Pubdate: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA) Copyright: 2008 San Jose Mercury News Contact: http://www.mercurynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390 Author: David A.G. Deacon SHOW ADDICTED VET SOME COMPASSION The Mercury News story (Page 1A, March 24) about the VA's misdiagnosis of U.S. Army Captain Sargent Binkley tragically puts his future in the hands of our criminal justice system. Prosecutors told your reporter "(we) have to treat Binkley the same as any drug addict who holds up a drug store and tells a hard-luck story." But prosecutors are not bureaucrats devoid of responsibility - where is the good judgment we all expect of professionals? This young man was struggling with an addiction to painkillers as a result of a VA prescription. Did he have a prior criminal record or gang history or multiple arrests or violent involvement or time in juvenile hall? Apparently not. Treating this young man the same as any druggie with a hard-luck story and sending him to prison for 12 years would be an outrageous and intolerable miscarriage of justice. David A.G. Deacon, Los Altos - --- MAP posted-by: Derek