Mailbag

“Brad Pitt seeking to adopt Angelina Jolie‘s two beautiful children—now that’s unconditional love. He truly is the Sexiest Man Alive!”
Dora Figueroa
Whittier, Calif.

Your story about Brad Pitt adopting Angelina Jolie‘s kids was great. Looking at the picture, it’s pretty clear he cares for them. They make an adorable family, and I wish them nothing but the best.
Jamie Gordon
Boston, Mass.

I hope they adopt as many children as their hearts desire. They’re awesome role models who’ll raise these children without prejudices and make this world a better place.

Elaine Bartlett

Colorado Springs, Colo.

This news has kept me smiling. I hope the skeptics out there will remain silent and allow this new family to thrive.

Alexa Nichols

San Francisco, Calif.

After reading your article, I was sickened. Being a parent of an adopted Korean child, I found it so strange to read how easy it would be for Brad to adopt his lover’s children. What values are they teaching these children?

Donna Calderaro

Newton, N.J.

RESCUING DOGS

Thanks for that wonderful story about saving the dogs of Dalhart, Texas. The city should be thankful to people like Diane Trull and her family, who are there to help. I hope your story puts light and pressure on Dalhart’s government to try and help the Trulls instead of pushing them aside. What they’re doing is something that should be supported.

Melissa Williams

Lake in the Hills, Ill.

Your story states that the shelter will be closed unless it’s able to relocate, because of noise complaints. However, city officials said while a planned railroad spur wouldn’t run through the current site of the shelter, it would run near it. Unless I’m wrong, noise from a railroad far outweighs any noise, even that of 500 dogs. It seems someone isn’t being honest, or they think the public won’t think about how much noise a railroad will produce.

Rebecca Wilcox

East Point, Ga.

BRITNEY AND KEVIN FEUD

So Kevin “bolted” from home when they had a fight, and Britney paid him back by partying with friends. Who has the newborn baby? Funny thing about being a parent, you put the baby first.

Karen Usher

Allen, Texas

Corrections

In our Dec. 26 “Fallen Heroes” story, we classified the 2,401 who died in the line of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan as soldiers. Not all were sol diers, but also sailors, airmen, Marines and coast guardsmen. And in that same issue, Fall Out Boy is the name of the band featured in “Breakthroughs,” not Fallout Boy; their quoted singer should have been identified as Patrick Stump, not Pete Stump. We regret these errors.

Children and Food Allergies

No story in this issue drew more reader responses than the one about Christina Desforges, the 15-year-old Canadian eighth grader who died of an allergic reaction to peanut butter. The feature struck a chord with those who live with or have loved ones with food allergies.

“Too often it takes a tragedy like this to bring critical issues to the forefront,” writes Mark Winik of Melville, N.Y., the parent of a peanut-allergic child. Says Michelle Martin of Pittsburgh, Pa., the mother of a child with a life-threatening food allergy: “One of the biggest challenges is making sure he’s safe when he’s away from home.” Rita Strain of Greenwood, Ind., reports her son “now carries his EpiPen all the time. Your magazine may just have saved some lives.” Adds Amy Frankel of Great Neck, N.Y.: “This is probably the first article in a mainstream publication that doesn’t make parents look like a bunch of overprotective lunatics.”