A share of the blame for genocide

Re “Buffett’s stock conflicts with Gates charity aims,” May 4

I find The Times’ vilification of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates incomprehensible. They are the greatest heroes of our capitalistic system. They have produced great wealth and true value utilizing our capitalistic system and now are giving the personal wealth they gained for truly humanitarian efforts. Most of the past giants of American industry have used their wealth to gain political power and build monuments to themselves.

We should be holding Buffett and Gates up to the world as examples of the true success of our system. They are capitalists who value people above power, fame and fortune.

LARRY MCREYNOLDS

La Crescenta

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There’s not much in a newspaper that makes me put down my morning coffee, drop everything and compose a letter to the editor. Friday’s breakthrough journalism piece by Charles Piller accomplished just that.

The tragic events of Darfur have unfolded for years now, at times garnering front-page headlines but all too often being shunted to the side for more pressing or sensational headlines. The tragic personal accounts of this genocide are seemingly endless; the political machinations of the Sudanese government and the janjaweed militia have been well documented.

This story, however, has not been told, and it is an essential piece of the larger tale that we must not overlook.

Thanks to The Times for breaking new ground and persevering to tell a truly newsworthy story.

RUTH SHURE

Glendale

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In April, we commemorated the Holocaust: the systematic genocide of the Jewish people under Adolf Hitler. We are now living in the middle of another holocaust in Darfur. We deplore that many of those who could have done something for the Jewish people often did nothing. Now we can do something for the people of Darfur. We can sacrifice some of our comfort to send a message en masse to the Sudanese government -- “never again!” Instead, the majority of the Berkshire stockholders have chosen to ignore, explain away or pretend we have no voice, no power, no ability to effect change -- the same things that were said during World War II -- and history will judge us for turning a blind eye, again.

MARY RAINE

Pasadena