Quotes of the Day
America's Medicated Warriors
I fear the fate of these brave soldiers 20 years from now [June 16]. In 2002 my brother Bill, a combat infantryman decorated with three Bronze Stars, took his life on the 34th anniversary of his return home from Vietnam. He was proud of his service but said that in order to survive, he saw and did awful things he could never talk about. I don't know what the answer is, but post-traumatic stress disorder and depression have to be treated with more than a Band-Aid like Prozac. The Department of Veterans Affairs needs every dollar it gets to care for these brave warriors, and the public needs to know this will have to continue for years to come.
RoseAnn Hassiepen-Hatfield,
Wheaton, Ill., U.S.
I believe that rather than merely offering drugs to our troops, we can give them the counseling they need via teleconferencing and even remote video conversations. The phone and Internet are terrific inventions. Let's put them to better use to support those who protect us all, at great personal cost.
Carolyn Reyno,
Springfield, Va., U.S.
The military needs to arrive at a consensus concerning proper mental-health care for troops. When I received a diagnosis of a mental illness in 2003 prior to an impending deployment, my military psychiatrist advocated for me. Despite my suggesting an alternative assignment to honor the terms of my contract, he recommended a medical discharge, giving me the opportunity to recover and develop the coping skills necessary to live a successful life. Not all military officers are so empathic. Had I been forced to deploy at that time, I know the stresses of being in a war zone would have exacerbated my symptoms, compromising the mission or, worse yet, my own life.
Anne Breitengross,
Vancouver, Wash., U.S.
One Idea: Scrap "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The estimated 65,000 gays and lesbians wearing the nation's uniform are not able to confide in doctors, psychologists and other counselors without fear of dismissal — a wasteful impediment to achieving full mental health. Meanwhile, the loss of 12,000 competent gays and lesbians has needlessly lengthened the tours of duty of the rest of the force.
Nathaniel Frank,
Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.
Internet Wars
Thanks for Josh Quittner's excellent article on who will rule the Internet [June 16]. He's right that the mobile platform is increasingly the primary interface for millions, but it might not be the iPhone. Here in the U.S., we are far behind in the mobile revolution. Powerful handheld computers with features like wi-fi have been available in other countries for a while, and in these countries, Symbian is already a leader in the smart-phone OS market.
Regan Coleman,
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Israel's Rising Star
In his otherwise good report on Israeli leader Tzipi Livni, Tim McGirk states, "She broke with her parents' Zionist views; friends say she'd rather have a peaceful Israel to bequeath to her children" [June 16]. I didn't realize that for Israelis, having nationalistic feelings and a desire to live in peace are mutually exclusive.
Robert Isler,
Fair Lawn, N.J., U.S.
Kudos for Coldplay
When critics rant over the success of Coldplay, they give away the real reason they dislike the band [June 16]. Its music is clean. I am grateful to Coldplay for making music that a 40-plus mom can listen to with her teens without hitting the mute during the disgusting parts.
Elizabeth Fifielski,
Meridian, Idaho, U.S.
