Kenneth Starr's quest for lawyer's notes threatens vital 0) trusts
The request by Kenneth Starr to invade the attorney-client privilege between the late Vincent Foster and his lawyer is truly inappropriate ("Court cool to Starr's request," June 9).
As a practicing psychologist for the past 38 years, I have participated in the process of confidentiality between client and professional. The purpose of this process is obviously to allow an atmosphere for the client to fully trust the professional with anything that the client wishes to convey.
The ability of the professional to serve clients most effectively is based on this relationship of trust. Without it, the capacity of the professional to provide service to the client is lost. It is the most important part of the relationship.
To argue that this relationship is null and void when a client dies is ridiculous. Upon the death of a client, the guiding principle should be proof that the information the seeker wants would have been acceptable to the client to reveal.
Breaking or modifying the confidentiality of the relationship should depend on the intentions of the client, not society at large. In the event of the death of the client, a document written or signed by him or her should be required to break the seal.
Cornelius J. Feehley
Towson
Two bad adult examples on one page of newspaper
Your May 30 edition cleared up any confusion I had about the reasons for the endlessly discussed decline of our society.
One story concerned Theresa Pearson's conviction in the theft of $63,101 from the Head Start program she directed ("Ex-Head Start director admits bilking program"). It is difficult enough to imagine a more despicable act than stealing from poor 4-year-olds in one's care, but it is astonishing that the penalty imposed upon Ms. Pearson is a mere five-year probation and repayment of less than half the theft.
On the same page was the conclusion of a story about traffic violators in Howard County. A teacher, Elaine Hercenberg, told her kindergarten class that she was going to court to fight a ticket. Though caught on film running the red light, Ms. Hercenberg denied her responsibility and the consequences of her actions and took the time to explain this denial to her class.
I would think a kindergarten teacher's job would be to show pupils the reason for rules, the importance of following rules and being accountable for one's behavior. Instead, Ms. Hercenberg taught them that rules can be broken by degree. She broke them just a little, and though the consequences could have been deadly (had one of her pupils been crossing the street, for instance), she cannot be bound by society's constraints.
These two stories, in a nutshell, show us how the adults in our society are influencing the next generation. Why a middle-class thief can escape prison and full restitution is beyond me. When adults allow adults to exempt themselves from the rules that govern society, they commit a crime of complicity.
The children who absorb these lessons from these educators will return to haunt us later, and we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
Jennifer Landon
Baltimore
Princess Margarita shows monarchy at its best
I would like to thank M. Dion Thompson and The Sun for the excellent and very interesting article "Noblesse oblige and then some" (June 3), which concerned the great work of Romania's Crown Princess Margarita and her foundation in the development of such places as orphanages, health clinics and senior citizen centers in Romania.
The monarchy played a good role in the development of Romania. Princess Margarita's father, King Michael, overthrew the pro-Nazi dictator, Antonescu, on Aug. 3, 1944, bringing Romania to the Allies' cause and shortening the war.
The tragedy of Romania was that it fell on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain. King Michael tried his best to stop the Communist takeover of his country. However, he was forced to abdicate because of the threat that 1,000 pro-monarchist students were to be killed. Romania was to have a long, dark history.
I believe that when Romania's people learn about the history of their monarchy, added to the great work of Princess Margarita, the monarchy will one day be restored. Princess Margarita will be a great queen.
Walter L. Moore
Ellicott City
Kennedy's assassination elicited mourning and fear
I read with interest Fred Rasmussen's article about the Robert Kennedy funeral train ("Mourners waited for Kennedy train," June 6). It brought back poignant memories of standing for several hours along the train tracks at Southwestern Boulevard in Baltimore waiting for the train to pass.
The idea for the Robert Kennedy funeral train was to emulate President Lincoln's funeral train from Washington to his birthplace in Springfield, Ill., and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's funeral train from Warm Springs, Ga., to his birthplace in Hyde Park, N.Y.
Train traffic was halted along the route for safety and security reasons. Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated two months earlier, and protests against the Vietnam war were peaking.
The tenor of the times was best exemplified by the scout train that preceded the Kennedy funeral train. This train was sent ahead to make sure that the tracks had not been tampered with.
Leon Reinstein
Baltimore
Summer reading to make you learn and cry
One of my favorite books is "The Westing Game," by Ellen Raskin. It is exciting and gets you hooked. Ellen Raskin is a good but confusing writer.
I think reading is very important. I learned how to read in pre-first (age 5) and have enjoyed it ever since. Reading can take you out of the real world and let you explore fantasy worlds. I like writers who can be descriptive without dragging.
I think that if people would spend less time watching television and more time reading, they would be smarter, and maybe even the crime level would go down.
Hopefully, someday I will write great stories that will make people want to read and make the world a better place.
Brittany Starr
Phoenix
Friends School
'The Giving Tree'
You should read Shel Silverstein. There are a lot of things you can learn. The book of his I like best is called "The Giving Tree."
Some parts are funny, but other parts are sad.
Meghan Konka
Dundalk
Logan Elementary
Reading for inspiration
I have been reading a Judy Blume book called "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." This book has inspired me to get ready for my older years.
Judy Blume books teach me how I can have a good life. I have learned about different life skills from her books, which teach right and wrong.
Also, this book has given me an opportunity to read at a higher level.
Kelly McCord
Dundalk
Logan Elementary
Struggle against oppression
One of my favorites is "Year of Impossible Goodbyes," by Sook Nyul Choi.
It is about a 10-year-old Korean girl who had to endure the horrible things the Japanese did to make her life miserable. Every time she managed to get over the loss of something or someone she loved, the Japanese made her go through something even harder than the one before.
Even though her life got worse and worse by the moment, she still was an optimist. When World War II ended, her city only got to celebrate for a few weeks. Before long, the Communists took control of North Korea.
As it was impossible to live an independent and safe life as a Communist, her family tried to get through the dangerous 38th Parallel, the border between North and South Korea, to freedom. On the way, she and her little brother were separated from their mother and had no idea where to go.
This was a really good book, although it made me cry.
Anna Nelson
Baltimore
Friends School
Pub Date: 6/13/98