Bin Laden can hurt us — debt will ruin us

The Examiner’s columnists and editorial writers are consistently and passionately opposed to tax hikes in Maryland. But as with conservatives everywhere, their mantra of “no new taxes, in any amount, for any reason, at any time” is not an expression of philosophy. It is a tantrum.

Conservatives claim to love their country more than anyone else and yet they refuse to pay for the upkeep. They even refuse to pay for the Iraq war, insisting that we put the bill on the national credit card instead. Conservatives used to hate debt as much as they hated the devil, but now that the national debt stands at $30,000 per head, they have changed the subject.

In my opinion, it’s mostly their fault. What conservatives cannot understand is that while Osama bin Laden can hurt us, conservative debt will ruin us.

Daniel Rosen
Baltimore

High-tech weapons ‘bellwether for endless wars to come’

I’m not much of a football fan so I didn’t watch the game on Dec. 1. However, I did wander through the military hardware displayed at the Inner Harbor. While I respect and admire the men and women who serve in our armed forces, I found so many high-tech weapons troublesome.

When President Eisenhower left office he warned of a military-industrial complex that would create deadlier and more expensive weapons, resulting in future wars. Today the American military is stretched thin all over the globe. We have invaded and occupied the Middle East and perhaps planned an attack on Iran as well.

The cost of America’s military might is staggering and will be borne by future generations. If this lethal materiel were truly needed, I wouldn’t be writing, but I fear the high tech stuff on display this weekend is just a bellwether for endless wars to come!

Rosalind Ellis
Baltimore

Examiner spreads PFLAG propaganda

In response to the Nov. 30 “3 Minute Interview” of Colette Roberts of “Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbian and Gays” (PFLAG): I believe The Baltimore Examiner has no business becoming a platform for people who promote the homosexual agenda and who attack the traditional family.

Colette Roberts and PFLAG want to force their immorality on others by indoctrinating and exploiting impressionable children.

What is next? No doubt the promotion of adultery, rape, murder, incest, pedophilia, necrophilia and murder, all of which rank down there with homosexuality.

Start reporting news and stop propagandizing the liberal, secular, immoral agenda which is destroying our once God-fearing Nation.

Ed Connor
Columbia

A plea for wildlife

We, the Ecology Club of Loch Raven High School, write to express our concern about the land destruction occurring along Cromwell Bridge Road.

Beyond the aesthetic loss to one of our area’s most beautiful roads, there are major environmental issues that require attention.

By removing the excessive amount of vegetation along the road, we cannot help but wonder what will become of the surrounding wildlife and what will happen to the quality of the nearby Loch Raven Reservoir.

It was not many years ago that we watched Baltimore County invest millions of dollars into a project, which included work on our school campus, in order to protect streams which flowed into the Chesapeake Bay.

Has BGE taken into consideration the effects of their actions? We foresee problems such as sediment runoff across roads traveled on by school buses and thousands of commuters daily.

Furthermore, tree trunks left to rot may roll down the incredibly steep inclines. In addition, has BGE considered what will happen to the bare soil that is supporting their power lines? As the soil erodes, so does the support for these high-voltage power lines.

Won’t it potentially cost BGE more to repair downed electrical towers than to leave vegetation in place?

Mandi Thommen and Lauren Lurz
The Ecology Club of Loch Raven High School