Northern principal did what was needed to impose discipline
I am appalled that Alice Morgan-Brown was driven into retirement at Northern High School. All she did was try to restore order to her school.
The things she did were much better than a predecessor who rarely came out of his office and was afraid to speak to students. When she came, Northern was in its worst state. What happened this year is small compared with things I had seen six years ago.
Not many principals in the Baltimore City school system were or are as bold as she was in taking the measures she took. She put discipline back into the school by suspending 1,200 students. Although I did not agree with the measure taken, something had to be done.
It is bad enough that the students have the mentality that they can get away with almost anything. Ms. Brown proved that was not the case. In addition, with no support, she did what she had to do.
Baltimore City will lose a great principal. She was from the old school. Those are the kinds of principals that this city and country needs.
Tyrone Thorpe
Baltimore
Fight against AIDS does not discriminate
It really rankled my nerves to see "White AIDS activists leery of working with African Americans" ("The AIDS crisis among blacks," July 9).
I have been a volunteer with various AIDS and health organizations for the past four years. The organizations I help are in the heart of Baltimore City. The HERO drop-off center is not in Greenspring Valley, but in downtown Baltimore, which is visited by mostly AfricanAmericans who see and hear the stories of this deadly disease.
If you are an AIDS activist or volunteer, it does not matter what color a person's skin is -- we are there to help all people who are dying of a disease.
I have never seen an activist or volunteer turn up his or her nose at someone.
Now that we are seeing the wonders of new drugs to fight AIDS, people are becoming complacent. They think, "It's not gong to happen to me."
For years, we wondered why our blood supply was not being replenished. It's because people don't want their blood to be tested for HIV.
Clarence Lusane made outstanding points discussing our homophobic Republican members of Congress and church and black leaders, but we must look at ourselves for answers.
Cindy Trueitt Lee
Baltimore
On the campaign trail, Schaefer needs a helmet
Your cartoon on the July 7 editorial page of soon-to-be-comptroller William Donald Schaefer on the motorcycle was well-timed and amusing, but begs one question: Why is Mr. Schaefer not wearing a helmet while motoring across the political landscape?
Richard Schafer
Severn
Mayfair can survive the collapse of its roof
I was sorry to hear that the roof of The Mayfair Theater had collapsed, but that does not necessarily signal the end ("Roof collapse endangers Mayfair," July 9).
After purchasing a building on Charles Street, I discovered the roof had collapsed. After securing the roof, I worked as fast as weather, time and money would allow. Through hard work, many volunteers and immeasurable patience, the building is now sound. It didn't happen overnight, but it did happen without any city funds, incentive programs and no angels with deep pockets. It now houses a restaurant.
As in other cities, Baltimore needs to organize a coalition to pinpoint the properties that are most in need of repair, then secure them until they are sold or further renovations can be done.
Representatives from preservation societies, the Maryland Historical Society, museums, neighborhood groups and especially experts (people who have done it) should follow guidelines and avoid mistakes of other cities.
We need to appreciate these buildings as the special jewels that make Baltimore unique instead of the mega-clones illuminating our skyline now.
Stop demolishing the rare and unusual, or we may be forced to remember them only with photos in a museum.
Jay Martin
Baltimore
Why should police killers be allowed life in prison?
Recently, I stood before the monument at Maryland State Police headquarters that honors all members killed in the line of duty since the department's founding and counted 17 names of fine young men and women who gave their lives while serving Maryland during my 32 years with that department.
Unfortunately, names have been added since my retirement, and there will be more with the passing of time.
Included among the names were Ted Wolf, Gregory Presbury and Edward Plank, all of whom were killed in a very violent manner on Maryland highways by a criminals with handguns while doing their duty. All victims left young families.
The good citizens of Maryland, through the jury system, allowed their killers to escape death by sentencing them to life without parole. In the most recent case, the killer of Trooper Plank, the father of a young child, was allowed to live apparently because the jury accepted his desire to maintain a relationship with his 5-year-old son, and 14-year-old stepdaughter ("Man who killed trooper gets life without parole," July 11). Trooper Plank was denied the same opportunity while facing his killer on a lonely Eastern Shore highway.
Why should three cold-blooded killers be allowed to sit in Maryland prisons at taxpayer expense after having killed three fine young officers who were fathers and husbands?
L. V. Booker
Kissimmee, Fla.
Maryland education board should let the public speak
The Maryland State Board of Education showed its lack of courage and leadership at its most recent meeting in June, when it voted to keep the public from commenting on public schools.
Public speeches are a very effective means of communicating because they are made publicly. The media takes note of the comments and the board's minutes, a public record, must include a summary of each speech.
Without public comment on key issues, there is no way to be sure that this appointed policy board is actually being responsive to the concerns of parents for their children, teachers for their students or employers for their future employees.
Remember that it was The Sun, not the state board, that identified the reading crisis in Maryland, and through its continuing, relentless coverage is forcing the board and the Maryland State Department of Education to do what they would not have done on their own.
The board would be wise to reconsider its actions. Public comment should be part of every state board meeting, to provide a small measure of accountability for a board that through its appointed governance has none.
Mary Pat Kahle
Timonium
Free speech is your right, political pandering is wrong
It was interesting to read two letters to the editor on July 10 that debated the rights of Americans.
Mary Frances Cherry wrote in support Trent Lott and Dick Armey in their abomination of gay and lesbian Americans. She applauds Mr. Lott for saying gay behavior is a sin. Martin J. Mimnaugh proudly pledges to the American flag, but his letter supports citizens who do not wish to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. He understands the meaning of the words freedom, choice and America.
Perhaps Trent Lott and others who subscribe to this form of narrow-minded Christianity should take a lesson from proud Americans like Mr. Mimnaugh. I respect, as Mr. Mimnaugh most likely would, the right of people to choose their own religion, to oppose anything they please in our country and the right to say it out loud. What I don't respect is an influential member of Congress pandering to a sect of his own party.
Though I support Mr. Lott's right to have his beliefs, I don't support the notion that our country is supposed to be a "Christian nation." Ms. Cherry says "a Christian cannot look upon evil and remain silent," but I believe Mr. Lott made his statement as a politician.
Maria Baldridge
Baltimore
I agree with Mary Frances Cherry that Trent Lott and Dick Armey have a right to label homosexuality a sin. That right is guaranteed them by the Constitution of the United States, which, I believe, is the governing document of our country, not the Bible -- especially not the Bible as it exists in the minds of the Christian right.
Shirley A. Hartwell
Baltimore
Pub Date: 7/19/98