Pre-internment

Re “Reliving a dark chapter in history,” Feb. 21 ( Read more... )

Missing a Hiker

Thank you for your sensitive portrait of a remarkable person. One gnawing thought: She would have been found quickly had she carried a personal locator beacon. These small devices can transmit a distress signal and your precise location to search-and-rescue teams via satellite, no matter where you are. Also, the cost and risk of ( Read more... )

Vaccinations in California

Re “California Is Set to Toughen Rules on Vaccinations” (news article, June 26):

Now that Gov. Jerry Brown has signed the bill, California should buy vaccine injury insurance for its residents, which would supplement payouts from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. A direct stake in avoiding vaccine ( Read more... )

Innocent people can fold under threat of mandatory minimums

Re "Repeal mandatory minimum drug sentences" (Editorial, June 7): How many innocent people plead guilty to avoid the chance of a long mandatory sentence? No matter how weak the evidence, a small chance of a long unjust sentence can coerce a guilty plea ( Read more... )

Obama in the Polls

Re “Obama’s Weakness, or Ours?,” by Nicholas Kristof (column, June 26):

Fair assessment of foreign policy requires knowledge of the politics, history and geography of the relevant foreign lands. Do Americans have that?

In a poll conducted in March, just 16 percent of Americans correctly located Ukraine on the map. The further ( Read more... )

Drug lab’s woes call for strict quality control

Re “Pattern of neglect at state drug lab found” (Metro, March 5): That a sole “bad actor” could corrupt a state drug lab is cause for dismay, not relief. It means that the lab is only as reliable as its worst worker ( Read more... )

Egypt and the Fate of DemocracyMy respectful suggestion to Egyptians: Consider adding a constitutional provision for “recall petitions” that would force early elections if signed by enough voters ( Read more... )

Non-lethal weapons and gun controlNon-lethal weapons should be considered as a major alternative to firearms. If non-lethal weapons such as Tasers and pepper sprays were easily obtainable and widely legal, the objective need for guns would be much reduced. Exchange programs should be instituted to let people exchange their guns for non-lethal ( Read more... )

Prosecutors Stand Accused

Re “Justice and Prosecutorial Misconduct” (editorial, Dec. 29 ( Read more... )

Sunday Dialogue: Diversity on Campus

Re: “College Diversity Nears Its Last Stand” (Sunday Review, Oct. 16 ( Read more... )