OTHER VOICES
Ballot service
I had a remarkable episode in governmental response today. I sent an email inquiry to the Anne Arundel Board of Elections regarding a delay in receiving my absentee ballot.
Within an hour, I got a response noting that my ballot had been rejected for quality reasons and was sent back to the printer. I was told my corrected ballot would arrive within a few days. Wow! Congrats to the board for its quick response and fully telling me what happened.
BOBNEUMAN
Annapolis
JoannaTobin
Joanna Tobin, District 6 Board of Education candidate, is ready towork for all of the students, staff and families of Anne Arundel County Public Schools. She lived in Asia and Africa as a child, and her experience as an educator, Boardmemberand school accreditation team leader makes her a great fit for the BOE.
She is committed to support services for students so that any barriers to learning are addressed. Increasing the diversity of the teaching staff and educating students on the history and contributions of our African and Hispanic neighbors are among her goals. I spoke at length with Joanna last summer after learning of her candidacy and reading her commentaries.
I found her very responsive and well informed on all of the issues that are important to the AACPS community. Joanna has the skills needed tomove our schools forward in the 21st century.
Sharon Boettinger
Annapolis
Actor or leader?
Do we want a leader for our xountry or a cavalier actor who always spouts lines that makehimsound superior? Thereport about President Donald Trump having COVID 19 quickly brought out the sympathy of the world. Even Joe Biden pulled his ads out of empathy for his suffering.
The following days brought out doubts about Trump’s sickness. Was he making light about his virus, trying to be brave? Photo opts didn’t make sense. Not wearing his mask? Not following CDC safety guidelines? Trump had caregivers sign a NonDisclosure Agreement. No wonder hospital health care reportswere vague.
Was Trump really sick or is this just another publicity stunt? His polls needed a boost; needed a rally? The members of the Trump cult did have a car rally outside the hospital making noise and waving signs. Then still under the hospital’s care, Trump had a limo ride around nearby streets, waving to all.
The Capital described Trump’s homecoming:
“He immediately ignited a new controversy declaring despite his illness the nation should not fear the virus that killed over 210,000 Americans and then entered the WhiteHouse without a protective mask….”
“He entered the WhiteHouse, aideswere milling about the Blue Room, without wearing a face covering…. “(Front Page Capital, 10-6-2020)
On Election Day don’t see what Moses sawcoming down the mountain; his followersworshipping a golden calf.
Trump claims we have a great economy. Is that our golden calf? As 20 million children go hungry? Stores closing? Workers losing jobs? Teachers not teaching?
Trump have you no pity? Oh, right! Narcissists don’t have empathy for others, just love for themselves.
The ball is in our court. Willwe vote for a self-serving actor or a devoted leader? ANN-MARINEREMILLARD Millersville
Unprecedented
Add to the list of “unprecedenteds” the editorial published October 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine “Dying in a Leadership Vacuum.” Irrespective of one’s political leanings, it is a painful but necessary read.
Thoseof uswhohave read this journal for decades will find this treatise stunning because it is an almost unheard of sojourn into the political sphere. That the Journal’s editors felt compelled to come forward speaks volumes.
JAMESR. BANKS, M.D.
Arnold
Lawand order
Fortunately, there aremany people in this country who believe in the term of “lawand order.” I fear the phrase itself, however, can be too often used as a “buzzword” without a deeper appreciation. This simplistic term almost completely ignores the Constitutional concept of justice — as applied in today’sworld.
Justice is a transactional term; it can refer to some variation of legality/illegality; guilt/ innocence, fine orno fine. etc.— inwhatever area of the law under consideration. Most importantly, if one studies early U.S. history to any degree, you will quickly realize that justice, or “fair play/fair dealings,” was a critical/permeating issue at that time, in the development of our Constitution/Bill of Rights and yet, even now, it still remains a debatable issue at times.
When you think about it, isn’t that the nature of democracy? The Constitution is a fantastic, fluid, living document.
By its nature, it continually invites/asks for serious discussion and eventual resolution.
Our Founding Fathers, despite diverse interests/ backgrounds, produced a very idealistic governance document that has survived the tests of time, riots and wars, a document based on justice, lawand order— a continual striving for “a more perfect union.”
MIKETRACY
Arnold