11 innings of baseball score a big victory in Cuban relations
Bay of Pigs? Cuban missile crisis? My how times have changed. To a considerable extent, the once perceived immutable tensions between the United States and Cuba during the Cold War have fallen by the wayside. The only crisis in Cuba now is a bottom-of-the-ninth scenario, tied ballgame, runners at the corners.
We're not talking revolution; we're talking baseball.
I commend the Orioles for their trip to Cuba, though I question the altruism of Peter G. Angelos. Regardless of the financial desire by any U.S. baseball owner to open the market for Cuban players, though, the Orioles' trip is a constructive endeavor, benefiting both nations in the short and long term.
Such cultural engagement between the nations will aid, though perhaps merely psychologically, the resumption of mutually advantageous political and economic relations.
Human understanding invariably changes with the passing of time, let alone nine or 11 innings.
Michael Scarcella, Baltimore
County residents must stop sale of Merryland Farm
I am totally against Baltimore County selling Merryland Farm. I will do everything in my power as a taxpaying citizen and voter to let county residents know who is in favor of this plan and who is not.
The selling of this property is immoral. That land was left so county residents could enjoy it and to preserve a home for wildlife.
We all know Seymour Cohn would have given his property to some deserving organization that would preserve its beauty had he known what the county would plan to do.
Selling this property shows a lack of vision on Baltimore County's part. Cromwell Valley Park is a perfect example of the vision of the Hayden administration. This park is well used. Why can't Merryland Farm be used the same way? This would serve the growing numbers of adults who enjoy hiking and all that nature has to offer.
We all know the government can afford this property. It's a matter of priority. Once this kind of property is lost, it is lost forever.
I am greatly disappointed in the administration of C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger, which I was led to believe was pro-environment.
Janet Knox, Baltimore
Privileges, responsibilities of dog ownership in city
The Sun's article "Paws in the park" (March 25) described certain city parks as "unofficial dog parks" where "few people seem to abide by [the leash law]" and dogs enjoy "the freedom of running loose." But while you may find happy dogs romping in Baltimore's parks, their owners are not enjoying the kind of freedom you describe.
Last fall, the Baltimore City Animal Control Board began cracking down on off-leash dogs, handing out $100 tickets to any dog owner whose dog was found playing in the park off its leash.
In response to this and to mounting tensions between dog owners and non-dog owners over the use of city parks, concerned citizens have formed a community organization called Responsible Dog Owners Group (R-DOG).
R-DOG started as a handful of dog-owners from South Baltimore neighborhoods surrounding Federal Hill Park and Leone Riverside Park and quickly expanded to include members from neighborhoods surrounding Robert E. Lee and Patterson parks and Fells Point.
R-DOG's primary goal is to promote responsible dog ownership in Baltimore City. To that end, we are organizing regular park cleanups, educating dog owners about the legal and social requirements of dog ownership in the city and putting together a citywide campaign to establish safe, legal, free running areas where well-behaved dogs can run and play together off-leash.
Chris Sabin-Scharff, Bonnie Crockett, Baltimore
The writers are president and vice president, respectively, of the Responsible Dog Owners Group.
City and state must learn to accept other cultures
Mike Bowler's column "Lots of languages create divisions in California" (March 10) deserves a response.
The column mentions the challenges faced by an English-speaking dominant group in trying to make sense and adapt (or not) to changing demographics, and it hints at the perceived and reported conflicts arising among the various ethic groups. The column somewhat perpetuates the perception that all Latinos lack English proficiency and that their growth translates into the demise of other communities.
The Latino community has grown significantly in Maryland in the past 10 years, from a mere 7,000-plus to an estimated 45,000. Are all these newcomers deficient in the English language? No. The majority of men and women settling in the area have a degree of proficiency in English because Maryland is not the first port of entry for most. By the time many of the new Latinos settling in the state come to Baltimore, they have lived in other places (including California) for a number of years.
Having said that, we are experiencing a steady influx of families, a very young population, which will translate into an explosion in the number of children enrolling in the first grade in the next five years. The potential "divisions" will come true only if we fail to learn from the experience of other cities.
It is the attitude toward a different culture and language -- and not the cultures and languages themselves -- as Mr. Bowler suggests, that often causes a social abyss.
We travel dangerous territory when we highlight the potential threats that these new immigrants pose to other groups, black or white.
Hispanic advocates and service providers, government entities and the community at large will need to learn how to effectively incorporate these new children in their midst and thus enhance their ability to become better citizens of the world.
Haydee Rodriguez, Baltimore
Marriott took advantage of Md. business climate
Maryland's farcical settlement retaining Marriott headquarters in Bethesda ("Marriott used Va. as ruse to raise Md. bid," March 27) reflects the weakness of our state's business climate. These corporate holdups will continue as long as the state's economic development program is managed by exception -- making concessions under duress to a few powerful robber barons.
Rather, the state should work to provide a good economic climate for all businesses. A notable example would be elimination of the illogical business personal property tax.
David Kirby, Baltimore
Facing reality in the Balkans
I have not been a fan of this president. And although we are the world's most powerful nation, I do not believe we can be the world's police officer.
Nevertheless, I agree fully with President Clinton's actions in Yugoslavia. We have tried to ignore trouble in the Balkans in the past, and that has caused us to be drawn in much more deeply, at much greater cost.
We must not close our eyes to Balkan realities, even if this ultimately requires us to send in ground troops.
Marion Friedman, Baltimore
Stop alcohol abuse of the young and old
Your editorial praising the efforts of Carroll County Public Schools' response to a drinking party emphasized the importance of stopping underage drinking ("Paying price for teen drinking," March 26).
While the school system acted appropriately to hold students accountable for conforming to its standards, the response does not -- and was not intended to -- address the problem of abusive drinking.
The person's age doesn't matter: Abusive drinking corrodes the civility of our society. In almost every case of campus violence, alcohol abuse is present. In bar fights, domestic violence, child abuse, date rape and highway deaths, alcohol abuse is a significant factor. It is too easy to obscure this fact when emphasizing underage drinking.
We have allowed the ballyhoo of stopping underage drinking to lead us away from the awesome life-saving task of preventing and stopping alcohol abuse.
Dorothy Siegel, Baltimore
Pub Date: 3/31/99