Students (and their robots) electrify at Chesapeake High

Over the past weekend, a FIRST Chesapeake Robotics Competition — a STEM-promoting contest involving 25-to-30 teams that design, program and build robots — was held at Chesapeake High School. Over two days, the robotic teams electrified their robots and audiences. More than 400 teens created the robots and instructed them to twist and turn.

The teenagers were a positive mirror of our society. There was excitement, enthusiasm and cheering. There was absolutely no aggression or hostility on the field or in the stands. It was a very safe and encouraging event. Every teenage robot participant, supervisor, friend and family should be proud of the exciting and positive example.

— Terren M. Himelfarb, Pikesville

Maryland would profit from financial literacy

Great commentary in The Baltimore Sun on financial literacy (“Americans lack financial literacy needed for the new economy,” March 12). I wish members of the Maryland General Assembly would read that opinion piece and finally pass legislation requiring a high school course on financial literacy. As mentioned on these pages numerous times before, bills submitted on this topic often never get out of House and Senate committees, blocked 100% of the time by Democrats and approved 100% by Republicans. Maybe Maryland wouldn’t be in a $3.3 billion deficit if Gov. Wes Moore and state lawmakers had taken a financial literacy course in high school.

— Richard T. Webb, Parkton

Citizens arrests help when police are spread thin

I frankly applaud the actions of the bystanders who made a group citizens’ arrest of the two 15-year-olds who were suspected of robbing a local convenience store (“Baltimore police say bystanders thwart robbery by teens in Riverside neighborhood,” March 11).

It is a risky action but legal in Maryland. Such actions can be more effective in apprehending criminal suspects than notifying, waiting for, and hoping for a timely response from the police. Often, we only hear about the report of a robbery after police have intervened, however. This is why I find the quote attributed to former Baltimore Police Deputy Commissioner Jason Johnson, who now serves as president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, a bit pie-in-the-sky and confusing to say the least. He says he wants “a situation where we can rely on the government to do it for us.” By “government” I assume he means the police, and what the word “situation” is referencing escapes me.

Discouraging citizens arrests will likely cause an increase in neighborhood crime.

— Jim Giza, Baltimore

Rep. Elfreth already proving herself a strong advocate

Why am I not surprised that U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth’s first bill introduced in Congress is the Protect Our Probationary Employees Act (“Rep. Sarah Elfreth: Federal workers’ contributions don’t go unseen,” March 13)? I first met her at the Annapolis High School cafeteria in her initial bid to be my state senator. Even though Elfreth was the youngest woman elected to the position, she sponsored 84 bipartisan bills.

I had the pleasure of meeting her again at a neighbor’s fundraiser prior to the 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary. I asked her about all the out-of-state funding her competitor was receiving. She refused to take the bait and speak ill of her fellow Democrat. Sarah speaks in thoughtful, measured tones that oft times belie her strong convictions. Her constituents are fortunate to have a strong advocate who is bound to rise among the ranks.

— Eric Greene, Annapolis

Single-use plastics a serious environmental threat

Single-use plastics like drinking straws don’t dissolve over years. Instead, they gradually crumble into tiny pieces of debris. Imagine marine birds or your local birds mistaking these brightly colored and scented plastics for nutritious food, leading to starvation, cuts and a horrific death (“Trump brings back plastic straws, says paper straws ‘explode’: What to know,” Feb. 12). Microplastics found in these struggling birds have been discovered to alter their gut microbiome by introducing zoonotic pathogens which are bacteria and parasites transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa. Birds play a crucial role in their ecosystems, carrying out essential functions like insect control, pollination and serving as a food source for other species. Moreover, these zoonotic pathogens originating from plastic debris pose a health risk because birds can act as reservoirs for these diseases. It is imperative that we combat single-use plastic and prioritize the impact of our single-use culture on the lives of innocent beings.

Reduce, reuse and recycle to stop polluting the stomachs of birds!

— Olivia Mejia, Lusby