Chicago Sun-Times: China has a long way to go Treating ADHD

The Sun-Times' info ["Ritalin roulette," news story, April 21] on the problems families with children with ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] are facing reminded me of an article I read many years ago on herbal treatment for the condition. We immediately started our son on the regimen and were pleased when we saw positive results within a month. Eventually, we found a nutritionist with a working knowledge of this method of treatment, and were pleased even more with her specific guidance on dosage and additional supplements. Such treatment gives discouraged, bewildered families hope for their children with ADHD. Not sorry for bombers A victory vs. drilling Church never learns Rewriting the rules Holy cow, get Harry Sox are asleep

Although Hu Jintao's visit to the United States ["China's vice president makes Capitol rounds," news story, May 1] was carefully arranged to avoid any controversy or other annoyances, Hu spoiled his American trip himself by declining to accept four letters on April 30 from members of Congress that raised human rights issues.

House Democratic Whip Nancy Pelosi rightly pointed out that Hu's refusal demonstrates how serious the problem of China's human rights abuses remains. With Boston-based pro-democracy activist Yang Jianli under arrest in China, no one in the Chinese delegation would even touch the letters. Is it any wonder that another lawmaker, Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), said that Congress will long remember this?

The people of Tibet also could hardly forget Hu's ruthless crackdown in Tibet in 1989 when the Tiananmen Massacre took place in Beijing. Seven hundred Tibetans reportedly perished under Hu when he was party secretary there. Hu's politically correct (by Beijing standards) decision resulted in his being handpicked by Deng Xiaoping for the Chinese Communist's Politburo, later becoming the principal of the orthodox Central Party School, and today the fourth generation leader.

China's tilt away from the United States is obvious. President Jiang Zemin's recent visits to Libya and Iran, as well as Hu's speech in Malaysia declaring China's opposition to the "bullying" by major nations of lesser powers, are transparent efforts to signal China's desire to keep the United States at arm's length.

If China is to become a good neighbor in the global village, it will take more than a warm reception from other nations. The leadership of the People's Republic of China, which is neither a republic nor of the people, will have to shift from anointed to elected. Only when we do not know who, instead of knowing an heir apparent like Hu, will preside over China can the United States and the rest of the world progress in peace.

Antonio Chen, director-general,

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office

in Chicago, Near North Side

It seemed that Dr. Julian Haber was not convinced about nutritional therapy, stating, "If it worked so well, more people would be doing it."

As a parent who has faced the dilemma of how to deal with an ADHD child, I can tell Haber that there are three obvious reasons why more people are not using nutritional therapy for ADHD: a lack of medical insurance coverage; few medical doctors willing to look into nutritional therapy, and parents ill-informed and unaware of the herbal treatment option.

In the past 15 years, I have worked to stay informed on ADHD, reading every article available to the public. This is only the second article in a major newspaper that I've seen reference to nutritional therapy other than the Feingold diet. Thank you for serving the public in this manner.

Jacke Myers, R.N.,

health policy adviser,

Eagle Forum of Illinois

In his letter of April 29, George Pirrow claims that the suicide bombings are "the last desperate act of an oppressed people." It's yet another claim that the desperation of the Palestinians living under occupation makes them do it--a claim automatically repeated by much of the media.

Don't believe it, readers. The policy of recruiting, training and dispatching young people to blow themselves up, taking as many innocent civilian lives as possible, is a calculated political tactic. There have been many other people, in other, far worse situations including occupations, apartheid and our own Southern states, who did not resort to murdering others "out of desperation." After World War II, Germany was occupied by foreign armies, yet the Germans did not blow up innocent citizens to protest the occupation. South African blacks lived in townships worse than any West Bank town, yet they did not blow themselves up along with their white neighbors.

Fully 90 percent of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza were no longer living under Israeli "occupation" as of September 2000, when Arafat began his war after rejecting independence. The Palestinians blowing Israelis up along with themselves are being recruited, trained and armed by somebody, after being raised on a steady diet of hatred from childhood, in their own schools. After they have blown themselves and others to bits, they are celebrated as martyrs and made into role models for the next generation raised on the same hatred. Their families are proud of them and are paid blood money by either Saudi Arabia or Iraq. This isn't desperation, it's politics and economics. Don't be fooled.

Sheryl Dworkin, Loop

As an Illinois citizen and a director of the National Wildlife Federation's Illinois affiliate, I am proud of our two U.S. senators. Both voted to prevent oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Throughout his career, Dick Durbin has been a leader in the successful efforts to preserve Utah's magnificent wilderness and to designate the Middle Fork of the Vermilion as Illinois' first National Scenic River.

As a first-term senator, Peter Fitzgerald is an admirer of Theodore Roosevelt who hopes that "Republicans can return to our roots as the first environmental party." He is off to an excellent start, as one of only eight Republicans courageous enough to buck party leadership to protect the integrity of the entire system of National Wildlife Refuges that Roosevelt created--particularly the one on Alaska's coastal plain, which Dwight Eisenhower established.

The wealth of a nation can be measured by what it can afford to leave alone. We wouldn't desecrate the Rose Garden if we found oil underneath it. Only a dirt-poor nation would trash its natural heritage for a mere six months of oil. America has only 3 percent of the world's oil resources but consumes 25 percent, so we cannot drill our way out of this fix.

The answer lies in development of energy-efficient technology, and I for one hope that America becomes the world's leading exporter.

Clark Bullard, director,

Prairie Rivers Network,

Champaign

If the bagger at your local grocery store molested your child, would you go to the store manager and expect that he would handle the situation? No, you'd report the molestation to the police. And yet, parents of children molested by priests look to the Catholic Church for redress and action.

The recently concluded meeting in Rome proves once and for all that the Roman Catholic hierarchy does not understand the issue of pedophilia and has no intention of addressing the matter unless forced. They have agreed that a priest may destroy the life of one child without fear of repercussions. If he does it again, he is in big trouble and if he does it a third time, he is in very, very big trouble--whatever that means.

The Roman Catholic Church has confused the issues of celibacy, homosexuality and pedophilia without understanding any of what they were said to discuss.

What is most unnerving is that the Roman Catholic hierarchy has learned nothing from this sad state of affairs. They are still more intent on protecting the institution of the church than people. It took them two days in Rome to agree to business as usual.

Elizabeth Giangrego,

Westchester

Expensive emergency

I am 72 years old and had to call a city ambulance, 911, because I live alone. I got a bill for $320, including $15 for mileage and $25 for a dull needle.

Why do senior citizens have to pay so darn much? My insurance company says no, they won't pay it.

So who pays for the shoot-out gang-bangers and drunks they pick up off the street, and the drug addicts? I think seniors should be the ones to get a break. The city also sent a fire truck--how dumb. I'd have been better off calling a taxicab. Next time I will.

Glenna Doyle, Hermosa

A new prologue to George Orwell's book, Animal Farm, was written at the Vatican:

"All pedophiles are equal, but some pedophiles are more equal than others."

Alan Wright, Aurora

It is terribly embarrassing to me, and I'm sure other Cubs fans, to have to listen to all of these off-key celebrities invited by the organization to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the Cubs' seventh inning stretch at Wrigley Field. It's as bad as a person scratching a blackboard with their fingernails.

I have the solution for ending this embarrassment once and for all: Play a recording of Harry Caray singing the song at every game. Poor Harry did not have the greatest voice in the world, but at least he was in tune.

Chip Caray can still interview his guests during the seventh inning, but please give Chip a roll of duct tape just in case one of them gets the urge to try to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Holy cow! What bad singing.

Frank Gallina, Hines

The White Sox keep trying to bring bodies into their lonely ballpark ["A starry Sox night; sleepover for fans is planned," news story, April 29].

"Let's spend the night together," the Sox now plead to anyone who will listen. Will this desperate attempt for flesh succeed in promoting a White Sox love-in, or will it lead some into another pastime when the lights go out and the umpires have gone home?

The White Sox probably feel this is a sure way to create a new fan base and ensure the survival of the species known as Sox fans.

George Salidas, Elmhurst