Carroll County Times Opinion

A lady wrote to understandably voice her objection to the frequent name calling that occurs between opposing groups these days. ... I can’t imagine her reaction should anyone call her things that I and my fellow conservatives have been called over the years. How about Nazi, racist, Fascist, hypocrite, inferior, etc. The term “gun toting Christian” is seldom uttered as a term of endearment.

Just as we can not have bus accidents that were preventable based on foreseeable poor weather conditions, we can’t have bus accidents that are the fault of the bus driver.

Those opposed to the ordinance often refer to it as the “English Only” ordinance, but that is hardly an accurate description.

Community Conferencing in Carroll County has been resolving conflicts for the past six years.

Letters to the editor published in the Jan. 19 edition of the Carroll County Times.

It’s a lot easier to hit a changeup when you know that’s what’s coming rather than a 100-mph fastball. Of course, baseball players have been stealing signs since long before Ty Cobb was sharpening his spikes.

While recent changes mean that, technically, numerous municipalities in Maryland are out of compliance with the Public Ethics Law, only four have never come into compliance. And three — Westminster, Mount Airy and Hampstead — are in Carroll County.

Then, there was the new fridge — the bane of my existence for the next seven years. In the past, I had replaced several refrigerators, but nothing compared with this $3,000 travesty — a boat anchor masquerading as a piece of kitchen equipment.

Hampstead’s Michael Thomas is taking part in the annual Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge, which raises funds for Maryland Special Olympics.

We should be proud of successes made and endeavors sought by Carroll’s elected officials — and we must also be prepared for challenges of the future. The idyll of success does not find its roots in idleness, but in the American ethic of vigilance.

Letters to the editor appearing in the Jan. 17, 2020 edition of the Carroll County Times.

The idea that no female, in 2020, holds a seat on the Board of Commissioners in Carroll County is hard to accept. That only two women in history — Julia Walsh Gouge and Robin Bartlett Frazier — have been commissioners is hard to comprehend.

Any puzzle needs a prompt. Let’s use the tragedy of 176 people being killed in the crash of a jetliner in Iran. Let’s examine the cause and effects of actions and inactions and the consequences.

When members of Congress were finally briefed on Soleimani’s assassination, even some of Trump’s most ardent Republican defenders complained about the lack of evidence of an imminent attack .Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky called the briefing “an insult to the Constitution.” Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah called the briefing the “worst briefing I’ve had on a military issue in my nine years” in the Senate.

Letters to the editor published in the Carroll County Times on Jan. 15.

I might be more of an optimist about such things than some, but I hold the opinion that if we can find common cause in something that isn’t all that important in the grand scheme of things, we can bring that same sentiment into more meaningful matters.

If it could be demonstrated that the English-only ordinance was helping the county, monetarily, that would be one thing. But that isn’t the case.

In American politics, winning the argument isn’t always enough, and fiscal incentives can matter every bit as much as — or more than — public opinion polls.

This week I was going to comment on the trials and tribulations of traveling by air, but our president’s actions in the Middle East have taken over.

The Carroll County Community Mediation Center (CCCMC) provides no-cost mediation services seven days a week.

I had told them not to worry but, truth is, I was worried. Because there was absolutely no doubt Iran would respond to the killing of Qassem Suleimani by a US drone strike on Jan. 3. And there was absolutely no way to guess how President Trump would react to that response.

Most aircraft accidents occur within 2 miles of an airport, generally aligned with the direction of the runway. Once the aircraft is airborne — and this is where the two accidents in Africa occurred — airline travel is incredibly safe. Boeing’s web page says 49% of airline crashes for commercial jets occur at a 15-second interval during landing.For perspective, airline flying is about a thousand times safer than flying a small airplane piloted by yourself or a friend, on a per mile basis.

One of Carroll County’s towns has a brand-new feather in its cap. After months of renovations, New Windsor officials took time last week to commemorate their new meeting space.

I can’t motor by these major milestones without looking into the rear-view mirror and seeing my pet peeves strewn across 2019 like debris from a burst trash bag tumbled off a too piled-high pick-up. For example ... Preventing county commissioners from praying before meetings. This was a Pyrrhic victory and played into the stereotype applied to liberals. Those responsible helped to “praise the Lord and pass the ammunition” against progressive causes.

President Donald Trump got it right in his response to a flurry of missiles fired by Iran into a American military base in Iraq in retaliation for the assassination of a leading Iranian official/terrorist.

Letter to the editor published in the Jan. 10, 2020 edition of the Carroll County Times.

Letters to the editor published in the Jan. 5, 2019 edition of the Carroll County Times.

We understand the school system can’t win when it comes to inclement weather decisions. Opening late, closing early and canceling can be quite the inconvenience for parents of students who need child care. But every parent would much rather put up with inconvenience than to receive news of a bus accident. Such an accident occurred just before 9 a.m. Wednesday, with the conditions almost certainly playing a factor.