Clinton matter is farce that cannot compare with Watergate
How can anyone compare President Clinton's idiotic indiscretions or his lies about them to the criminal conspiracies of Richard Nixon, which threatened the subversion of the Republic?
And why does the media (The Sun included) persist in calling the Clinton/Lewinsky spectacle a saga or drama? It is neither saga nor drama, but farce; a tawdry tale that once would have been confined to the prurient pages of Penthouse or the National Enquirer.
Farcical, too, are Kenneth Starr's burlesque inquiries and his tasteless dissemination of salacious details. If America dignifies as saga or drama this insane spectacle that makes her a launghingstock among nations, I must sadly nod my assent to Shakespeare's reproachful words:
"O judgement; thou art fled to
brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason!"
Robert E. Birt
Baltimore
Clinton shows real morality by working to end wars
It is not difficult to know why President Clinton stands high in the polls.
Simply put, he ended two wars -- one through timeless diplomacy in Northern Ireland and the other through judicious use of American power in Bosnia.
That is his legacy, and that is morality.
Melvin Feldman
Pikesville
Campaign against grocer to uphold law, community
Your article on the Chang Mart resulted in an astonishing outpouring -- from within Bolton Hill and well beyond -- of support for our efforts to prevent Kun Soo Chang from breaking laws that were designed to protect communities ("Two cultures clash around tiny store," Oct. 1).
It was not until the community made Mr. Chang's violations of the law a priority that he was found guilty on two counts of selling alcohol to minors. Before that, the cases for which he was charged were dismissed on technicalities. Mr. Chang's store is still known among young people as the place to get liquor if you are underage.
Mr. Chang had been out of compliance with zoning laws for 15 years. But it was not until the community began to address the problem that he began to comply. Now he is adhering to the zoning restriction of 25 percent use for liquor.
However, the portion allocated to liquor has full shelves and is piled high with boxes of liquor while the part that allocated for groceries has clear floors and bare shelves.
Contrary to The Sun's article, the issue is neither racial nor ethnic, but compliance with liquor and zoning laws. Of the three liquor outlets in Bolton Hill (two of which are Korean), only Mr. Chang has broken the law.
Race is merely the argument that Mr. Chang and his lawyer use to detract from the real issues. The goal of the community is compliance with the law, not closing the store.
Also contrary to the article, Bolton Hill is a racially mixed community where people of all colors and many countries-of-origin live and work side by side. The community association board and committees, social events, activities and friendship reflect this inclusion, as do partnerships with the surrounding communities.
Many people move to Bolton Hill for this very reason.
Doreen Rosenthal
Baltimore
The writer is president of the Mount Royal Improvement Association.
What a terribly unfair and incorrectpiece of reporting to which you have given the importance of your front page ("Two cultures clash around tiny store," Oct. 1). I am a resident of Bolton Hill, I am not a teetotaler, I am not affluent and, most assuredly, I am not in the least gentrified.
I live in an integrated neighborhood and work with my neighbors for a community where all can live in peace, safety and cleanliness. Since when can these fundamental issues be considered in any way economic, or worse, racial?
I did sign that petition to stop the sale of liquor at Chang's Mart with the conviction that not only does easy access to liquor contribute nothing to our community life, but erodes our continuing efforts to maintain a neighborhood of which all can be proud.
Harold Adler
Baltimore
Fond memories of building that once graced Baltimore
What a delight to read Fred Rasmussen's article "Landmark disappeared from city's skyline," (Sept. 26).
It brought back fond memories of my first job as a secretary for the William I. Lyons Co., a contractor on the 10th floor of the Tower Building.
Our view of the harbor was just great. Because bids on jobs required much work, many a night I heard the 6: 15 Norfolk boat signal its departure from its pier on Pratt Street.
The marble lobby was beautiful, the elevator operator greeted us with a smile and more times than I can remember, the late city comptroller Hyman Pressman was running for the elevator, smiling and tipping his hat as he said good morning.
The arcade provided the closest place to get lunch and drop off a shirt or jacket to be cleaned.
At the other end of the block was Reads Drug Store, where I purchased my grilled crumb bun with butter and a cup of coffee. Fond memories.
Grace Taylor Schutt
Hanover
Spanning time and space on Baltimore Street bridge
Thank you for the article "Bridging the gap to downtown" (Sept. 30) about the Baltimore Street bridge over Gwynns Falls. On July 4, I took the train to Washington to view the fireworks. The train crossed a span near the demolished bridge. I've been vTC wondering all summer what was going on over there and how the people who live in my old neighborhood get downtown.
What memories flow back about that area. I lived on Ellamont Street for years when I was a child.
Mom would take me downtown on the No. 20 bus to shop for school clothes at Baltimore and Charles streets. After lunch downtown, we would shop and board the bus again. Crossing that bridge was the signal to the end of a wonderful but tiring trip.
When I went to Gwynns Falls Junior High School, lots of my friends would cross that bridge to get to school. It seemed they came from far away, too, but the bridge brought them to school faster. I remember the quarry that was just upstream from that bridge.
One day, one of the neighborhood boys fell off the cliff that backed into that quarry near the junior high school. He died soon after. Yes, the woods and streams around that bridge were our playgrounds, too.
My dad crossed that bridge every morning and night on his way to and from work at the Esskay Co. across town, all the way on Baltimore Street. That bridge signaled that he was almost home, too.
Rafael Alvarez did a good job with his article.
Ann Ray Carroll Lane
Baldwin
Pub Date: 10/07/98