From the New York Times:
As a forensic psychiatrist, I read with great interest [the op-ed by] Judy Chu (Op-Ed, Aug. 4). I have been a consultant to the Veterans Administration for decades and have examined hundreds of veterans.
What Ms. Chu describes is traumatization as a means of improving the military performance of a soldier. The hazing procedure is not only cruel but also counterproductive. The performance of an individual who has been so traumatized that he will inevitably develop post-traumatic stress disorder will not improve but dramatically decline.
EMANUEL TANAY
Ann Arbor, Mich.,
