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Readers shared strong convictions on the Martha Stewart verdict, the subject of our March 15 cover story. Many thought that although Stewart may have used bad judgment, she did not commit any harm. "Stewart wasn't dealing drugs, gunrunning, driving thousands of employees out of work or robbing their retirement funds," one said. Others believed Stewart was merely a convenient scapegoat. "It's a shame that the standard for fair punishment of white-collar crimes was set by someone more likely to be wearing a smart pink blouse," said a reader. But not everyone had sympathy for the domestic diva. "For Martha Stewart, a former stockbroker herself, a billion-dollar empire wasn't enough," a New Yorker noted. "She broke the rules and then denied it." Another reader thought the outcome just: "I am thankful that the jurors saw fit to reinforce this important lesson for all to see, instead of being swayed by celebrity."
Stir In a Conviction
I'm so tired of hearing people make fun of Martha Stewart ("Cooked," March 15). She built an empire from scratch! People buy her magazine because it is about living. I can't cook like her and I can't garden like her, but I sure as hell can read and enjoy her. I hope the advertisers will remember that I'm still out here and that I'm going to read Stewart's magazine, buy her items from Kmart and maybe even save up to buy her furniture.
Rose Mary Muench
Weston, Fla.
There is something insidious about our collective glee over the Martha Stewart verdict. Yes, she lied, she made money illegally and, yes, she should incur the appropriate consequences for her actions. But prison? What bothers me is a concern that, deep down, the reason we pursued Stewart is darker than anything she did. She represents a chance for us to avenge the hurts, real and imagined, inflicted by all the coiffed, polished Miss Polly Perfects we all grew up with and never quite measured up to.
Susan Dean Gilbert
Blowing Rock, N.C.
Congratulations to the U.S. Attorney's Office for nailing Martha Stewart. As a former stockbroker, Stewart should have known better. Unfortunately, the million-plus taxpayer dollars spent by the government to punish a $52,000 cheat is like harpooning Nemo instead of Moby-Dick. Let's hope our government has the courage and tenacity of Captain Ahab to get the whales of Enron, WorldCom and Global Crossing.
Don Whiting
Kalaheo, Hawaii
I cheered when I found out the verdict. Martha Stewart used her power to commit a crime, got caught and now has to pay. She was a stockbroker, so she knew the law. And she never shied away from the spotlight; it was known she was friends with ImClone founder Sam Waksal, so she should have been more careful. Stewart relied on her money and power to get her out of the hole...
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