Sources of Addiction

Michael Lemonick and Alice Park examined the addictions many of us struggle with every day [Sept. 10]. Society often labels alcoholics and other addicts as moral failures, despite medical evidence to the contrary. The sad truth is that the active addict may experience a physical, psychological or even spiritual high and no longer make healthy, rational decisions. With the help of the medical community and support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, addicts can manage their disease.
Michele Rugo, MURPHYS, CALIF. U.S.

There is a very large gap between recognizing how addiction looks on a brain scan and developing therapies that are effective enough to safely abolish addictive behavior. Once a safe and effective candidate drug is discovered, a minimum of five years is needed before the Food and Drug Administration can deem it safe to administer to millions of addicts. We are at least a decade away from even starting such trials. Addiction is a side effect of the positive evolutionary pressures to respond to pleasurable stimuli by seeking repeat stimulation. Alcoholics Anonymous is one form of therapy that we can depend on to be effective in reducing addictive behavior. Brain scans will someday lead to improved therapy, but not for many years to come.
David P. Vernon, TUCSON, ARIZ., U.S.

As the neuroscientist who discovered vigabatrin for drug addiction, I was extremely pleased with the breadth and accuracy of “The Science of Addiction.” The use of vigabatrin as a potential treatment for drug addiction derives directly from advances made in nuclear medicine imaging research at Brookhaven National Laboratory. If successful, its impact will be felt worldwide. Taxpayer-funded institutions like Brookhaven truly help support the translation of discoveries made in the laboratory to treatments for patients afflicted with life-threatening illnesses, including drug addiction. Continued political support and financial investment in scientific research are vital to maintaining our way of life and that of those to follow after we’re gone.
Stephen L. Dewey MANORVILLE, NEW YORK, U.S.

They’ve Got Game
Lev Grossman painted a wonderful picture of Halo 3, making it sound like the next game of the year [Sept. 10]. He stated that the story is “rich and complicated in ways that we’re not used to in video games.” But long before Halo 3 was conceived, there were The Legend of Zelda and the Castlevania and Metroid series. Even the more recent Mario games have a deep story line. Halo’s formula is to introduce a masked spaceman hero, put him on a strange outpost in space and antagonize him with aggressive aliens.
Adrian Goldberg, LAGUNA HILLS, CALIF., U.S.

Grossman referred to hard-core video-game fans as “an invisible subculture.” Here I am, 24 years old, loving life. I’ve got a great job and a huge circle of great friends, and I will be getting my M.B.A. in a couple of years. I know a bit about art and music, and I get daily updates on world events. And I love video games. How is a well-crafted game (of which there are a good bunch) different from a good novel?
Angel Darquea, SANTA MONICA, CALIF., U.S.

The 9/11 Candidate
Rudy Giuliani has no platform other than the fable he spins of what he did on 9/11 [Sept. 10]. The blood money he has pulled in from speaking engagements and his campaign fearmongering are more than this former Republican can stand. Someone needs to ask Giuliani why he doesn’t have the support of many of the 9/11 first responders or their unions.
Jenn Coolidge, LAKELAND, FLA., U.S.

Candidates for high office have to have a theme and a reason for running. If ever a man has met his moment, Giuliani has. You can bet the farm that he will be elected by an overwhelming majority and prove to be one of the truly great Presidents — and world leaders — we have ever known. Just as he was in the face of his opponents when he was mayor of New York City, as President he will confront all the U.S.’s enemies — domestic and foreign — and he will ride roughshod over them, doing whatever it takes to secure America. Thank God for giving us this man at this historical moment. This is not a time for sissies, political posers or come-lately lightweights.
James Harrison Cohen, NEW YORK CITY

Giuliani and the republicans keep trying to convince us that only they are tough enough to fight terrorists and keep us safe. To believe that, you have to forget their track record. I seem to recall that on 9/11 the terrorists boarded planes in a state that had a Republican Governor and did their worst damage in a city that had a Republican mayor and a state that had a Republican Governor — all while a Republican was in the White House.
Ron Spiegel, PHILADELPHIA

Embracing the Silver Strands
Thanks to Anne Kreamer and TIME for the article on whether women should color their hair [Sept. 10]. I’m 57 and started dyeing my hair in my mid-30s. When I turned 50, I decided that since I’d been a grandma from age 39, it was time I looked like one. Coloring your hair is a pain in the arse, as the Irish say. Your roots grow out in a week or two, and you have to touch them up or look like a skunk. Surely women have become liberated enough to do what they want. But if they decide to fake it, they should use a lighter dye to make it look more natural.
Lisa Singer-Hamilton, CINCINNATI, OHIO, U.S.

I am 38 years old, and I don’t understand what the big deal is over going gray. I’ve been getting steadily balder since I hit 30, and my remaining hair is turning gray. When I was growing up, my father made and serviced toupees. I thought they were ugly and reflected the wearer’s incredible insecurity. I feel the same way about hair dye for men and women. Being who you are rather than putting up some kind of façade shows much stronger character. By all means, dress well, and stay healthy and fit. But dyeing your hair is right up there with dressing like a teenager when you are 40. For those who claim it’s different for women, I respectfully reply that it shouldn’t be — and perpetuating the supposed difference won’t help.
Steve Rummel, CHICAGO

I read “The gray wars” with smug amusement. When my glorious mane of auburn hair started turning gray more than 15 years ago, I tried to maintain it artificially and was mortified by the black-and-purple results. I had it hacked off, and that was the end of the bottle for me. Today I am 51, long divorced, gray-haired and chunky, but I’m still very sexually active. I work out, ride a motorcycle and travel extensively. My life is good because I make it good. Boomers need to realize that if we fulfill our life expectancy, we will be gray much longer than we were brunet, blond or auburn. Embrace the silver. People will choose to be around you if you are adventurous and love life. You can’t buy that in a bottle.
Kathy Pippin, COOKEVILLE, TENN., U.S.

Like most of the women in my family, I grayed very young — the white hairs at my temples appeared in my early 20s. Horrified, I rushed for the dye bottle and dutifully touched up my roots for the next 20 years. Three years ago, at the age of 40, I simply got tired of it and stopped. I hadn’t seen my real color for two decades and wondered what I was in for. I was delighted to see an interesting salt-and-pepper mix with a few pure white streaks around my face, which I call nature’s highlights. I think it’s sexy, and I’m blessed with a husband who thinks so too. It’s not hair color that earns you respect; it’s belief in yourself.
Violet Forsyth, LAWRENCE, KANS., U.S.

Strength Through Suffering
David van Biema’s article on Mother Teresa was a spiritual meditation in itself [Sept. 3]. His insights and parallels with other mystics of the church, especially John of the Cross, come through effortlessly. As for Mother Teresa, she took a vow of poverty, in her case manifested as spiritual poverty. She demonstrated that our greatest crosses turn into our greatest strengths.
Tom Prendeville, DUBLIN

The face of Mother Teresa on your cover said it all. It revealed that what she wrote about the darkness in her soul for almost 50 years was the truth. Thank you for showing us the outstanding portrait of that much admired, mysterious nun. It seems as though the sadness of the whole world was mirrored in those eyes.
Father Albert Herold, Order of Saint Benedict Mtunzini, SOUTH AFRICA

All the News That Was Fit to Fake
I am happy to see that such a highbrow publication deigned to write about the passing of the Weekly World News, a tabloid that will truly be missed by individuals stuck in the checkout line [Aug. 27]. But I disagree with Joel Stein’s claim that it’s “a sign of progress for a society to go from inventing gods and monsters to seeking catharsis in the real life of Paris Hilton.” That’s as laughable as Bat Boy running for President. The Weekly World News lost readers because people turned to the Internet. Instead of waiting for a weekly paper to suspend disbelief, they write blogs, generate websites and post videos on YouTube to publicize their ignorance. You will never be able to convince me that reading about Paris Hilton is progress.
Vicki E. Green, FULLERTON, CALIF., U.S.

Kudos to Stein, with a shared sigh of relief, for his farewell to the Weekly World News. One can only hope that its demise does in fact signal the decline of American credulity and not just a shift to other fairy tales still told in churches, mosques and temples across the country.
Jonathan Chong, COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO., U.S.

Mending Limbs and Lives
I enjoyed reading about the prosthetics designed to help amputee animals keep moving [Sept. 3]. (But if the author thinks readers will go so far as to endorse prosthetic dog testicles, she should think again.) This article implies that work with animal prosthetics exceeds advances in human ones. As an 82-year-old amputee, I’ve witnessed fantastic advances in prosthetic design. My current artificial leg uses electromagnetics and scanning to fit the specific contours of my stump. Prosthetics specialists are to be commended for the time, analysis and effort they put into getting each patient moving effectively — and for realizing that no two patients have exactly the same needs.
Bing Grindle, ROANOKE, VA., U.S.

Enough Is Enough
What a great question: is Obama black enough? [Aug. 27] I also want to know, Are the rest of the candidates white enough? Is Hillary woman enough?
Charlie Kearns, ZANESVILLE, OHIO, U.S.

A City in Ruin
Michael Grunwald is right: New Orleans isn’t safe [Aug. 20]. But how could anyone expect a guarantee that a city built below sea level will not flood? Why are so many residents expecting better protection than they received against Katrina? The poor and elderly who endured the horror at the Superdome are back. How will they make it through the next storm?
Mary Frances Herrin, GALLIANO, LA., U.S.

Protecting New Orleans from deadly storms is no one’s top priority. This is the reason the city’s main hurricane project was 37 years behind schedule when Katrina hit two years ago. Louisiana’s congressional delegation steered Army Corps of Engineers funds to issues that had nothing to do with flood protection. Local officials actually helped scuttle a Corps plan to build pumps and floodgates along Lake Pontchartrain, a plan that could have prevented much of Katrina’s flooding. The local and state governments are at fault for the lack of flood prevention. There has been nothing but corruption and incompetence since at least 1900. There is no way the Corps of Engineers can get anything done without a better response from the government.
Jim Land, MANDEVILLE, LA., U.S.

Old-Fashioned Romantics
I absolutely loved Belinda Luscombe’s “Who Killed the Love Story?” [Aug. 20]. She expressed exactly how I feel about today’s cinema. I am a 20-year-old college student with a passion for the movies, especially the classics. I work at a movie theater as my summer job, so I get to see the majority of blockbusters, and rarely am I hit with a new idea, something that makes me dream and sigh right in the middle of a mouthful of popcorn. Like the women quoted in the article, I have turned to the classics to fulfill my need for good, honest romance, be it far-fetched or not. I do hope that somehow Hollywood will come up with ways to appeal to the masses once again, not just to the guys who need bathroom jokes to think a “chick flick” is worthwhile.
Meg Herrick, MUNCIE, IND., U.S.

Love has been a fascination of mine since I was old enough to have an idea what it’s about. It’s a shame to hear that the movie people are having a hard time selling love. It’s ridiculous to hear them say they can’t think of good stories — everyone has a love story to tell. Stop the first 10 people you meet on the street, and I guarantee they will each tell a fresh, interesting love story. Heck, I have one, and I’m only 19! Instead of moviemakers complaining that no one believes the sex and kisses they are dishing out, why don’t they start with something real and place it in an interesting and marketable setting? I just don’t want to see anyone give up on love yet. Call me an old-fashioned romantic.
Sonja Rechelle Allen, SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT., U.S.

A Commitment to Care
Thank you for spotlighting childhood cancer survivors [Aug. 20]. Kudos to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for providing free, lifetime checkups for their patients. All cancer centers should offer long-term follow-up care. The cost of the diagnostic studies required for proper follow-up can be prohibitive. In addition, lack of insurance coverage or an insurance company’s refusal to reimburse policyholders can frustrate patients’ attempts to get long-term monitoring. Such invaluable information for researchers and pediatric oncologists should not be lost solely because of the almighty dollar (or lack thereof).
Claudia Corrales Cantelmi, LINDEN, N.J., U.S.