the news media are giving to the war in Ukraine, especially when compared with the greater coverage early on after Russia’s invasion. And even when there is coverage of Ukraine, it seems to take a back seat to other stories such as inflation, the Jan. 6 committee, gun violence, growing divisions within both the Democratic and Republican Parties, and speculation about the outcome of the 2022 election.
Why do I worry? Russia experts initially thought Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine was a calculated gamble, based on the belief that he could easily and quickly win the war. This wager was predicated on Mr. Putin’s assumptions that Americans would lose interest in Ukraine and that NATO and European countries over time might not remain unified.
Communication research demonstrates how the quantity and perspective of media stories affect what the public thinks is important. Put simply, the media performs what scholars call an “agenda setting” function. As a result, we must wonder if the media’s current coverage of Ukraine is actually helping to make Mr. Putin’s gamble less of a gamble — and more of a sure bet.
Richard Cherwitz
Austin, Texas
The writer is professor emeritus at the Moody College of Communication, the University of Texas at Austin.
To the Editor:
Re “Can a Democrat Attract Rural Voters by Taking On Bureaucracy?,” by Farah Stockman (Opinion, July 4):
Democrats, because of their reliance on government regulations and programs in their policies, have a particular obligation to ensure an effective and efficient government, one that actually works.
As much as Republicans have worked for decades to undermine government functions, Democrats have ignored the issue, instead offering proposals that put new regulations on top of old regulations and new programs on top of old programs.
A simplified and efficient government could serve liberal Democratic policies much better than the current muck in our government agencies.
Frank Z. Riely Jr.
Chapel Hill, N.C.
