Letters

The Ghosts of Vietnam

"Undoubtedly, hundreds of women and children were killed in Vietnam. That's the way war is, and it's not going to change." THOMAS C. DELAHUNTY Fayetteville, N.C.

I am amazed at the confusion in the accounts of what happened that fateful night when civilians were killed in Thanh Phong [NATION, May 7]. The stories told by former Senator Bob Kerrey and his squad mate Gerhard Klann are completely different. Klann would have us believe it was a meticulous slaughter of unarmed women and children. Kerrey recalls that the killings were an accident that occurred during a confusing night of war. Since the stories are so contradictory, and we can't distinguish the truth, we should put this behind us and move forward. Judgment of these men will not be in our hands. PAUL DALE ROBERTS Elk Grove, Calif.

Kerrey is a genuine hero. The fact is that the Vietnam War is still being fought by former government officials, by refugees and by anyone who is looking for a forum for his own agenda. Should we discredit all our military personnel who spent time in that hell? As someone who was against the war in the '60s and '70s, I say it's time to let it rest. ALEX HOWARD North Bergen, N.J.

How many Japanese men, women and children were condemned to death when the U.S. bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki? I am 86 years old and have lived through "the war to end all wars." Don't blame Kerrey for the slaughter at Thanh Phong. Blame the powers that be for sending men and women into battle. ESTHER MORRISON Santa Fe, N.M.

It disturbs me that there is no movement to put Kerrey on trial for the war crimes he is alleged to have committed. That is, after all, the usual process for ascertaining guilt and meting out punishment. I cannot avoid the ugly thought that Americans' concept of justice may be dependent on the citizenship of the accused and the color of the victims. DAVID L. SILK Stonington, Conn.

I suspect that most of us who actually fought in Vietnam have confessions lingering in some dark corner of our minds but have come to terms with the memories. Civilian casualties are an inevitable consequence of any war, and that will never change. Until mankind realizes the futility of war, civilian casualties, however regrettable, will remain an acceptable fact of life. BARRY W. LUNDGREN Woodstock, Ill.

--Many of you felt that Bob Kerrey's treatment at the hands of the news media was the ugliest aspect of the controversy surrounding his confession. "American journalism has hit an all-time low," wrote a Florida woman. "Reporters who hoped to 'hit it big' with this story only exhibited their ignorance of history and war." A New Jerseyan shared her disgust and was "taken aback by the arrogance and superior attitude of the press. Your need to know everything gives you no right to eviscerate Kerrey. How dare you?" A Louisiana man who served in the military believes that Kerrey has nothing to be ashamed of: "I surely wish the media would stop hounding the men and women who served in Vietnam. They did what they had to do to stay alive."

For the Love of Dope

Patti Davis' personal revelations in "Dope--A Love Story" made it one of the most powerful articles I have ever read about why involvement with drugs becomes an obsession [VIEWPOINT, May 7]. Her story gave me real insight into why many good friends walked away from wonderful people and fantastic opportunities into a life of turmoil and desperation. I fear the hold drugs have on certain personality types, and this knowledge only makes the present tactics of this "war on drugs" even more ludicrous. DAN FLEMING Oakland, Calif.

Enough, already. Davis wrote about Robert Downey Jr.'s love affair with drugs. If he were a cardiac patient who'd had three angioplasties yet still insisted on stuffing himself with burgers and fries, we would say he was a hopeless case. Being "in love with drugs" is really being in love with death itself. After all of Downey's backsliding, why should anyone still be wondering how to help such a pathetic example of a self-destructive life and wasted talent? AMANDA UHRY New York City

Dixie Won't Go Down

Having recently emerged from racial segregation in South Africa, I was shocked to read of the racist mind-set of many Americans who still celebrate the Confederate cause [TIME IN DEPTH, April 30]. South Africa is facing a rocky present and an uncertain future with the huge challenges left by apartheid still inflicting pain on many citizens. But as uncomfortable as it may be, for better or worse, we are attempting to confront those issues in the media and civil society at large. It appears that America's racial baggage has been swept under the rug in an effort to give the impression of a unified and free society. The attitudes described in your article will continue in America until the problem of race is confronted and laid to rest. COLIN WAKEFIELD Johannesburg

Pumping Up Taiwan's Defense

I was happy that President Bush spoke unambiguous words to the effect that the U.S. would defend Taiwan if it were attacked by China [WORLD, May 7]. Taiwan is a de facto independent democratic nation, and should be free to decide its own destiny without threats. The sooner Taiwan declares its independence and changes its name to the Republic of Taiwan, the better the situation will be for both Taiwan and China. ASGEIR INGIBERGSSON Camrose, Alta.

Give Jenna a Break!

The media left Chelsea Clinton alone for eight years; why start picking on the Bushes' daughter Jenna? Imagine what your publicizing her underage drinking does for the 19-year-old's reputation [PEOPLE, May 7]. She didn't ask for the attention, and to bring disgrace on her for something that many college kids do smacks of sensationalism and perhaps resentment toward a conservative President. Get back to reporting serious issues and leave the Bushes alone. ANTONIO FERNANDEZ Barcelona, Spain

Fear for the Planet

Dear George W. Bush, one of the reasons you stated for not implementing the Kyoto Protocol was that you have to protect America's economy. What a shortsighted excuse [SPECIAL REPORT, April 9]! Right now your job is not to please U.S. industry but to make sure this world will remain healthy for the sake of the generations still to come, including your grandchildren. HUBERT SALVENMOSER Baumkirchen, Austria

President Bush's policy on carbon dioxide emissions demands serious opposition, and this can only start with the American public. Having spent three months in Houston during the summer of last year, I had firsthand experience of unacceptable levels of pollution and suffered considerable discomfort. I found it amusing that the locals believed plant allergies and pollen caused the majority of respiratory problems, and yet there was hardly a piece of greenery in sight! DAVID G. HARRIS Cape Town

Teaching the Basics

Opponents of abortion don't have to make it illegal if they can make it impossible to get one. Bless those brave young medical students [SOCIETY, May 7] for having the courage to address the appalling lack of reproductive health care available to many women today and to push for abortion to be included in their medical school curriculums. These young doctors will face a lot more ugliness now that they have been featured in Time, but they should know that many reasonable people support them and are grateful for their actions. CAROL GEVECKER GRAVES Baltimore, Md.

Fossil Fuels Rule

The conclusions of the energy task force headed by Vice President Dick Cheney to push production of fossil fuels and nuclear power appear obviously sensible to me [BUSINESS, May 7]. All sources of energy were considered, along with availability and drawbacks. In order to alleviate the serious energy shortage that the U.S. faces, there are no other alternatives except living in the dark much of the time. Conservation alone will not do the job, and new energy sources are still years away. We are going to have to bend some of the rules for environmental protection for a while in order to keep the lights on, and make the most out of all energy sources. WALTER S. MOE El Dorado Hills, Calif.

Re "Cheney Gets Coal Fired": It's time we drilled into the heads of certain politicians and tapped them for dwindling resources such as empathy, wisdom and common sense. JINNY LEE Melrose, Fla.

The Growing Narcowar

The deaths of two members of an American missionary family [in a small plane shot down by the Peruvian military, which thought the plane was involved in drug smuggling] should serve as a wake-up call [NATION, May 7]. With innocent missionaries being killed, Colombia torn apart by prohibition-fueled violence and America's prison population at record levels, perhaps it's time for politicians to drop the drug-war hysteria. As a Christian, I feel I should ask myself, What would Jesus do? The answer is not to persecute, incarcerate and deny forgiveness to drug users--the essence of America's zero-tolerance drug policy. ROBERT SHARPE Washington

Have we learned nothing about the human psyche from the U.S. Prohibition era? Paraphrasing a popular slogan, It's the demand, stupid! PATRICK DISANTE Harrisburg, Pa.

While I was quoted correctly in your article "America's Shadow Drug War," what was omitted may have left the false impression that I believe interdiction in Latin America alone will resolve America's drug problem. Interdiction can succeed only if it is accompanied by a far more vigorous effort to reduce demand in the U.S. and provide more treatment and rehabilitation programs for hard-core addicts. Demand drives supply, supply helps create more drug use, and interdiction is essential, not just to combat drug production but also to defend democratic institutions in Latin America. BERNARD ARONSON Washington

Show me a government that can break down your door, cuff you and toss you in jail all because it doesn't like what you put in your pipe, and I'll show you a government to fear and loathe. Whether it's pulling over suspicious-looking motorists or gunning down airborne missionaries, the drug war is a menace to freedom and security. JOHN SCHULLER Morrow, Ga.

Lethal, unprovoked violence was the tactic used by Peruvian drug warriors, aided by the CIA. This is not an efficient way to reduce drug abuse. Roni Bowers was an innocent victim of friendly fire. We will continue to see such "collateral damage" until the U.S. government quits pretending that stopping drug trafficking is worth killing people for. DANNY TERWEY Santa Cruz, Calif.

Correction

Amy Dickinson's column on a study in which the drug fluvoxamine (or Luvox) was used to treat children with severe anxiety disorders [PERSONAL TIME: YOUR HEALTH, May 7] said that when children in the study were offered behavioral therapy alone, only five children showed improvement, while, when given Luvox, 76% showed swift improvement. Neither cognitive nor behavioral therapy was a component of this study. Dickinson mistakenly used "behavioral therapy" as a generic term referring to the "supportive therapy" offered to the children.