I found it interesting that your cover photo of Nidal Malik Hasan, who apparently killed in the name of God, labels him a possible terrorist [Nov. 23]. In Verbatim, Scott Roeder, who also killed in the name of God, is called the "accused shooter." What's the difference between them, again? I am less concerned about the thousand or so radical Muslims, who are highly monitored, than I am about the million or so unguarded radical "Christians" whose hatred is fanned daily by the rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter.
David Berry, RATON, N.M., U.S.
I don't know what roles Muslims should play in our military, but perhaps counseling veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan should not be one of them. Fair or not, I would not have wanted to talk to an Army psychiatrist of Vietnamese descent when I came home from Vietnam in 1970.
Bruce W. Rider, Captain, U.S. Air Force (ret.) GRAPEVINE, TEXAS, U.S.
Hasan's worldview was obviously irreconcilable with his oath to support and defend the Constitution. Yet he was retained in the Army, despite his wishes to get out, because he owed time. Imagine the irreparable harm he would have inflicted on the fragile minds of soldiers suffering from PTSD if he had not gone on a rampage.
George Nakamura, MILILANI, HAWAII, U.S.
Perhaps the best way to convey the horror of what happened at Fort Hood would have been not to present the nearly life-size face of a killer on your cover but to share photos of his many victims.
Mary Schartau, BROOKLYN, N.Y., U.S.
My Kid Could Have Invented That!
How can TIME call BioArts' cloned pets one of the best inventions of the year [Nov. 23]? I would suggest that those considering cloning adopt one of the millions of shelter animals, then donate the difference to have other animals spayed and neutered. This would help prevent the tragedy of so many unwanted animals in this world — which would be a truly great invention.
Noreen Smith, NEENAH, WIS., U.S.
The Ares rocket as a best invention? It is an example of brute force over finesse. Comparing it to the Saturn V is like comparing a Mack truck to a Ferrari. NASA should have been improving on a Saturn-class vehicle instead of stacking existing bricks together. My 50 years in the rocket business tells me Ares will soon be forgotten.
Edward F. McKenna, NORWOOD, MASS., U.S.
Debating Afghanistan
Re Joe Klein's "The Mystery of the Surge" [Nov. 23]: President Obama stated unequivocally that victory over the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan is essential to U.S. national security. If this is true, why agonize over the corruption of Hamid Karzai's regime or the ability to effectively train the Afghan police and military? We must defend our national-security interests, whatever it takes. And if it takes more troops, so be it. On the other hand, if the mission is judged impossible, Obama has a sacred responsibility to get the troops out of that rat hole and devise a containment strategy.
Adi Arieli, LOS ANGELES
Before the Obama Administration assumes that General Petraeus' track record in Iraq is transferable to Afghanistan, it should reflect more on a critical U.S. mistake in Vietnam. Much of the reason for the U.S. failure there can be traced to the assumption that General Edward Lansdale's successful approach to defeating the Philippine Huk insurgency would also work in Vietnam.
Price Bingham, MELBOURNE, FLA.,U.S.
With Education for All
The comparison in "5 Things We Can Learn from China" between the educational systems in China and the U.S. is off base [Nov. 23]. Unlike in China, in the U.S., every child is entitled to an education regardless of background or learning ability. Early tracking of students in China ensures that only the best and brightest can receive college-prep education; others are put into vocational schools or the workforce. If I taught only students who had parental support and spent hours on homework, I certainly could show higher test scores. But I believe that anyone can achieve his dream. The surly teen may mature and realize he needs an education to get the job he loves; the struggling kid may be able to get to college with better study habits. Please don't insult American teachers in this way.
Kelly Czermerys, HUNGER, N.Y., U.S.
I am a 16-year old teenager living right in the heart of Oxford city, which is a hot spot for intensely cerebral academics. Seventy percent of my peers are Chinese, and your article was an accurate reflection of the culture in Chinese education. A 15-year-old friend from Shanghai studying IGSCE had such a wide scope of knowledge about economics that even he was teaching his teacher. I was impressed by how boldly you argued the case for the much beleaguered Chinese education system, how important it is to the economic welfare, as well as describing its destruction of creativity. In this increasingly globalized world, there can be silver linings to some harsh approaches that China enforces upon its inhabitants.
Damien Chin Tze Ming, OXFORD, ENGLAND