Aberdeen water contamination feeds paranoia
As a chemical professional, I was somewhat disturbed to read that the chief of Aberdeen Proving Ground's environmental restoration project is rearranging projects to make perchlorate clean-up a top priority ("Chemical detected in ground water in Aberdeen," June 3).
The official's statements, as well as The Sun's article, accomplished little more than making readers paranoid by making them think that trace amounts of the perchlorate "toxin" were an immediate danger to their drinking water.
But perchlorate is not considered a toxin by any government. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and all 50 states regard perchlorate as a "contaminant" instead, because it does not pose proven adverse affects to humans.
In fact, the only law regulating perchlorate is found in California, where it may not exceed 18 parts per billion (ppb) in drinking water (by comparison, the Aberdeen levels were 5 ppb to 23 ppb).
Preliminary studies do show perchlorate can adversely affect the thyroid; however, The Sun's article omits the fact that it takes concentrations in excess of 500 ppb to affect thyroid function.
The media and the public are always quick to see all chemicals as harmful toxins that are hazardous to our health. In this case, the failure to present all the facts surrounding the perchlorate discovery resulted in blowing the issue out of proportion.
Michael James Asher
Owings Mills
The writer is a chemical engineer.
Despite crackdown, British see gun crime
A couple years ago, the British were disarmed by their own government. America's gun-banners were in heaven, saying, "Watch now how peaceful Britain will become."
Oops. The Sun's article "British police consider carrying guns" (June 2) claims that armed violence is way up. How could that be?
The law-abiding Englishman has been disarmed. Do you think maybe British hooligans don't care about laws? Do you think maybe British brigands know that fellow subjects won't be armed?
The defenseless are always easy marks for predators.
Man is, and always will be, a predatory animal. But I will not willingly be a victim. I may get killed defending myself, but at least I will have the satisfaction of knowing that I tried to do something.
John Doetsch
Baltimore
Founders had no idea about modern guns
Cal Thomas is right on target when he says that we should take the intentions of the framers of the Constitution into account when interpreting the Second Amendment ("Individual gun right grounded in history," Opinion
Commentary, May 22).
The Second Amendment was written before the advent of handguns and assault weapons. Thus, the Founding Fathers' framework was a flintlock weapon.
The right of individuals to own flintlock guns should certainly be preserved.
Julia B. Rauch
Baltimore
Poor marketing hurts convention center
I read the article on our beautiful convention center's woes ("Baltimore built it; they didn't come," June 2), and my comment is that the problem is poor marketing by the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association.
I've been in marketing for almost 30 years in the high-tech arena. Basic marketing is to know your product, and its limitations, define the market your product fits and market that product where it fits.
There should be a large market for conventions that fit the size of our convention center and the hotel accommodations available in the beautiful city of Baltimore; it just takes good old-fashioned hard work to find them and lure them to Baltimore.
This would cost less money than building a larger center to keep up with the Joneses.
Andrew C. Nester
Baltimore
The writer is president and CEO of Pharos Management Inc.
Retaliation killings weren't Israel's goal
Several misstatements appeared in Mark Matthews' recent summary of new U.S. initiatives in the Middle East ("U.S. to offer peace plan for Mideast," May 29).
Mr. Matthews refers to "up to 4 million Palestinian refugees uprooted in 1948 when Israel became a state," but according to a United Nations report issued at the time, 472,000 Palestinian Arabs became refugees in 1948.
Mr. Matthews further characterizes Israel's current incursions into the West Bank as "retaliatory" and aimed at "killings of Palestinians suspected of terrorism."
The Sun's own coverage clearly shows that those incursions have resulted primarily in arrests aimed at preventing further terrorist attacks.
Robert J. Bloch
Baltimore
Sept. 11 was not our darkest day
The writers of the letter "Bush's leadership brightens dark days" (May 28) were mistaken. While the heinous attacks of Sept. 11 were a terrible blow to all of us, it was far from being our darkest day.
Think of the battle at Gettysburg and of the landing at Omaha Beach in France and the subsequent Battle of the Bulge during World War II. And please recall the scene of President Bush making a speech in Normandy, France, on Memorial Day. In the background of that scene were thousand of crosses denoting mostly U.S. soldiers who died during that bloody period.
With those things in mind, it is obvious that we have suffered tragic losses throughout our history.
President Bush summed up our outrage, sorrow and anger in his speeches after Sept. 11. But I do not believe that he has been a brilliant leader in our fight against terrorism.
His response to the dangers facing us, particularly in our homeland, has not been nearly aggressive enough or quick enough in taking action to provide much-needed security.
James M. Beatty
St. Thomas, Pa.
Honor codebreakers, and find the families
I was very pleased to read the National Security Agency (NSA) has finally honored Staff Sgt. Donald G. Hill and Airman 2nd Class Earl W. Radlein Jr. for their service and ultimate sacrifice for their country ("NSA honors fallen codebreakers," May 31).
But the article's last sentence ("The NSA was unable to locate Hill's family") is not in the tradition of the NSA, where I spent more than 30 years of my life. I apologize to the family of Mr. Hill for a job not well done by the NSA.
Robert A. Cloutier
Baltimore
FBI should pay bills of shooting victim
It is inconceivable that a benefit needs to be held to help cover the medical expenses for Joe Schultz, an innocent victim ("Brooklyn Park concert to aid man mistakenly shot by FBI," May 24). Obviously the FBI has not taken responsibility for its reprehensible action.
Carol Glorioso
Baltimore