Charm City
I was in your city to attend the CFL Baltimore (Colts) game on Aug. 20 and want to extend my thanks and appreciation to the citizens of the city of Baltimore.
They are perfect hosts and hostesses and wonderful ambassadors for your city.
I have never been so well treated, so made to feel at home and been so comfortable in a strange city.
This was also the consensus of the other 39 Argo fans with whom I traveled by bus all night to attend that game.
There was the taxi driver who, when we were preciously short of time, took us to see Fort McHenry and on to the Inner Harbour, pointing out interesting sights, captivating us with fascinating stories during the drive, suggesting (almost insisting) we eat steamed crab and making sure we enjoyed what little time we had.
The staff at the Stadium Sports Shop were just as nice the next day, after the Argos had won. The young lady on the second floor at Harborplace pointed out ever so nicely that half a pound of shrimp was less expensive than two quarter-pound orders.
Two gentlemen at the pre-game party who wanted to know everything about the CFL promised to wear black under their eyes (you might enjoy batting a beach ball around in the stands more) and insisted we too be "high fived."
Thank you all. Your hospitality was greatly appreciated. You are very special people and you have a beautiful and most interesting city.
Maradele E. Fleming
Toronto, Ontario
Happy time
Election time is a happy time.
To my wife, a teacher, an election means a holiday from school. We could be like other democracies and vote on Sunday, when most people have time to vote. But so many votes would dilute the power of "the machine."
Road work is also a hot item. This year part of our two-block street is being repaved.
Past elections have brought us new curbs, patching and resurfacing of our access road, each within a month of an election.
We all smile in appreciation of being given back some of our tax money.
Another joy is determining which candidates are responsible enough to care about the environment. If a candidate's roadside poster remains up more than two weeks after a defeat, we don't vote for her or him in the next election.
Don't be apathetic. Enjoy. Vote.
Charles Johnston
Pasadena
Loving a child
Imagine a world where every child is wanted and planned for and properly provided for -- emotionally, physically and financially.
It seems likely that in such a world overpopulation and poverty would begin to disappear and prison populations would decline (as would the populations of mental institutions). Instead of declaring contraception to be sinful, churches could preach more about responsible parenthood to demonstrate real commitment to sanctity of life.
One definition of responsible parenthood could be that before bringing a child into the world, the parent (or parents) would decide if they could afford a child and carefully examine their capabilities to properly and lovingly support and nurture a child until that child becomes a self-sufficient adult.
Of course, a world where every child was wanted and planned could have its downsides. The populations of certain religions might begin to seriously decline rather than continue to grow. There would most likely be a shortage of cheap (read, "desperate") labor. There might even be some impact on unemployment.
How would we ever cope?
I, for one, would dearly love to see such a world and hope that one day we may get there.
oan Brant-Love
Baltimore
Induct the NRA into the National Guard
The National Rifle Association claims we have the right to bear arms based upon the Second Amendment to the Constitution. The Second Amendment is only one sentence long:
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
The Second Amendment is very clear, it gives us the right to bear arms, based upon the need to maintain a "well regulated militia."
I doubt that anyone would claim that the NRA is a "well regulated militia." Therefore it is clear to me that if anyone wishes to own (bear) arms, he must become a member of a "well regulated militia."
An interpretation based upon today's militia organizations would suggest that anyone owning a gun must become a member of the National Guard.
This argument corresponds to the way an army was organized when the Second Amendment was adopted in 1791.
There was no existing army at that time. Therefore citizens were called upon to form an army in time of need.
It was logical that it would be helpful if the citizens kept and maintained their own arms for use in time of a state emergency. At that time all armed citizens were effectively the nation's national guard.
Today all our militias are trained for immediate action when needed. On the basis of our Constitution the NRA should be inducted into the National Guard, be trained and then called on to protect our national security at the next opportunity.
This reasoning is a very clear interpretation of the Second Amendment. The president should call up the NRA for training immediately, or the NRA must relinquish all arms (which would include all guns, knives, swords, etc.).
It's time the NRA lived up to the Second Amendment. Induct the NRA into the National Guard.
Bill King
Columbia
Drive to excel
This school year let us all -- parents, educators and citizens -- keep the following in mind:
First, education is a timeless and never ending endeavor for all -- especially our young people.
Second, education is the process by which our democratic way of life is passed on to future generations.
Further, education should be a process by which we teach our young people to live by rationality rather than by prejudice, by reason and perspective rather than mere opinions.
Today, education has become a main feature in newspapers such as The Evening Sun. In this day and age it is a must that our young people be the best educated, if only for the sake of survival.
In retrospect, we have heard talk of a return to basics, more discipline, better teachers, merit pay and yes, now -- outcome based education.
Certainly, both historically and philosophically all these things are of value. Education, which at one time was the privilege of a few, is now the concern of all -- as it should be if we hope to expand the open society that makes for progress and industry.
That concept that American education needs an overhaul is correct, as was stated in the report "A Nation At Risk," a critique of education in the 1980s. The rapid change in technology in recent years is evidence that change is needed in education.
However, the trick is how to overhaul education and get positive results. Certainly more money to pay teachers would help as a motivational factor. But this alone will not do the trick.
More discipline in the schools also is needed -- not only the type that requires respect and order, but discipline so that students will be able to complete assigned learning tasks.
This school year let us remember that teachers and educators have a tremendous responsibility in relationship to our young people. Why? Teachers daily must compete with television, rock music and numerous other distractions that bombard and captivate the young.
Education will only improve when our schools are supported by parents and the public becomes fully committed to changing education so that more students will be literate upon graduation.
Improvement is education will require that parents insist that their youngsters be in school every day with their work completed.
Further, education will improve when parents limit the amount of time they allow their children to spend watching television shows and talking on the phone -- time that could be devoted to study and improvement of the mind.
Finally, we need to emphasize to students the importance of dedicating themselves to completing their learning assignments. As outlined in "A Nation At Risk," schools must become places where learning and subject matter are priority items.
We can improve our educational system this school year not only with more dollars but also with greater concern by parents and all involved in the drive to excel.
ohn A. Micklos
Baltimore