Inbox

Tragedy at Fort Hood

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.

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

Whether Hasan was deranged or a terrorist is immaterial to the families of the people slaughtered at Fort Hood. The long list of red flags you listed should have alerted anyone with a modicum of common sense. Yet instead of being proactive, everybody chose political correctness. Drastic changes in policies and procedures should be implemented immediately, or soon the expression "military intelligence" will be interpreted as a contradiction in terms.

Raoul Carubelli, OKLAHOMA CITY

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

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.

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.

RANT OF THE WEEK

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.

Debating Afghanistan