Bromwells' plea blocks real justice
The article "Bromwell plea deal" (July 21) shows what a farce our judicial system is.
Former state Sen. Thomas L. Bromwell Sr. and his wife, Mary Patricia Bromwell, stole hundreds of thousands in illegal profits and kickbacks, and yet despite what The Sun calls the "mountain of evidence" against Mr. Bromwell, he and his wife were allowed to cop a plea.
Mr. Bromwell will probably go to a cushy federal prison for a few years and his wife will stay home with the kids. Neither will be required "to provide any details to authorities about other possible crimes that might implicate public officials," The Sun reported.
The article also made no mention of fines for the Bromwells or what will be done about the taxpayer dollars that were lost.
It just goes to prove that in Maryland, the rich and politically connected are treated differently from average citizens.
Kurt S. Willem
Hydes
Young prostitutes are victims of abuse
I was struck by the details in a recent article about the missing evidence in the case of a police officer accused of raping a detainee ("2nd missing-evidence case in year," July 18).
The article notes that the officer's 16-year-old accuser "had been arrested on an open Baltimore County warrant for prostitution."
A minor was arrested for prostitution?
Although a 16-year-old may technically be at the legal age of consent, I find it appalling that minors in this situation would be treated as criminals.
Child prostitutes should be treated as victims of rape and child sexual abuse and be offered appropriate supportive services.
I hope The Sun will delve further into this issue.
Emma Williams
Baltimore
Impeachment only way to control Bush
I applaud The Sun's recent editorials on the growing threat to our democracy posed by the Bush administration.
But the one thing missing from Saturday's editorial "A terrible precedent" (July 21) was the word impeachment.
By declaring last week, in effect, that his administration is unaccountable to Congress, Mr. Bush has left no other option.
But with Democrats terrified of the Republican right-wing propaganda machine that has brought down Sen. John Kerry and Dan Rather, among others, and Republicans putting party loyalty over loyalty to country, the only hope for our country is that the public will demand impeachment.
And this can happen only if the media start using that word - impeachment.
Larry Brooks
Phoenix
Claims of privilege must be challenged
The Sun's editorial "A terrible precedent" (July 21) is right: The White House must promptly resolve its dispute with Congress over disclosing information about the dismissal of U. S. attorneys.
If the White House continues asserting executive privilege, Congress must force the issue to prevent the president's refusal to disclose information from creating a terrible precedent that will undermine our system of checks and balances.
Carl Tobias
Richmond, Va.
The writer is a professor of law at the University of Richmond.
No basis to blame Bush for insecurity
In his column "Bush also earns low marks for economic policy" (Opinion
Commentary, July 18), Thomas F. Schaller complains that President Bush is mishandling the economy because workers are anxious about the future, household debt is on the rise and household incomes are dropping.
Exactly what the president should have done to avoid these catastrophes is absent from Mr. Schaller's argument, as well exactly what the president should do to fix them.
Mr. Schaller seems simply to start with the premise that Mr. Bush is the cause of all the evil in the world and then look for facts that support this idea and ignore facts that refute it.
Michael Ries
Columbia
Refocus our efforts on making peace
I find it frightening that even "largely symbolic" proposals, such as the plan pushed by Sens. John W. Warner and Richard G. Lugar that was described in "New dissent on war in GOP" (July 14), involve goals for Iraq that are essentially unrealistic.
For instance, how can we expect our soldiers to guard the borders of Iraq, mount counterterrorism operations and protect U.S. personnel when we Americans are unable to guard our own borders and still are largely unprotected from terrorist attacks here at home?
President Bush admits that "most Iraqis want to live in peace," but he seems to have missed the history class where he would have learned that war never creates peace.
Mr. Bush does not need to "refocus" military operations in Iraq. He needs instead to focus on peacemaking and peacekeeping efforts - since I believe that most Americans want to live in peace as well.
Melissa McDonald
Baltimore
Developers get rich as citizens struggle
Will somebody tell me where the justice is in the fact that H&S; Properties Development Corp. is likely to get a $33 million tax break on its Harbor East development when I have recently received a 17 percent increase in the tax assessment on my house ("Big tax breaks appear close for Harbor East development," July 20)?
It's only a matter of time before the surge of residents moving into the city reverses itself as people wake up and realize that they're being taken advantage of by developers and city government.
Daniel Kuc
Baltimore
Find a new berth for the Constellation
The architects recommending moving the Constellation have a fine idea ("Proposal for Constellation rocks the boat," July 16).
The revered old ship's current berth is in a congested location that prevents a clear view of the ship - with the sightlines blocked by the surrounding structures.
On one side, an ugly, inadequate visitors building - part store, part museum and part administrative offices - blocks our view of the ship.
The Constellation should be located in a place where its glorious presence would complement the ship's historic past.
She is not just an artifact, tourist stop or a catering facility. Like Fort McHenry, the ship is a national shrine.
The administrators of the Constellation acknowledge the limitations of its current berth.
They seek funding now for a new building to replace the visitors building. But a new building at that site would only add to the congestion around the ship.
Several alternative waterside locations would serve to better display the ship from the land and the harbor.
A berth on the pier of the Living Classrooms Foundation's new maritime facility in Fells Point would be as perfect a site as we could find.
As a bonus, that facility has ample museum space to accommodate the artifact collection of the Constellation Foundation.
Or there are several other fine locations for the ship near vacant Fells Point area piers.
Geoffrey M. Footner
Baltimore