The Euro and the Crisis in Greece Re "Paralysis in Athens," by Randall Fuller (Op-Ed, June 7): I was in Athens just the other day, an impromptu visit to handle "business" - O.K., to take out all my euros. But I did not. Though the political climate can be construed as chaotic and the government "paralyzed with indecision," the Athenians, verbal and intellectual by nature, fight their fears with talk - at the markets, in cafes, banks, taxicabs and the metro, and on the radio, the hub of daily, cathartic commentary that relieves their angst, at least for a while. "Will we make it?" they ask. We must. Listening, I admire their spirit of engagement at a most difficult time. There are no comforting answers, they concede, but can a people so rooted in democracy not rise up and find the answer and do what they must to survive? The force of their discourse tells me they will. Their language, full of passion and poetry, tells me they will. Their decent, hospitable nature tells me they will. Their cohesiveness as a people tells me they will be able to withstand the crisis without descending "into chaos." Each individual has contributed to the problem. "We all cheated to some degree," confides a friend. The Greek people know they must not only reform their government, but also restructure their individual thinking and form daily habits that will promote a responsible citizenry. "Democracy" derives from two Greek words that mean "rule of the people." They know what needs to be done. VICKIE SPANOS Bakersfield, Calif., June 8, 2012