As a citizen of Baltimore County and an individual who works and socializes in Baltimore, I was most appalled to read the recent article regarding violent crime ("At violent summer's end, weary city grapples with the toll," Aug. 31). There are several reasons for my astonishment at the article, the first being its timing given the influx of tourists into the city for the Grand Prix. It makes no sense to me that The Sun would chose to publish such an article this past weekend.
The second issue that stands out to me is the advertisement money accepted for the gun auction in the same edition where you detail the issues Baltimore faces regarding violence and crime. Reporting on gun violence while advertising the sale of firearms is unethical and ill-advised.
There isn't a major metropolitan city in the United States that doesn't have violence and crime issues similar to those in Baltimore. We appreciate the focus on the positive work done by law enforcement, community watches and social organizations to reduce violence and crime. It seems that there could be more of this type of reporting rather than focusing on the negative.
Barb Trautman