Your Views

Although these corporations should not be absolved of blame, certainly in our society there is a freedom of choice, as evidenced by an individual's guilt over taking up the habit.

But the legal system and individual plaintiffs would be better served if a reasonable cap were established on the suit size and survivors' awards. Certainly if the victims of 9/11 were reimbursed on the basis of lost future earning power and family status, the same should be true for lung cancer victims who are at least partly responsible for their own demise.

Nelson Marans

Silver Spring

Kids in the Military

As a military parent, I'm greatly concerned about how my kids are affected by deployments ["Deployments Disrupt Kids," Dec. 16].

My husband was sent to Afghanistan, I was later deployed to Iraq, and we are still dealing with our children's personality changes although we've been out of the army since 2004.

I noticed parents in this study were deployed for what we army vets consider to be a short rotation. If the researchers have another opportunity, please ask them to conduct an in-depth analysis of deployments from places like Ft. Campbell, where constant deployment rotations are commonplace. We still watch friends being sent back to war who are now on their fourth rotation in Iraq with each rotation lasting 12 to 18 months. They are lucky if they even get a full 12 months at home before they are sent back overseas again.

Shawn McNatt

Smyrna, Tenn.

We tend to forget how much home structure and environment affects a child's mental health and wellness. While missing parents weighs heavily, a familial support system of nurturing and supportive aunts, uncles and other extended family members can help alleviate the strain cause by deployments. Furthermore, day care groups and school structures can help.

Samantha Collado

Baltimore