Learning to handle crises of mentally ill
The fatal shooting of a suicidal young man suffering from a bipolar disorder is one example of the kind of tragedies that occur throughout the country when police officers are not given the tools to prepare them to deal with persons with serious mental illness who are in crisis ("Suicidal man fatally shot by police," Aug. 20).
The National Alliance on Mental Illness has long advocated that more police officers be trained to be members of Crisis Intervention Teams who know how to respond properly to the mentally ill.
CIT training gives police officers 40 hours of specialized instruction, including lessons about mental illnesses that teach officers to understand that mental illness is not a crime but a disease.
There are some CIT-trained officers in the Baltimore area.
But, clearly, we need more of this kind of training in Baltimore and throughout the state.
Lynn H. Albizo
Glen Burnie
The writer is executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Maryland.
Gaming could revive Pimlico Race Course
Instead of just focusing on slots, the General Assembly should contemplate the bigger picture ("Two distinct questions," editorial, Aug. 16).
If the state wants to raise dollars for its expenses and to preserve the historic Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, it needs to think outside the box and do more than neighboring states do for racing.
We shouldn't just think about slots but about gaming in general - including card games, roulette, craps and, of course, horse racing.
Let's put this all in one venue at Pimlico Race Course - and do it in an upscale, tasteful way that everyone can enjoy.
Just think how Pimlico could be restored to its past elegance by such a renovation, one that would keep the second jewel of the Triple Crown at its original site.
Some people say, "Who gives a darn about horse racing?"
Well, I care and so should anyone who loves history, horses, the life of racing and the preservation of open space.
Pimlico is the second-oldest race track operating in America.
The Preakness started in 1873, two years before the first Kentucky Derby. It is the only Triple Crown race still run at its original track, and it puts Baltimore on the map.
The city and the state should capitalize on the history, tradition, goodwill and income that can be generated by Preakness and the race track.
The alternative would be to admit that the state doesn't care about the income produced by the Preakness.
And if the state signals that it doesn't value the racing industry, there won't be one.
Betsy Hayes
Baltimore
The writer owns race horses stabled at Pimlico Race Course.
Isn't state lottery enough gambling?
I wholeheartedly agree that saving horse racing in Maryland and legalizing slots are very different issues ("Two distinct questions," editorial, Aug. 16).
Personally, I don't care if the racing industry continues in the state. But I do care about the dangers of slots.
How can we ignore the negative effects of gambling? Isn't the state-run lottery enough gambling, especially as its sales last year topped $1.5 billion?
Just think about the negative social consequences of gambling on individuals and families in the state - and multiply those many times over if slots become legal in Maryland.
Do we really want to go the way other states have gone and make our state's fiscal health depend on an addiction?
I certainly don't.
Judi Keys
Cockeysville
Outsourcing jobs imperils our health
Maybe if American businesses had kept their manufacturing plants in the United States instead of moving production to China ("Rising Tide of Unsafe Imports," Aug. 15), we wouldn't be so fearful for our health and that of our children and pets.
P. Ditzel
Glen Burnie
Fatty foods raise the risk of cancer
As a registered dietitian, I am thrilled that the President's Cancer Panel is finally addressing the impact of obesity on the risk of cancer ("Cancer panel urges raising tobacco taxes," Aug. 17).
This message desperately needs to be heard on Capitol Hill, where Congress continues to subsidize foods that contribute to an increased risk of obesity, cancer and other diseases.
The government still spends billions of dollars funding the production and consumption of sugary foods and high-fat meat and dairy products that contribute to obesity. And obesity is a serious risk factor for cancer.
Fatty foods can also boost the hormones that cause cancer cells to grow. In fact, studies have shown that people who regularly eat red or processed meat are up to 50 percent more likely to develop colon cancer than those who avoid meat.
Following a plant-based diet rich in fruits and vegetables is one of the best defenses against cancer. But these healthy foods receive less than 1 percent of federal food subsidies.
Congress can do a lot more to help Americans prevent cancer, and it should start by cutting subsidies for unhealthy foods.
Jennifer K. Reilly
Washington
The writer is senior nutritionist for the Cancer Project, a nonprofit group that studies the relationship between cancer and diet.
Mechanic always a wrenching sight
The Morris A. Mechanic Theatre's architecture never fit into the Baltimore scene. It was (and is) a big, bulky structure that looks like it belongs in the Arizona desert ("Panel acts to protect the Mechanic," Aug. 15).
It has none of the grace of the Lord Baltimore Hotel, the Belvedere Hotel and the many buildings surrounding Mount Vernon Square.
The Mechanic looked out of place when it was built and it looks out of place today.
The misdirected sentimentality of those who would stand in the way of using a new approach to redevelop the site is not doing the city any favor.
I am all for the preservation of buildings that are worthy of preservation - but not for preservation just because of sentimental fervor.
Marilyn Shapiro
Owings Mills
Mutable mortgages don't defraud buyers
I would like to differ with the writer of the letter that seemed to blame adjustable-rate mortgages for the rise in home loan defaults ("Lenders' greed now hurts homeowners," Aug. 13).
I don't see how any consumer is duped by an adjustable rate mortgage.
The word "adjustable" means, after all, that the interest rate can be changed, usually after three or seven years.
A borrower needs to ask questions about how the possible rise in the interest rate will affect his or her payments.
The ballooning of the interest rate is not unjustified; it is part of the loan contract and the new rate is set by the market at the time the rate is readjusted.
And perhaps someone who has to get an adjustable rate mortgage when interest rates are low because he or she cannot afford a fixed-rate, 30-year home loan just should not own a house.
Jeff Ashton
Perry Hall