Inspiring Story
After years of seeing The Sun taking every opportunity to run stories focusing on the foibles of Roman Catholic priests and bashing the Archdiocese of Baltimore, I found it refreshing and inspiring to find your June 3 story about Richard Bozzelli.
Perhaps if our mass media would concentrate on the good works that our men and women of God are doing in our communities, we would have more respect for our priests and nuns and other ministers.
We would see more men like Mr. Bozzelli take that last leap of faith to a totally new spiritual level. We would see fewer stories about Catholic faith communities closing down because of a lack of priestly vocations. We would see fewer stories about our young men killing each other in the streets.
I thank The Sun for an inspiring and uplifting story, and I ask your editors to do their best to find more.
Timothy Q. Nohe
Catonsville
Divided Church
The pope's most recent decree, attempting to squelch all debate regarding the ordination of women to the priesthood in Roman Catholicism, is but another manifestation of an institution that has eyes, but cannot see; ears, but cannot hear; and arms unwilling to lift burdens from breaking backs.
The pope has no theological grounding for denying women what is rightfully theirs through baptism. He merely succeeds in demeaning women, causing even more division in the church.
This proclamation follows two significant events in the Baltimore Archdiocese.
Just a few days ago we learned that many of our inner city churches will either be closed or combined with another parish. It gives the appearance that the institutional church is walking out, separating itself from the burdens of the poor.
For years we watched the schools close; now it's the churches, too.
Inner city parishes contribute no finances to the church corporation. There are few conversions, many funerals.
The poor parishes do not look good on the exterior, but probably have greater potential for coming to grips with the core of the Gospel -- a preferential option for the poor.
Last month, the state of Maryland murdered John Thanos. It was, to be sure, legalized murder. No bishop stood in the doorway blocking the executioner's path.
In fact, the new Catholic catechism does not condemn capital
punishment. The institutional church just "goes along" with the state. It supports the murderous wars. There was church silence when we murdered thousands in Iraq.
So, we bare witness to a church that bars women from holy orders, is beginning to walk out on the poor and is silent as the state murders.
How is all of this reconciled with the Sermon on the Mount?
Brendan Walsh
Baltimore
Obituary Names
I am sure that your sensitive readers cringed at your draping Richard Nixon's name into the final paragraph of your editorial on Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, merging his ignominy with her grace.
Marcia R. Weiss
Baltimore
Learning a Lot
Roger Simon's June 1 column concerning President Clinton's preparations for his D-Day speech quoted historian Paul Fussell, who was apparently asked to tutor the leader of our nation in remedial history.
According to the column, Mr. Fussell said of the president, "I was struck by his modesty, honesty and simplicity. He knows nothing about the war and he knows he ought to know what was happening in Normandy. He kept saying, 'God, I'm learning a lot.'"
I'm learning a lot, too. Every day I learn more about how unqualified this man is to be the president of the United States.
Although I realize that dogged ignorance of the rest of the world has always been a uniquely American trait, how can anyone -- much less the president himself -- know nothing of a six-year war which was the epochal event of this century; which led in the deaths of nearly a quarter-million American citizens and which resulted in the emergence of the U.S. as a superpower?
The media were vastly amused at Dan Quayle's misspelling of "potato." I wonder if similar importance will be attached to Bill Clinton's lack of knowledge, which to me is not merely amusing, but downright terrifying.
B. C. Milligan
Baltimore
Rational Voices
It's interesting that Paul De Luca, in his May 20 letter to the editor, lumped Stephen Hunter and Stephen Wigler together in his criticism of their movie and music reviews. I lump them together, too; only I admire them.
I've often thought that those two are among a very few in the critic's circle who know how to describe a movie or a musical performance accurately, and explain what's good, in detail, and what's bad, and why.
There is nothing nebulous about their writing. It's crystal clear, and it often motivates me to want to see the movie, or go to the concert, or not go.
What Mr. De Luca objects to, of course, is their values. Let my voice be heard in defense of their calling a spade a spade. They admire the projection of values on the screen and in music, and they are not afraid to condemn those who have no sense of values, or don't go for the heroic in art and music.
Bravo! I feel they are voices in the cultural wilderness. If they "are out of touch with society," hey, what about me? I'm part of society, and I need to hear a rational voice.
Barbara Pattillo
Towson
Private Graft
The American public may be outraged and deplore the abuse of power allegedly committed by Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, D-Ill., but such arrogance is not unique to elected or appointed government officials.
Similar misdeeds are widespread in the industrial and business sectors of our economy, leading to the loss of billions of dollars of stockholders' money.
For example, I recently received a proxy for a state-regulated utility company asking for a vote to oust the indicted chief executive officer of that corporation. The litany of improper use of company funds was reminiscent of the Rostenkowski debacle.
Over a period of several years, the CEO had expended company funds for his children's weddings, numerous family trips to Europe and the Orient, servants' wages, lavish parties and finest dining for his friends and relatives in the elite restaurants in the area.
All of these "fringe" benefits were in addition to a $400,000 per-year-salary and bonuses for what can only be described as a minor utility serving a local area.
Unfortunately the arrogance of power is not restricted to our public officials. The disease is epidemic throughout our society and reflects poorly on all of our institutions, whether public or private.
Nelson Marans
Silver Spring
Getting to Play the Game on a Level Field
After reading William G. Huppert's May 24 article regarding quotas, I was left with the following thoughts.
First, I was glad to finally see a white male express his disdain for our nation's unfair history of racial quotas. The first slaves arrived in Virginia in 1619. From 1619 to 1863, Southern blacks enjoyed a 100 percent employment quota.
At a rate of one generation every 16 to 18 years, 14 generations were born into a quota system that ensured them a job for life and that created a tremendous work ethic among the people.
Equally unfairly, whites were given a 100 percent quota in education and paying jobs.
Second, I was glad to see someone point out our unfair quota system in sports.
Perhaps universities like Georgetown will stop giving scholarships to black athletes who, but for their athletic process, would never be invited to attend such institutions.
Of course, this would enable schools like Morgan State University to become athletic and economic powerhouses, but the quotas would be gone.
Also, if the quotas favoring white male sportscasters and writers were abolished, the next generation of fans will not be misled into thinking that Babe Ruth, who hit fewer home runs and had fewer runs batted in than did Hank Aaron, is the king of baseball. As was the case with Ruth, many of baseball's long-standing records came at a time when there was a 100 percent quota for white men. Therefore, these records should be marked with an asterisk.
Mr. Huppert makes reference to Dr. Ben Carson as a model of an African American who, without aid of a quota system, has risen to the top of his profession.
What Mr. Huppert fails to realize, as do many like him, is that Dr. Carson is not only an extraordinary doctor, he is an extraordinary person. African Americans who came from backgrounds similar to Dr. Carson's must be extraordinarily gifted, or in my case lucky, to rise above their environment to become doctors, lawyers, etc.
Having worked in corporate America for many years, I can tell you that many white men have been elevated to positions of power and prestige without being quite so gifted. (Ronald Reagan and Dan Quayle come to mind.)
The gift that many of these white men enjoy is the privileged of not being underprivileged and being born into a quota system that favors them.
Finally, like Mr. Huppert, I say down with quotas. When the playing field is level, which it rarely is, and everyone is given an equal opportunity, which rarely happens, African Americans excel.
Michael G. McFadden
Baltimore