Closeted Views
George F. Will is one interesting writer. His March 31 Opinion * Commentary piece ridiculed Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders for saying that certain segments of American society want to "keep sexuality in the closet."
He then spent the remainder of his column proving her point by bashing Dr. Elders, gays, liberals, television sitcoms, talk show hosts and anyone else who has the audacity to reject his belief that sex is something dirty that shouldn't be talked about in polite society.
Mr. Will also suggests that Dr. Elders has somehow overstepped her proper role as the "nation's physician" in talking about sexual mores.
Behavioral scientists tell us there is a direct link between healthy (yes, unrepressed) sexual attitude and one's physical and mental well-being, so the good doctor would be derelict in her duties -- as many surgeons general under previous administrations have been -- if she simply chose to ignore the issue of sexual diversity.
The truth is Mr. Will just doesn't like gay people, as he's demonstrated in several previous columns.
By the way, Mr. Will should be advised that The Advocate is not "a magazine for homosexuals." It is a magazine about gay and lesbian issues for anyone who, believing in the worth of all human beings, wants to become enlightened on those issues . . .
James R. Moody
Catonsville
Man's Best Friend
Anyone who purchases a dog takes on the same responsibilities as a parent with a child. You must feed it, care for it and control it.
If your dog is unleashed and attacks an adult, a child or another pet, you are liable.
If your dog barks all night and disturbs people around you, you are responsible. A barking dog is disturbing the peace, which is a violation of the law.
Dogs are like children that never grow up. They must be trained to know what is right and wrong.
You must be considerate and responsible to the people around you. That is what makes a good neighbor.
Joseph Evinrude
Baltimore
Wrong Message
Regarding the MTA buses. I am a ninth grade student at Western High School, and with the majority of students, take advantage of the student transportation service provided. I am grateful for this service, as are my parents and many others.
However, I have noticed an increase in the number of alcohol and tobacco products advertised on the bus interiors and exteriors.
I am aware that a great deal of income for the MTA comes from these endorsements, but that is no reason to expose young, easily-influenced people to negative influences.
I'm sad to report that many of my peers do smoke and/or drink on a regular basis. I am also sad to report that there is hardly anything I can do to stop them.
I can, however, help prevent elementary and middle school students from getting involved in such unhealthy habits, by asking that these advertisements be stricken from buses that transport students to school, if not all buses.
My request, I know, is radical. But if we want to keep children alive and well, it is a step we have to take.
Rachel Crumbacker
Baltimore
School Journalism
Thank you for printing Carrie Herschman's March 30 commentary on sexual correctness.
In an accompanying story, Linda R. Monks emphasized the importance of First Amendment rights for high school journalists. As a high school newspaper adviser at Dulaney High School, I applaud The Sun's willingness to publish examples of high school journalism, and I hope that your newspaper will advocate for press rights in the high schools.
The buzzwords in Baltimore County public schools are creativity, critical thinking and cooperative learning. High school journalism classes promote all three.
Students are taught to report and write balanced stories about their experiences inside and outside of school.
They are taught first-hand the value of careful research and the importance of journalistic standards in making decisions about what to publish. There is no better place for students to learn about the importance of freedom of expression in a democracy than within a journalism program with a committed adviser.
One point that Ms. Monks does not mention is the role that an independent high school newspaper can play in letting parents know what is going on inside their children's schools.
Parents of teen-agers frequently complain that their kids don't tell them what is happening in their lives. The school newspaper can give parents insight into issues and events that students care enough about to explore in depth.
A strong countywide journalism program committed to First Amendment rights could perform both of these functions: to educate students and their parents.
Kathleen Jones
Fallston
No Mercy
Maryland is faced with the possibility of exercising the death penalty for the first time in 32 years. On March 7, St. Mary's County Circuit Judge Marvin S. Kaminetz signed a death warrant calling for the execution of John Thanos during the week of April 25.
John Thanos has shown the citizens of our state that he has no regard for human life. During a week-long crime spree in 1990, he snuffed out three young lives.
Thanos has shown no remorse at all since he committed these crimes. My sympathy goes out to these children's families.
I would like to commend Judge Kaminetz for his actions.
John Thanos himself has stated that he wants no further appeals in his case. A recent appeal was filed on behalf of his mother and sister stating his incompetence and that he was not given a fair trial.
Last year, a Garrett County judge and the Court of Appeals found Thanos competent. Actually they found him competent three times.
How many more times must we, the taxpayers, pay for these findings before we can move forward on the sentence?
Robin A. Kopp
Hampstead
NSA Staffing
Tom Bowman's March 21 article headlined, "NSA part-timers find careers thwarted as they try move to full-time status," presented some of the difficulties (i.e., budget constraints, mandated down-sizing) the National Security Agency is facing in trying to convert part-time employees to full-time status.
His article, however, failed to mention some of the significant, positive action NSA is taking to ensure that the inconsistencies of the old policy are eliminated and that a new policy is established which guarantees fair and equitable treatment for all employees.
Upon notice of the NSA inspector general's findings which identified a lack of consistent policy and procedures governing conversion from part-time to full-time status, the director immediately commissioned a task force to identify the major employee concerns.
Consistent with the inspector general's and task force's findings, a new policy was implemented in October 1993, and has several key features, such as:
* The Flexible Employment Program, where employees in jobs determined to meet critical agency requirements are being allowed greater flexibility to move between part-time and full-time employment.
* A new "position defined" status, in which jobs are identified as requiring only part-time staffing. Employees have no guarantee that they will ever be reinstated to full-time status and accept these jobs with that understanding.
* A more flexible leave without pay mechanism, which provides full-time employees with the ability to work a reduced schedule for a period of one year.
This feature was implemented specifically to give our employees an opportunity to meet personal and family obligations and still maintain a career in the NSA work force.
With regard to those employees who converted from full-time to part-time prior to this policy, the agency is currently in the process of examining how many people we can convert back to full-time through the flexible program.
Because we are in the initial stages of this process, we have no firm statistics to provide yet. We will continue to monitor the progress of the new policy to ensure that it is serving the needs of our employees.
The director and senior management of NSA are committed to achieving our goal of a diversified work force where all employees are allowed opportunities to achieve their full, professional potential.
Michael A. Smith
Fort Meade
The writer is director of policy at the National Security Agency.