Today is a reminder to cherish the nation and eradicate hate
"We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal; that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights . . ."
These magnificent words from the Declaration of Independence are a tangible reminder of why we celebrate today. The Fourth of July is not simply a day of fun and drinking.
The words remind us of the debt we all owe to the patriots of 1776. The wise and pragmatic pursuit of independence, which was ultimately won by bloodshed, must never be forgotten. This nation was conceived in revolution and has become a great, humanitarian nation.
In honor of the patriots of 1776, let us work to eradicate hate from our great land. Let us work to become the best in whatever endeavors we choose. Let us accept all Americans as equals as true brothers ans sisters.
Finally, let us honor the memory of the patriots of 1776 by instilling in our young people a love of country and nation.
The patriots of 1776 gave us a nation. Let us continue in their honor to work to perpetuate this nation and its belief in a democratic system. This is our obligation to future generations.
John A. Micklos
Baltimore
Naval Academy discipline not so disparate after all
Michael Olesker's column ("Geography of Mids' trysts saves athlete's PR value," June 28) argues that the Naval Academy exacts harsher discipline for non-athletes than for athletes.
Mr. Olesker failed to mention that two of the three midshipmen expelled were athletes. Plebe Felicia Harris started every game at point guard and led the 1997-98 women's basketball team to the most victories in academy history. Further, she is considered one of the most outstanding female players recruited to the academy.
Aaron Smith was a point guard on the men's basketball team. He started early for the 1997-98 team but was relegated to reserve status after several games. However, he was expected to make a significant contribution in his senior season.
Adm. Charles Larson's rendering of discipline appears not so disparate when one is presented with all the facts.
Peter J. Equi
Baltimore
Blaming the wrong parties for dispute in Middle East
The editorial ("New map won't find way to Mideast peace," June 26) misses the true understanding of Arab intentions toward Israel and blames the wrong parties for a perceived impasse in the "peace process."
Robert O. Freedman, who has gone out of the way to make Yasser Arafat a partner in a "peace process," finally acknowledged in his article ("This land is mine," June 14) that Mr. Arafat has not met his 1993 Oslo obligation to revise the Palestinian National Charter, which calls for the annihilation of the Jewish state and denies the existence of Jewish people.
Mr. Freedman further observed that Mr. Arafat continually incites Arab mobs to liquidate the "Zionist entity," a clear violation of the Oslo accords.
Both the charter and Mr. Arafat's continuing incitements are reflections of the religious hatred in Islam for Jews and Christians.
I have seen excerpts from Palestinian television of Mr. Arafat exhorting mobs to Jihad and martyrdom and of the hate being inculcated in Arab children who want to emulate the suicide bombers. The chanting of Mr. Arafat and his mobs is eerily reminiscent of Hitler's Nazi Germany.
Mr. Arafat's signature on Oslo I was a dubious commitment at best. Today, his supposed commitment to peace is meaningless.
The Israelis would have been vilified had they responded promptly to Mr. Arafat's intransigence in 1993. After giving much, without reciprocity from their erstwhile "peace partner," they are vilified because they will not give more.
The Sun does its readers a great disservice by blaming the Jewish state for Mr. Arafat's misdeeds.
Sol E. Gerstman
Pikesville
Performance helps explain governor's poll advantage
I think there is a better way to read recent polls ("Reading the polls, June 28).
Three sequential polls show a shift toward Gov. Parris N. Glendening during the past three months. The Mason-Dixon poll in April showed a dead heat between Ellen Sauerbrey and Mr. Glendening, the Peter Hart poll in May showed a six-point advantage for the governor and the Washington Post poll in June showed a 12-point advantage for the governor.
(A skeptical observer should dismiss any conclusions of the Hart poll pertaining to slot-machines because the poll was commissioned by race track owners.)
Two facts might explain this trend:
First, the governor's position on the slot-machine issue was highlighted after Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke endorsed Eileen Rehrmann and, second, state senators and delegates are boasting about the accomplishments of the legislature this term and crediting the governor for his negotiating skill to produce legislation, including unanimous approval of his budget plan in the Senate.
I heard a senator and a delegate, at different times, describe Mr. Glendening's performance as better than that of any of the most recent governors. The people, in urban areas especially, may be realizing these elements and approving them.
Ronald P. Bowers
Lutherville
Need for gambling revenue speaks louder than morals
A state that increased its lottery program from once to twice daily can hardly be against gambling. In the meantime, buses take residents to Atlantic City and Delaware to gamble.
I can recall when street numbers were a flourishing illegal business and did not put money in the state treasury. So #F Maryland decided to cash in on this addiction, which takes money from those who can least afford it.
It is becoming increasingly clear that religious and moral differences have little impact on a society that is becoming more materialistic. Like it or not, casinos mean money, and money talks.
Mary H. Hall
Baltimore
Film "Gone With the Wind" reflected moods of its times
I feel compelled to respond to Gregory Kane's column on "Gone With The Wind" ('GWTW' overblown, offensive, mindless," June 27). I have little experience of the prejudice black Americans of my age have faced over the last 40-plus years.
GWTW is not a documentary like those from the Public Broadcasting System or the History Channel. It's a melodrama, reflecting the attitudes of the times it was made (the late 1930s) ++ and the times it portrays (the 1860s).
It does not show slaves as victims of man's ability to be inhumane to his fellow beings but rather as just another piece in the old South's agrarian economic machines because to most white southerners, that's all they were.
The American philosopher George Santayana said: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." It is our obligation to look at our heritage and reflect upon it, learn from our mistakes and make our society and nation better. Condemning our past, or worse yet, revising it to be politically correct today is a disservice to our progeny as well as our heritage. Enjoy the movie as the great movie it is.
Robert Dannenfelser
Dundalk
Abortion in any building is wrong for St. Joseph
Carmen F. Deyesu's Opinion Commentary article ("Making the case for St. Joseph Medical Center, June 25) doesn't make the case or make sense.
Does the chairman of the board of St. Joseph Medical Center believe that aborting babies in a separate building on Greater Baltimore Medical Center's campus justifies the abomination of killing them?
That's as bad as China's sweeping Tiananmen Square clean so its human rights violations are out of sight.
Pro-lifers don't buy it.
'Eileen Fitzpatrick Bolgiano
Parkville
Time for Balt. County to rethink its land use
Whether it is a "Megachurch in Granite" (June 29), massive housing developments in Glyndon or towers in an historic district, it is important that Baltimore County rethink its land use, its planning process and its development mechanisms.
PROJECT '98, a grassroots group, asks that the county do just that.
Citizens need a voice; they need to understand the issues of land use that will affect them for decades. If rules and regulations have been found wanting, it is time to change them.
Ruth Mascari
Monkton
Pub Date: 7/04/98
VTC