Don't let snipers set the tone for public policy
The sniper suspects will now be tried first in Virginia because the death penalty is likely to be imposed there. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft hopes citizens of all jurisdictions support this decision ("Sniper suspects to be tried first in Va. counties," Nov. 8). I do not.
The snipers seem to have been individual predators whose actions were enormously frightening and evil. Their actions displayed humanity at its worst.
Mr. Ashcroft's actions represent the machinery of a so-called civilized, rational society that, no matter its intentions, now mirrors and promotes the very evil it opposes.
If we are to be better than the snipers, it will be because we refuse to do evil in response to evil, because we refuse to let bad people drag us further into badness.
Public policies based upon mercy and reverence for life are a good idea -- not for the sake of the sniper suspects, but for the rest of us. We may never change the likes of the snipers; we may, however, work harder to change ourselves.
John C. Springer
Millers
Laws make Maryland a haven for killers
The big mistake John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo made was to gun down citizens of Virginia, a state with an active and vigorous death penalty ("Sniper suspects to be tried first in Va. counties," Nov. 8).
The lesson for future snipers is clear: If you kill, do it in Maryland.
Maryland's death penalty law is the next best thing to not having one.
Edward Schnaper
Randallstown
Ehrlich was simply the better candidate
In his column "Democrats' identity crisis gave Ehrlich the advantage" (Nov. 7), Michael Olesker, like other liberal pundits, finds all sorts of reasons why Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend's loss was in the wind and characterizes Rep. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. as being in the right place and swept up by this wind.
What Mr. Olesker, The Sun's editorial board and other liberals fail to recognize is that Mr. Ehrlich was simply a much stronger candidate who appealed to a broad cross-section of Marylanders.
And Marylanders were tired of the ugly rhetoric from the Democratic side, aptly summed up by The Sun's endorsement of Ms. Townsend, which shamelessly stated that Michael S. Steele offered nothing to the ticket but the color of his skin ("Townsend for governor," editorial, Nov. 3).
Such two-faced race-baiting -- attempting to brand Mr. Ehrlich as a racist while suggesting his running mate was an Uncle Tom -- was transparent to most Marylanders, and their resentment of such tactics showed at the polls.
Doug Lombardo
Timonium
Both parties play only for power
Michael Olesker, like many others, sees the election results as proof of a two-party system in Maryland ("Democrats' identity crisis gave Ehrlich the advantage," Nov. 7).
Even if that is true, I'm not sure it makes much difference because both Democrats and Republicans practice politics as if it were a football game, with power as the ball.
These are the rules:
When in possession, you control the ball by any means necessary.
When not in possession, you try to take away the ball, by any means necessary.
If you can't take away the ball, you do the next best thing -- try to keep the opposition from scoring any points, by any means necessary.
And the game goes on and on and on.
Ramona B. Ford
Baltimore
The axis of evil appears to grow
If Iraq, North Korea, France, and Russia have the smallpox virus, does this make for an amended "axis of evil" ("Five nations hold smallpox samples," Nov. 5)?
Will the United States and Great Britain send in inspection teams and install no-fly zones in Russia, accompanied by routine bombing raids? Will the U.S.-British coalition use uranium-tipped warheads against the French and push for draconian U.N. sanctions?
Will there be a "vodka for food" program worked out for the former Soviet Union, along with a "brie for medicine" campaign for the French?
Tracy Stott
Baltimore
All illegal aliens should be sent home
The recent letter "Handling of Haitians is discriminatory" (Nov. 5) decries the detention of illegal Haitian immigrants, especially pregnant women, as discriminatory.
I agree. I believe we should return every illegal alien, regardless of their country of origin or womb function.
Sophia Montgomery
Perry Hall
Bring Peale Museum back to Baltimore
"Above all, it is the symbol of Baltimore history."
"When we were growing up, this was something you did with school trips."
"The Peale was part of growing up."
"Every city should have a museum of its history."
These are all quotes from The Sun's recent article about the Peale Museum ("'The symbol of Baltimore history,'" Nov. 4).
Many ordinary people did not attend the special event the article mentioned but feel the Peale should be part of Baltimore again. We may not be school kids, but we value the history it shows.
There must be a way to bring this museum back to the public.
Hermina Dunker
Catonsville
Tossing Granite to the wolves?
Just what part of Baltimore County was the director of the county's Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management talking about ("Balto. Co. saves its open space, protects water," letters, Nov. 3)?
It isn't the thousands of rural acres in the Granite-Greater Patapsco area that are being gobbled up by development and institutional uses.
Sure, the vast north county is being preserved, but Baltimore County has thrown us to the development wolves.
Roz Roddy
Granite
The writer is vice president of the Greater Patapsco Community Association.
State overwhelmed by unsightly debris
"Trashing" our state ("Let's stop trashing our lovely state," letters, Oct. 29) is right: We are becoming overwhelmed with debris.
Citizens need to feel guilty about throwing candy wrappers, fast-food wrappers and plastic bottles out of their vehicles. This trash clogs the grates over sewers and ends up in our waterways. And the same debris can be found on our roadways.
What are we going to do about this mess?
A strong anti-litter campaign is needed throughout the state.
Susan Mannion
Baltimore