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 posttraumatic 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.

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.

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.

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.

Our troops are repeatedly stress-cycled through a futile war, so we keep them "functioning" longer with mind-altering meds. Yet our hypocritical culture tries to prohibit most such drugs, other than alcohol and tobacco. If the soldiers' function is to find and kill the enemy, why not treat them to khat, crystal meth and crack? Like President Reagan reportedly said of kids' addiction to computer war games, at least their reflexes would be quicker.
Jon McPhee, ST. PETERSBURG, FLA., U.S.

Please Pass the Cockroaches
Re "Eating bugs": how about advocating for a more palatable vegetarian national future [June 16]? I've been a vegetarian for 37 years. I'm 61, 6 ft. 2 in., 185 lb. and healthy enough to compete in 100-mile mountain-bike races, ski, climb and dance all night with my wife. I've been living extremely well on rice and beans for protein, tofu, tempeh, fruits, greens, grains and 40 g of fiber daily. Meat and dairy products cause more obesity, heart disease and other ill-health consequences. Eat vegetarian for yourself and the planet! Join me on the starting line of the next mountain-bike race!
Frosty Wooldridge, WESTMINSTER, COLO., U.S.

How long will it be before bug activists complain that the insects are not humanely killed before cooking?
Julian Hoyle, CAMARILLO, CALIF., U.S.

The Future of the Internet
There is a new platform on the horizon. It's the mobile platform. Here in the U.S., we are far behind in the mobile revolution [June 16]. Europe is ahead of us, but the real cutting edge is in Asia. Powerful handheld computers with features such as wi-fi may be new to the U.S., but they've been available in other countries for a while. The rest of the world has already chosen the platform of the future, and it's Symbian.
Regan Coleman, AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.