I think the irony of living off the spoils of capitalism is lost on Weissman ("Dumpster Dining," June 14-20). Very funny story. By the way, I'm not mocking him. I don't like to see food go to waste.
Lauren
We teach our kids that winning is where the glory is ("Is The World Cup Must See TV?" June 14-20), and winning by using force is the greatest glory of all. Only the big kids, the stronger ones are encouraged to play a game where might makes right. We have the audacity to think we can condone violence as a means to an end on the playing field, worship a game that mimics warfare and idolize the winners, and then complain about bullying in our schools? Our schools ought to be promoting healthy lifetime sports, the good cholesterol, the kind that can keep our bodies and our minds fit and involved long after we are too old to actively participate in games that promote violence. In the mean time, soccer is the better alternative to football.
Marilyn LaCourt
C.J. Sullivan, you must be living on another planet. I do agree that soccer will not replace baseball, basketball or football as "the" national sport of America any time soon, if ever. Where you go ridiculously wrong is when you claim "Basketball is the new world sport." You obviously have a defective knowledge of the planet you live in; and thinking that New York gives you a fair idea because, well, it is New York, only shows that even New Yorkers can be provincial. Soccer is the undisputed leader in all of these countries (except in France, where it competes with rugby). In Latin America, except for a few Central American and Caribbean nations, soccer is king to the point of being a national obsession. In a globalized media market, soccer is increasingly becoming a "uniter, not a divider." Go to any NYC sports bar on a Champions League or World Cup game, and you'll find an immediate connection among fans from all over the world (including America) praising the skills of Ronaldinho or regretting the historical misfortunes of the Dutch national team. It is, more than ever, a universal language. Basketball doesn't remotely come close to that.
Miguel Moreno
ERRATA: Robert Proudfoot's June 14-20 article, "Behind the Free Lunch," incorrectly stated that the New York City Food Bank receives 30 percent of its food from rescued food from City Harvest. It receives 28 percent from American Second Harvest and does not use rescued food. It also provides more than a quarter million free meals a day to New Yorkers in need through its network of more than 1,200 programs.