Readers Write (Jan. 1): True religion as an antidote, binge drinking, quitting smoking, fighting climate change, banking fees, speedy transportation

Having read Tyler Cowen's Dec. 26 commentary ("Could it be that the 'deplorables' might be right?"), I am struck by the following:

1) He finds himself "wishing for a religious flowering," which further means (to him) "actual adherence to the doctrine, not just lip service." Isn't this (strict adherence and absolute acceptance) the definition of fundamentalism? And let's see what fundamentalism has accomplished in the past: Al-Qaida, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Oklahoma City bombing — all very good outcomes, right?

2) He says that focusing on religion distracts from infrastructure spending and asks: "Do Iowa and Wisconsin really need more infrastructure?" Just how much does a professor from Virginia know about infrastructure in Iowa or Wisconsin? I'd bet that people in Wisconsin and Iowa would like more (or better) infrastructure; they likely have as much religion as they (not he) want.

3) Finally, he asks if "the deplorables (whomever you identify them to be) might be right and you might be wrong." No, I don't think so. Liberals who "lost" this election ask for clarity and reasons. The winners (perhaps the deplorables) don't. Apparently they don't feel the need to understand the unhappiness and discomfort of the rest of us. They only seem to care about winning and they may have won, but they sure as hell aren't "right."

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Cowen suggests that while he himself isn't religious, he is wishing for a "religious flowering" in the U.S. as an answer to a cultural malaise affecting economic outcomes in poorer states. He uses Mormonism in Utah as an example of his position, stating that "alcohol, drug abuse, and broken families are all much smaller problems" there.

That contradicts reports from U.S. Attorney for Utah John Huber, who states that as of April 2016 Utah was No. 4 in the nation for opiate and heroin deaths. Not exactly a stellar example for Cowen to use in advancing his case in a major newspaper.

I've yet to see anyone address the elephant in the room — binge drinking on college campuses. In most cases of sexual assault on campus, alcohol plays a significant role. It certainly did in the incident in question, where the victim admitted having numerous shots that no doubt made her vulnerable, if not completely helpless.

Binge drinking for too long has been accepted as cool by students and excused by authority figures as being a part of college life. Too often, I've been at the U for a weekend event and have witnessed young women stumbling around the neighborhood in an inebriated state. Colleges need to more aggressively counsel students, especially females, of the perils binge drinking can present. No one deserves to be a victim of sexual assault, but making oneself an easy target for a predator can be avoided by changing the culture that not only allows it, but encourages it.

About this time last year I was talking with my son (who's just learned that he's been accepted to the University of Minnesota) about climate change. It was obvious that he was very concerned about the issue, which gave me no small pride as a parent. But the feeling vanished when he concluded abruptly: "Yeah, your generation has really wrecked the planet."

That night, I decided I owed it to him and his brother to stop my own hand-wringing about climate change and do something positive. I spent some time researching the options and decided to join Citizens Climate Lobby, a group that promotes a national carbon-fee-and-dividend scheme that would radically reduce emissions even as it created millions of new jobs. The organization's strategy and tactics both made sense to me, but there are many others that might suit you just as well. This New Year, please consider resolving to spare some time to work for clean energy. My children will thank you.

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It's no secret that quitting smoking is hard, but you don't have to do it alone. Your doctor can work with you to find your best strategy to quit. Using medications can double your chances of successfully quitting cold turkey, and using medications and counseling in combination gives you the best chances of quitting for good. A medication starter kit, one-on-one phone coaching and other resources are available for free through QUITPLAN Services. Remember that you won't always get it right the first time and that it might take a few tries to successfully kick your habit. I've seen many patients attempt to quit five or more times before becoming tobacco-free.

This year, resolve to join the thousands of Minnesotans who have already quit smoking and start your journey toward a healthier future.

The writer is president-elect of the Twin Cities Medical Society.

Regarding the Dec. 25 Business section article "Small banks join bigger peers on hefty overdraft charges": The simplest and most overlooked way to avoid late fees forever is to keep track of what you spend, not just what the balance is. If you have $100 in your checking account, and you only spend $100, you will never pay overdraft fees. The fact that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau does not list that as a viable option for avoiding late fees certainly calls into question its competence and actual willingness to help consumers. Avoiding overdraft fees is 100 percent in your control.

In what world does any dreamer envision self-driving cars whizzing around at 200 miles per hour? ("The future of transportation is coming fast," Dec. 25.) I'm pretty sure pigs will be flying by the time we see that on northbound Interstate 35W in south Minneapolis. If a vehicle came by at that speed, the potholes would launch it into the adjacent neighborhoods. It's fair to question whether any road in the U.S. could sustain traffic at 200 mph unless it's a closed loop with a mess of NASCAR signs. Let's just drop the "high-speed" part of that equation and focus on how self-driving cars will deal with real, aggressive motorists who barely slow to 10 mph at a stop sign.