Having just managed a month-long project in Ethiopia, I found myself astonished at the self-centeredness reflected in Mr. Madden’s editorial. In Ethiopia, the roads are shared by cars, pedestrians, bicyclists, donkeys, cattle, goats and sheep! An extreme example to be sure, but Mr. Madden’s suggested intolerance for anyone who has a different purpose for using the road or who chooses modes of transportation out of concern for the environment is just as extreme. If Mr. Madden can’t handle motorists who drive a little more slowly than he or bicyclists who leave the sidewalks to pedestrians, I wonder how he will manage working with those who come from different cultures, have different faiths or speak different languages.
– Jacqueline D. Spears — Director of Center for Science Education