2-way bridge traffic a recipe for tragedy
The article about the investigation of last week's tragic Bay Bridge crash had a statement from Marcus L. Brown, chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, that two-way traffic does not appear to have been a factor in the crash ("Two-way traffic likely not factor in bridge pileup," May 12).
The crash was not caused by two-way traffic, but two-way traffic made the potential for multiple fatalities much greater. If a trailer comes disengaged from a vehicle when all traffic is heading the same way, it's going to cause an accident, but if it can go into oncoming traffic when the traffic has no shoulder to swerve into, tragedy is almost certain to occur.
I appreciate the MdTA trying to do its best to make traveling across the bridge as efficient as possible, but with its current traffic pattern, we are sacrificing safety for speed.
As a frequent user of the bridge, I now bear right when approaching it eastbound to avoid the much more dangerous two-way traffic on the northern span. You cannot drive defensively when you have nowhere to go and a drunken driver, a trailer or someone asleep at the wheel comes at you from the other lane.
Mike Johnson
Easton
If doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result each time constitutes insanity, the practice of running two-way traffic on the westbound span of the Bay Bridge is truly insane ("Bridge pileup kills 3," May 11).
How many more people must be killed or seriously injured, and how many more hours-long traffic jams must be endured, before this practice is stopped?
Last week's disastrous accident has been blamed by the authorities on the separation of a trailer from a towing vehicle. Nonsense. This may have triggered the event, but the fact that there is no way to avoid such a minor incident is what turns it into a disaster. Without shoulders or other means to get out of the way of a collision or breakdown, the stage is set for mayhem.
If enough people are inconvenienced over time to create a furor over the congestion resulting from one-way traffic over both spans, maybe those in power will finally come to the only sensible conclusion: building a third span of three lanes to the south of the present eastbound span.
For those on Kent Island who fear worse conditions, this would in fact relieve congestion by getting traffic over the bridge more quickly.
I doubt that Kent Island was a very pretty place during last week's fiasco. Let's hope it was a wake-up call to all concerned.
Al DiCenso
Annapolis
No tears for Falwell, who promoted hate
There are no tears here for the passing of the Rev. Jerry Falwell, who for most of his lifetime spewed and promoted hate with a soft voice and an angelic smile on his face ("Minister led religious shift in '80s," May 16).
How many millions of people were given "God's" permission to hate homosexuals by Mr. Falwell? From his pulpit, he perpetuated, under the guise of compassion and faith, a deep, irrational prejudice that has time and again resulted in violence against people who want nothing more than to be left alone to lead their lives.
Jerry Falwell is dead. Would that his legacy of sugarcoated poison would pass so easily.
Robert P. Marino
Baltimore
Gun control offers no solution to crime
Enough is enough about gun control: It does not work ("U.S. gun-rights theory evolving," May 5).
Can we really believe that if we banned handguns, the public would be safer? Of course not. Criminals would not worry about breaking the law by carrying a handgun.
The argument for banning guns is a feel-good proposal to a growing epidemic.
The only solution that makes sense to me is to let law-abiding citizens have the option of carrying a concealed gun for protection. If criminals have to guess who is carrying a weapon to protect themselves, they would think twice about committing random crimes, including robbery, rape and murder.
Maryland needs to get tough on crime, instead of giving convicted felons their voting rights back ("Felons gain right to vote," April 25).
Let's get the criminals off the street by building bigger prisons to isolate the population that does not want to be part of a law-abiding society.
Scott Simmons
Bel Air
Put flags at half-staff for our fallen troops
Traveling across country a couple of weeks ago, I saw American flags flying at half-staff for the students who were killed at Virginia Tech.
Each time I saw a flag, I was reminded of the terrible tragedy of the deaths of these young people.
I propose that we leave the American flag at half-staff every day all over the country to remind ourselves of the tragedy of the more than 3,390 American men and women who have been killed and those who will be killed in Iraq.
We hear some people say that most Americans are not touched on a daily basis by this war. Then we hear about more deaths of our soldiers and Marines. We see their names on the nightly news with their ages and in some cases with a picture. How young most of them are - how much like the students at Virginia Tech.
Until this war is over, let's leave our flag flying at half-staff in sadness for these young warriors. I think that we owe this gesture of honor to their families and friends.
Joan Cantori
Baltimore
To protect health, stop using pesticides
The report "Breast cancer linked to chemicals" (May 14) is alarming, but comes as no surprise to me. As an environmentalist as well as a breast cancer survivor, I have been following this issue for years.
It is interesting that some of the findings came from the Silent Spring Institute, named for Rachel Carson's book that awakened a nation more than 40 years ago to the deadly effects of pesticides and other chemicals in the environment ("Love, dread drove Carson," April 22).
Although they are probably better regulated today, we continue to use these contaminants in our gardens and in our homes. And even though we may not yet have control over the more than 200 chemicals that scientists say can cause breast cancer, and other cancers, we can surely stop using pesticides that accumulate in animals and humans, and try alternative methods.
Shirley Carl
Towson
Marijuana users loose in community
The editorial about the need to retool the drug war ("What others are saying," May 15) got me thinking about the scourge that is marijuana and all the wretched tokers in this nation. Trust me, I have had the unfortunate opportunity of running into many of these pot-smoking hooligans in my day. You would not believe what these stoners are up to: graduating from college, getting married, raising families, contributing to the community, and most sinful of all, going to church.
Obviously, something needs to be done about these detriments to society. I suggest spending more tax dollars to hunt these drug abusers down, lest they do any more harm.
Dan McKenzie
White Marsh