USA TODAY OPINION USA TODAY OPINION Letters to the editor USA TODAY receives about 300 letters each day. Most arrive via e-mail, but we also receive submissions by postal mail and fax. We publish about 35 letters each week. We often select comments that respond directly to USA TODAY articles or opinion pieces. Letters that are concise and make one or two good points have the best chance of being selected, as do letters that reflect the vibrant debate around the nation on a particular subject. We aim to make the letters platform a place where readers, not just writers representing institutions or interest groups, have their say. How to submit letters Let's be honest about the ramifications of the projections that, by 2050, one in every three of us will have diabetes. This is a potentially deadly issue for millions of Americans, and for our nation's health care system, it's nothing less than a crisis ("Diabetes cases may double by 2050," News, Friday). READ ARTICLE: Diabetes cases may double by 2050 Unfortunately, many people think that diabetes isn't much to worry about because it can be managed and controlled. But diabetes is a "gateway" disease. If it isn't stopped early, it ushers in such killers as heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. In light of the estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, therefore, it is clear that early diagnosis and prevention must become an urgent national priority. Common blood tests that identify elevated glucose levels, and thus diagnose diabetes and enable prompt treatment and prevention, cost about $10. Contrast that with expensive treatments for kidney dialysis and peripheral artery disease. Better diabetes prevention means greater health cost savings. Right now, when 10% of Americans have diabetes, annual spending on diabetes care is more than $170 billion. Without a strong and continued commitment to diabetes detection and prevention, our already-beleaguered health care system will face a major economic jolt in the not-too-distant future. Alan Mertz, president American Clinical Laboratory Association Washington, D.C. Don't gloss over history A USA TODAY reader took issue with disparaging remarks about Christopher Columbus and then went on to say that Columbus Day is really about honoring all great Italian Americans. This letter illustrated the lack of true historical knowledge in the U.S. today ("Columbus Day honors Italian culture," Oct. 20). Catholic priest Bartolome de Las Casas chronicled the many atrocities Columbus perpetrated throughout the Caribbean islands, especially Haiti. Also Columbus shipped slaves to Spain, participating in the beginning of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. There's nothing wrong with ethnic pride. However, it shouldn't come at the expense of truth. A wave of revisionist history is taking hold of the imaginations of Americans today. When this happens, people of all races suffer. I'm black, but I'm not going to praise brutal rulers Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier of Haiti or Charles Taylor of Liberia for the promise they had. I'm going to call them on their exploitation of those weaker than them, and the atrocities they committed. If all races do the same, maybe we'll start to realize that there's just one race, the human race. Aaron Raul Pollard; Costa Mesa, Calif. War will bankrupt USA Great. A newly retired general tells us that we should have a "will to win," rather than a plan to withdraw from Afghanistan ("General doubts Afghan deadline," News, Monday). Define "win," please. History tells us time and again: Overextended empires bleed to death. This is not the Super Bowl we're talking about. We're fighting a sophisticated enemy who wants, as Osama bin Laden himself said, to bankrupt the U.S. Has anyone noticed that he's winning that game? Don't let him. Christopher G. Oechsli; Bainbridge Island, Wash. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more