To the editor:

I thought I was beyond surprise, living as I do in a nation whose leader not only lost the popular election but won the electoral college by virtue of one vote. With the stock market in the Dumpster, the economy faltering, record deficits soaring and unemployment at a high, I thought my ability to be surprised had probably been exhausted.

Not so. In the Jan. 15 Journal-World, I learned that the United States military routinely issues amphetamines to its soldiers as “go pills” or performance enhancers. Dispensing prescription drugs without a physician’s visit is a federal felony. Even more surprising is the military’s conclusion that these drugs have been tested thoroughly and are safe. I guess the government just forgot to tell the rest of us.

Patrick Nichols,

Lawrence