Abortion tiff disregards those born

In a recent letter an anti-abortion advocate defended tactics of intimidation and harassment utilized in their campaign to defeat abortion. Due to a decline in the number of abortions, she reasons, such tactics are justified because they turned the tide.

In the abortion debate, we are hopelessly mired in a morass of charges and countercharges and in mindless, vociferous attacks against those who would allow abortion, which serve to unleash the fanatics among fervid anti-abortion groups.

It would seem some of the energy expended in self-righteous condemnation of abortion might more profitably be directed to advocacy and individual good works on behalf of the many children whose needs go unmet and who, therefore, justifiably merit our concern.

Refusing to address existing problems by focusing instead on the mite in a neighbor's eye, compartmentalizing concerns where children are involved and envisioning no particular regard (after rescue) for their subsequent well-being reflects a mind-set deficient in coherent thinking.

Undertake honest soul searching first and then ask: Who are the real culprits for creating an environment in which abortion can flourish? Seemingly, Christians spearheading the anti-abortion campaign are unmindful of the message propagated by the pervasive and callous disregard shown children currently residing in our communities. Tragically, anti-abortionists appear inured to the damage such neglect inflicts on the spirit of young people.

If the objective is to make significant inroads against an abortion mentality, then as individuals and as a society we must take responsibility for our acts of omission. Surely, in the eyes of God this hidden act of undoing can be no less reprehensible than the overt act of killing the unborn.

Moreover, does our primary moral and social responsibility rest with the unborn or with the "already" born? Especially with improving opportunities for the many children whose needs for nurture are not being met.

In the face of the overblown rhetoric and the pious posturing, have we the courage to simply acknowledge we possess neither unlimited resources nor the requisite will to adequately and appropriately care for and educate every child who might be born?

Ruth M. Startt

Catonsville

No action

On the afternoon of Aug. 24, a guy stuck a gun in my back and took $10 of my money out of my wallet and about $8 in bumper sticker receipts of the City Wide Coalition.

I chased the guy for a block, then ran home to dial 911. No cop ever responded.

At 12:30 a.m. Sept. 15, I heard six shots, very close by, from my living room window. I dialed 911. At around 12:40, I called again.

"They're on their way," I was assured but no one ever showed up again.

I've been to literally dozens of inner-city community meetings where the police community relations officer -- and often the big-wig majors -- smilingly assure the citizens that for serious crimes, all they have to do is call 911.

Are they serious? Do they believe their own lies?

I live in Walbrook Junction. Do you think the folks in Guilford, Roland Park, Mt. Washington and Ten Hills get this same kind of service?

Perhaps if we had a more reasonable drug program, the shootings and stick-ups would diminish. Perhaps, too, the police would then have time and personnel to respond to shootings and stick-ups.

A. Robert Kaufman

Baltimore

Silent protest

Since 1985 our community has been living with the threat of the U.S. Army wanting to incinerate its obsolete chemical warfare stockpile.

Volunteers throughout Harford, Baltimore, Cecil and Kent counties have made the Army's proposal difficult, if not impossible. People have pulled together, taken time off from work to attend meetings in Washington with our representatives and testify before Congress.

Slowly but surely we have succeeded. The Army's original deadline to destroy the poisons has been pushed back from 1994 to 2004.

This year the Pentagon has released $15 million to be used for a pilot neutralization program to be developed alongside the planned incinerator. (The incinerator is still hanging over our heads, however, should the neutralization pilot plant fail.)

Finally, we eliminated incineration advocate Rep. Helen Bentley in the gubernatorial primary. This is a major victory for the little guy who worries about environmental quality of life and the health and safety of our children.

Remember our fellow Americans still fighting the Army's baseline incineration technology Sept. 25 by driving in silent protest with your headlights on all day.

inda Koplovitz

Bel Air

Shame

I am in mourning. We have lost our National Pastime and now we have our National Shame.

John L. Grumbach

Baltimore

Magnet schools: Pro and con

In reference to Mary Maushard's Sept. 18 article, "Mania for magnet schools raises questions," I believe there are other issues which also need to be addressed.

While the so-called comprehensive high school, which has been the mainstay in Baltimore County for several decades, has some obvious limitations, I believe it also has some significant advantages over the magnet schools as they are presently constituted.

One advantage of the comprehensive high school is that it provides the opportunity for students to experience a broad spectrum of subject choices in the quest to find out where their interests and talents lie. Magnet schools, by their very nature, channel most student effort in a particular direction.

As a teacher in a comprehensive high school, I frequently encountered seniors who had just discovered the direction they wanted their life to take.

If they had gone to a magnet school and not had the opportunity to take a wide variety of courses, they might never have encountered the job or subject area which captivated them.

Even with the comprehensive high school predominating in America, colleges consistently report that the most popular major for freshmen is "undecided" and that most students who declare a major upon entering college change it at least once during their college years.

My guess is that changing majors would be even more likely for magnet school graduates who would enter college without the variety of subject matter experienced by the comprehensive high school graduate.

Obviously kids change their minds about the future as they become more familiar with the opportunities which exist. Imagine the students whose parents choose a magnet school for them as they enter first grade and who, if they continue with that focus, graduate with no knowledge of the other options which exist, any number of which they might prefer.

Also, while I understand that students might well enjoy being associated with others having similar interests, magnet schools provide the potential that large numbers of students will grow up without the opportunity to learn and practice the skills needed to function successfully in our heterogeneous society.

The comprehensive high school, in contrast, provides greater potential opportunities for students to learn how to get along with divergent types of people, a life skill needed more in America than perhaps any other country in the world.

By the way, employers are pretty unanimous in stating that they prefer liberal arts graduates to those coming from a specialized college. They contend that the liberal arts graduates are more likely to have a broader perspective, be more easily trained, and get along more successfully with their cohorts.

David M. Clements

Freeland