Look past America's failures
Robin J. Holt's column, "On this 4th I cannot celebrate" (Other Voices, July 2), was an insult to the citizens of this country.
Throughout the column, Mr. Holt speaks of nothing but the degradation of the United States as he perceives it. His attack on the Persian Gulf war is an insult to the men and women who were certainly anything but pugnacious about this conflict. He -- speaks of Saddam Hussein as though he were the victim. Perhaps Mr. Holt needed to have Mr. Hussein in his back yard before he perceived him to be a threat. This madman wants us to trust him, and apparently Mr. Holt thinks we should.
His column also discusses our failures in the Supreme Court, law enforcement, health insurance, or the lack of it, the quality of education and so on. Mr. Holt, I'm afraid, has missed the whole point.
The day after Mr. Holt's column appeared I read another, by Roger Simon, that had been written in 1976 about the 4th of July and has been reprinted by The Sun each year since. "America," says Mr. Simon, "was a country founded by failures, settled by failures and built by failures."
In my opinion, nothing grows to maturity without some degree of failure. This country is not just the government or just the people; it is both.
Mr. Holt needs to look past our failures to the true content of America its people, the students in his classes, the future of our country.
This country was built by people who believed in each other and in a vision people who could look at their failures, pick themselves up and move onward. We still do.
Harriett J. King
Shrewsbury, Pa.
Give us new faces
In regard to the problem of getting citizens to vote (news story, Evening Sun, July 10), I think there is an answer for Maryland. We need orators who will stand up for changing the systems that were tried in good faith but have not worked.
If the Democrats would nominate Barbara Mikulski and Kweisi Mfume for president and vice president and the Republicans would nominate George Bush and Helen Bentley, there would be long lines at the polls after hearing their speeches. There are three honest and dedicated Maryland politicians who could stir up the public.
Mary Mosetti
Baltimore
Spirit expert
The article in the July 1 Evening Sun, "Mothers in misery," is of great interest to me. I have the gift of discerning spirits. I know what Mrs. Baranauskas means when she says she was fighting her own demons.
My book, "What You Have Always Wanted to Know About the Spirit World," explains all of this.
Isobel Durkoph
Baltimore
Criticism all wet
In response to the John J. Pilch's July 1 letter, in which he criticized the "water taxi" service, it is apparent that Pilch confused the water taxi with the bay shuttle, an entirely different company. The water taxi does not dock at the Bay Cafe, but at Canton Harbor, at the steps just below the Korean War Memorial in Canton Park. The bay shuttle runs from the Inner Harbor to Fells Point and from Fells Point to the Bay Cafe. The water taxi also runs from the Inner Harbor to Fells Point and from Fells Point to Canton Harbor. These two companies have different docking arrangements at each stop. They are not connected in any way.
It is unfortunate to see an excellent service, which pays a great deal of personal attention to passengers, criticized when the fault evidently was with a different company.
!Priscilla W. Armstrong
Baltimore
Urban flight
I found interesting the recent article on the new city program to teach transportation workers to report crimes they witness while working. More interesting was the reaction of Glenard S. Middleton Sr., executive director of the Maryland chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees: don't want Baltimore to go down like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit. Residents there have moved out to the suburbs from the inner cities to escape crime."
I hope Mr. Middleton is a better union head than he is social observer. People have been fleeing from Baltimore city (and now Baltimore County) for the better part of four decades. The latest U.S. Census figures are proof.
Mark Plogman
Baltimore
Royal riches
It's said that Queen Elizabeth of England is the richest woman in the world, and I have an idea how that came about.
It seems that while she was riding by the new stadium being built for the Orioles, it was pointed out that next year the team would be playing there. The queen said, "If you already have a stadium, why are you building a new one?"
One bit of advice for the queen: Don't let the politicians over
there get their hands on your assets, or before you know it you will be a "debtor queen."
John C. Hunt
Westminster
Royal riches
It's said that Queen Elizabeth of England is the richest woman in the world, and I have an idea how that came about.
It seems that while she was riding by the new stadium being built for the Orioles, it was pointed out that next year the team would be playing there. The queen said, "If you already have a stadium, why are you building a new one?"
One bit of advice for the queen: Don't let the politicians over
there get their hands on your assets, or before you know it you will be a "debtor queen."
John C. Hunt
Westminster
Not funny, Lane!
The editorial cartoon in The Evening Sun (July 3) was disgusting. I agree with freedom of the press and realize that in a democracy public figures will be criticized, but complete disrespect for honorable leaders is not funny, it's shameful.
ohn L. Bennett
Baltimore