Sun Journal articles provide needed conservation coverage

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I applaud the Sun Journal, which appears daily in The Sun.

The article "Saving the sea turtle in Brazil" (Nov. 23), which describes a sea turtle conservation project in Praia do Forte, Brazil, is a great example of the economic importance of species conservation.

Eco-tourism is a potentially lucrative answer to resource exploitation. However, local conservation efforts that depend on the tourist trade will be sustained only through increased public awareness efforts.

Sun Journal has consistently supported this effort by providing its readers with information on a broad range of regional and international conservation issues.

Here in Baltimore, the National Aquarium is conducting grass-roots efforts for species conservation. This week, the Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) flew a gray seal from Martin State Airport to Cape Cod for release after successful rehabilitation at the aquarium.

The animal came ashore in March, desperately in need of attention. The seven-month rehabilitation was conducted by volunteers whose amazing dedication to species conservation goes largely unnoticed.

The program now is focusing attention on a loggerhead sea turtle that was cold-stunned in Delaware. MARP coordinators are cautiously optimistic about the prognosis for this animal, whose temperature rose from 58 degrees to a balmy 80 degrees over two days.

Volunteers are happy to report the sea turtle has its appetite back and is eating daily. Once rehabilitated, the turtle will be flown to Florida for release during the winter months.

Thank you again for your coverage; keep up the international conservation antennae.

Glen G. Page

Baltimore

The writer is senior manager of conservation for the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

Someone should hire woman who strives

Shame on the city of Baltimore and employers in the Baltimore area for their failure to employ Theresa Smith ("A journey of commitment," Nov. 15) after her courageous and commendable effort and successful completion of Strive Baltimore.

That accomplishment qualified her for employment more than three months ago, but her reward has repeatedly been, "We'll get back to you."

Ms. Smith is attempting to overcome a horrid childhood, abuse and a brutal environment. She certainly deserves far better than she has received to date, and her treatment surely is discouraging to those who would want to escape a virtually hopeless life.

Employment would vastly improve her life and that of her children and remove a family from the welfare rolls.

There must be someone who would appreciate such a valiant effort and understand that we are all morally bound to help people who strive to escape the bowels of society.

T. Joseph Abbott

Timonium

Downtown group's position on transit

In the article "Mayor plans 7 garages for downtown parking" (Nov. 20), describing city plans to build seven garages downtown, The Sun grossly misrepresents my views of Baltimore's mass transit system.

While the Downtown Partnership believes additional parking capacity is essential, a well-balanced transportation system is a necessity if downtown Baltimore is to become truly competitive. Indeed, the most successful cities are those with a comprehensive network of efficient public transportation options, allowing for easy access in and out of their center cities.

Downtown Partnership's zealous advocacy on behalf of business' demands for expanded parking opportunities must be viewed in its proper context: as one component of a multifaceted strategy in which increased public reliance on the mass transit system also plays an important role.

Laurie B. Schwartz

Baltimore

The writer is president of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore.

Spellbinding story on Chesapeake sailor

I have just read "A legend sets sail on the bay" (Nov. 18) by Kirsten Scharnberg.

I feel compelled to write and tell you how much I enjoyed this article and others of human interest. The writing in this article was spellbinding. I felt as though I was reading a book, and I know Earl White will treasure the article equally with his honorary title of "Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay."

In the hustle and bustle of our space age, it is delightful to remember our fellow man in his life struggle. With articles like Kirsten Scharnberg's, we will.

I can't wait for her first book.

Beebe Castro

Shady Side

Deutsche Bank merger should sound alarm

I read with great interest the article "Alex. Brown may be in peril" (Nov. 23). I certainly hope City Hall is burning the midnight oil on this one. The pending Deutsche Bank AG and BT Alex. Brown merger could deal yet another significant and disastrous blow to Baltimore.

While recent economic indicators reflect a general upswing in the downtown economy, meaningful job growth is not in the creation of "upscale McDonald's" chains.

Even if Baltimore City were to lure a hundred Hard Rock Cafes or Barnes & Noble stores, such misguided efforts could never replace the eminence of a company such asBT Alex. Brown.

In today's world, mergers are commonplace. I, too, am fearful that Deutsche Bank will consolidate the Alex. Brown operations in New York. City Hall, along with its ocean of public-private agencies, should be actively monitoring and selling the benefits of doing business locally, with an eye toward corporate retention.

I don't see this oil lamp in City Hall; this void and darkness is my greatest fear. It's all about marketing and economics, and if Baltimore loses this one, it clearly demonstrates someone isn't doing his job properly.

Eerik A. Kreek

Arlington, Va.

Did Saddam Hussein win Desert Storm?

Eight years have passed since the Persian Gulf war was won. A question remains: Who won?

Saddam Hussein makes certain agreements. The agreements are then put on hold through some controversy to delay inspections. Mr. Hussein then agrees to be nice again to the world community.

The cycle repeats itself again and again.

The latest episode had the American media help the Iraqi military strategists. Mr. Clinton threatened, Mr. Hussein waited until the last 30 minutes before the attack, and the president called off the attack.

After that, the media detailed exactly where missiles and bombs had been aimed. Mr. Hussein is now in a position to move his chess men in anticipation of the next episode, certain to come.

In the meantime, one must conclude that Mr. Hussein may have lost a battle years ago but is winning the war now. It does not bode well for the world for the future. And some nations are replaying the role of Chamberlain vs. Hitler in the interest of peace at any price so they can make a buck or two. They have nothing to lose because good old Uncle Sam will bail them out as he has been doing since 1914.

Richard L. Lelonek

Baltimore

Teen-age witch story glossed over issues

In response to the two articles published concerning Jamie Schoonover on Oct. 21 and Nov. 14, I would like to ask about the intentions of the journalists.

The original story was printed on the front page, and it sensationalized a misunderstanding among a few students attending Southwestern High School. More than three weeks later, when the issue had been peacefully abandoned by both the media and the school, a story appeared on the front of the Today section, asking "Who's afraid of Jamie Schoonover?" The title and lead were purposefully misleading, seizing the public's fear of the unknown. The article itself focused on the many challenges Jamie Schoonover faces in her alternative lifestyle.

Human interest stories on the difficulties of transsexual parenting, the prejudice endured by Gothic teens or the struggles of simply surviving in young America are worthy and deserving of coverage.

By combining all of these issues into one superficial article about a teen-age "witch" struggling to be herself, however, the genuine interests of the situation were glossed over in respect to pure shock value.

Kathryn B. Rouse

Baltimore

Finding beauty in spontaneity

John Dorsey's review ("Dripping with genius," Nov. 19) of the Jackson Pollock exhibition got me thinking. We've had art that inspires, art that teaches, art that shows us a new way to see. Now must we have art that "hasn't been done before"? But no one, as far as I know, has gotten up on a ladder and thrown paint from 20 feet rather than five feet.

Mr. Dorsey calls Pollock's drippy paintings "lyrical, balletic, contemplative, optimistic and intimate." He says they give off the emotion of "quiet elation." The emotion I get is one of despair, the despair of choosing a dead end. Perhaps, to me, these pictures represent Pollock's depression and approaching suicide.

Pollock went there alone. His work shows us absolute freedom. It dares us to find beauty in spontaneity. Pollock has made us wonder if there could be beauty in the relationship of thrown paint. I think we may conclude there isn't much.

David Eberhardt

Baltimore

Clinton's punishment: community service

We have seen high-standing lawyers reduce themselves to schoolyard squabbling. We have seen legal method stained by polluted motive. We have seen Kenneth Starr steer public discourse to a sordidness that makes us cringe. Government power has been abused by the Office of Independent Counsel and its three-judge governing panel. Two actions are necessary to purge public affairs of this contamination. First is to punish the OIC and its three-judge panel, and second is to reform the OIC law.

In battling to retain his personal privacy, a worthy purpose, Bill Clinton sort of lied (though it was a setting corrupted by others), and he should be punished for that. How about asking him to volunteer without pay for 100 hours of community service after his term of office?

Sam Calaby

Columbia

Lengths all Democrats go to protect Clinton

The petulant resignation of Sam Dash reminds me of the little boy who took his ball home, just as his opponents were about to score, because they wouldn't play by his rules. Mr. Dash's spin on the Starr report demonstrates to what lengths a Democrat, any Democrat, will go to preserve the presidency of the most despicable man to hold the office since Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

The Democrats are blithely tossing a number of things overboard -- their ethics, their moral fiber overboard to act honorably and even the Constitution -- to keep the president in the White House. Their performance is as disgraceful as President Clinton's.

Ruth D. Sewell

Severna Park

Starr taken down by hedonistic tide

Something is very wrong with a nation that villifies an honest, dedicated man such as Kenneth Starr. By thoroughly fulfilling his legal mandate, he has become a target for derision and ridicule because of a jaded public and the morally deficient Democratic party's left. Meanwhile, Bill Clinton receives kudos for doing a good job. To hell with moral leadership, accountability and truthfulness. Nothing matters except the comfort of John Q. Public and the government-fed interests of a scurrilous self-proclaimed underprivileged population.

This goes beyond the killing of the messenger. It is better described as the assassination of a once-principled democracy by a hedonistic tide.

May it rest in anguish.

Ronald L. Dowling

Baltimore

Tobacco settlement will fund good programs

I write in response to Michael Olesker's column "Tobacco pushers purchase a $206 billion license to kill" (Nov. 24) and specifically the line, "And we're all back where we started: . . . spending crushing millions a year supporting those dying in hospitals; with new generations of cigarette junkies coming up behind them."

It's true that the billions in settlement money will not put cigarette companies out of business and that smoking will continue to take its toll on humanity. But sincere, concerted and clinically proven methods are under way to prevent kids from smoking and to help adolescents who are sorry they started in the first place quit the habit.

A major portion of the tobacco settlement is earmarked for smoking education.

Increased funding from the settlement to organizations that have developed smoking education programs will significantly decrease the numbers of smokers in the future.

One program is Tar Wars Maryland, a smoking education program targeted to fourth- through sixth-graders. Family physicians visit local schools to teach a fun, activity-filled curriculum that points out the many reasons why to not start smoking.

Also 1, 2, 3 . . . Smoke Free, is a three-pronged approach to smoking cessation targeted to high school students in which family physicians and medical students team up to get kids to stop smoking before too much damage is done.

As the Maryland General Assembly deals with the task of allotting tobacco settlement funds, it would do well to know what tobacco education programs are under way.

The outcomes of these could be significantly enhanced with increased funding from this source.

Esther Rae Barr

Baltimore

The writer is executive director of the Academy of Family Physicians.

Tobacco is no proven gateway to other habits

Joseph Adams, president of the Maryland Children's Initiative Education Fund, asserts that tobacco is a gateway to other drug addictions ("Selling product that is route to important drug problem," Nov. 23, letters).

Gateway drug use purportedly leads to use of a less popular but more demonized drug. Gateway psychoactive drugs can be formed into a popularity sequence: coffee, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and heroin or cocaine.

Through its addictive properties, gateway drug use presumably predisposes one to seek out and become addicted to more potent drugs. Gateway proponents use statistical associations to make their claims.

For instance, a coffee user is more likely to use alcohol than a coffee abstainer. But this pattern of use has more to do with the individual's temperament and environment than with the addictive nature of the drug.

A present or past user of any drug, be it coffee or heroin, is more likely to be a risk taker and novelty seeker than his drug abstaining counterpart. Such people are more attracted to any psychoactive drug.

Users who become addicted can be distinguished from nonaddicted users by temperament and environment.

If tobacco or marijuana are gateway drugs, a consistent pattern of increased tobacco or marijuana use should presage increased cocaine or heroin use. This relationship has never been shown or proven.

Kevin Fansler

Havre de Grace

Pub Date: 11/28/98