U.S. puts self-interest ahead of principle on world criminal 0) court
The U.S. delegation's performance at the recently concluded International Criminal Court Conference and The Sun's July 22 editorial, "World court proposal is deeply flawed," are shameful and deplorable examples of American exceptionalism.
In Rome, the U.S. delegation argued unsuccessfully for the idea that U.S. citizens should stand outside of the evolving framework of international law so that our government can pursue its policies with impunity, unhindered by the rule of law that other democratic nations accept.
U.S. exceptionalism is not new: It goes back to the Senate's failure to ratify the League of Nations Covenant; to hobbled attempts to fashion international human rights treaties in the 1950s and 1960s; to U.S. failure to sign the Landmines Convention last year; and to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jesse Helms, who refuses to allow international treaties signed by the United States that protect the rights of women and children to come before the Senate.
In arguing for a policy requiring the consent of the nation whose citizens are to be prosecuted and for a Security Council veto, the United States threatened and bullied allies and seemed to be more concerned about shielding possible perpetrators from trial than in producing a charter that would allow victims of horrendous crimes to obtain justice.
Fortunately, the other nations at the ICC Conference rejected the U.S. positions, but U.S. pressure produced a ill-considered compromise that settles the matter of the court's jurisdiction in a way that is far from ideal. The United States will now, predictably, fail to sign and ratify the ICC Convention, thus weakening it and putting the United States in the same league as Libya, China and Iraq.
Globalization is here all right, but the United States wants it to proceed on itsterms.
Morton Winston
Timonium
The writer is a former board chairman of Amnesty International USA, a professor of philosophy at The College of New Jersey and an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Continuing Studies.
Easements a valuable tool for protecting heritage
We applaud your strong endorsement of preservation easements in the July 22 editorial "Preserving historic land" about the case concerning Myrtle Grove, an 18th century plantation in Talbot County.
Preservation Maryland has been involved with the case since 1994, when we first learned that the National Trust for Historic Preservation had approved plans to subdivide the property.
We immediately began working to persuade the National Trust to withdraw from the agreement since it clearly conflicted with the easement it held on the property and potentially threatened the sanctity of preservation and conservation easements in Maryland.
To its credit, the National Trust did withdraw its approval of the plan and was subsequently sued by the owners of Myrtle Grove for breach of contract.
Preservation Maryland filed a brief in defense of the trust, arguing that it could not authorize subdividing Myrtle Grove because to do so would violate its fiduciary responsibility under Maryland's charitable trust doctrine. This is the same argument cited in the recent suit filed by the attorney general.
We welcome the attorney general's action and hope it will help ensure the continued viability of easements as a means of preserving Maryland's natural and cultural heritage.
Tyler Gearhart
Baltimore
The writer is executive director of Preservation Maryland.
Women attended college in U.S. as early as the 1830s
Ellen Goodman needs to check her facts when she says among other limitations that "women couldn't attend college" ("At Seneca Falls, time to honor foremothers," July 17).
Oberlin College in Ohio, founded in 1833, was admitting women by 1835 and several graduated in 1841. Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., founded as a women's college, graduated the first woman in 1838, 10 years before the women's rights gathering in Seneca Falls.
Shirley Clemens
Monkton
Reader urges attention to stories of 'substance'
I find it quite interesting that a topic of such enormity as " 'Colorblind' society called hopeless goal" would be relegated to Page 13A of the paper July 8.
I am constantly amazed at the bias The Sun shows on subjects of substance or importance.
As an African-American woman who fully realizes there is bias, ignorance and intolerance, I continue to expect the media to clean its house.
As the article states, many misconceptions are the result of stereotypes. I believe most African Americans would appreciate being seen in a light other than a negative one. For some reason, the actions or deeds of one or a few African Americans are seen as representative of the race, particularly if they are negative.
I know lots of people who look like me who are responsible, hard-working, contributing members of society.
I believe this article was more important than stories that made the front page about Linda Tripp, golf and Northern Ireland.
rie C. Austin
Ellicott City
Olesker column told story of a master teacher
The Michael Olesker July 5 column, "A teacher's lesson on living life fully," about Lynn Mayer's persistence in overcoming obstacles while leading his students through Italy was an insightful example of positive journalism.
Mr. Mayer was indeed a master teacher in the Baltimore County Public Schools. He was also a superb principal. As director of high school programs, he promoted high standards, but his approach was very inclusive.
Mr. Mayer is a Renaissance man. He has touched many lives.
Robert Y. Dubel
Baltimore
Recognize drug abuse as a medical problem
Your July 21 article "A 'human face' for addiction" calls for drastic changes to the system of undertreatment and incarceration. Why are an estimated 55,000 drug addicts in Baltimore not getting treatment? Why are so many being incarcerated at a cost of nearly $26,000 a year, when the annual outpatient treatment cost for a drug addict is $1,800, intensive treatment is $2,500, methadone maintenance for heroin addiction is $3,900 and residential treatment $6,800? Why do 75 percent of federal and state funds go to law enforcement?
The recommendations of the Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy, a group of 37 nationally known doctors, address this problem.
Their statement says that "the current emphasis on use of the criminal justice system and interdiction to reduce illegal drug use and the harmful effects of illegal drugs is not adequate to address these problems." Their recommendations to improve the nation's drug policy follow:
"Substance abuse must have treatment parity (insurance covering and accessibility) with other chronic, relapsing illness such as hypertension and diabetes.
"The societal stigma surrounding drug problems must be reduced so those needing care will seek it, those providing care will be encouraged to do so, and health care programs will reimburse the costs willingly.
"The huge burden of laws and regulations on drug treatment must be reduced so those needing care will seek it, those providing care will be encouraged to do so, and health care programs will reimburse the costs willingly. "The huge burden of laws and regulations on drug treatment must be reduced so physicians can treat abuse and addiction as aggressively as they now treat other chronic illnesses.
"More research needs to be funded to improve the outcomes of both prevention and treatment programs."
Drug treatment is effective. According to the physicians group, "a study of more than 600 peer-reviewed research articles showed that treatment of drug addiction is as effective, and sometimes more effective, than is treatment for hypertension, asthma and diabetes."
Increasingly, citizens recognize that people with emotional and mental health problems have a right to treatment, as do those with physical illnesses.
We must now work for a similar climate of acceptance for those people with drug addictions to get treatment, not jail.
Moya Atkinson
Baltimore
The writer is executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, Maryland Chapter.
Pub Date: 7/27/98