Why pay for stadium upgrades with public funds?

Handouts to the millionaire owners of the Orioles and Ravens are way out of hand (“Orioles to construct premium home plate club by 2026, relocate press box,” June 11). Why do average working citizens have to pay for things to help attract fans to put more money into the pockets of the millionaire owners whether through borrowing financed with lottery revenue or any other public source?

It is bad enough we built the two veritable palaces for them to play in, we have to constantly be billed more to improve them to maybe attract a few more fans. The cost of these improvements should be added to ticket prices. I bet about 90% of Maryland taxpayers never set foot in either Oriole Park at Camden Yards or M&T Bank Stadium. With the O’s playing so poorly (they are about the worst team in baseball) and the fear of going downtown, there really isn’t any reason for improvements.

Most of my friends never go downtown anymore including me.

Another ripoff is we have to pay for a new Pimlico Race Course, another place most of us will ever go.

— Joe Heldmann, Catonsville

Massive bombings won’t herald peace

History shows violence begets violence. Yet President Donald Trump has said the massive bombing of Iran by Israel was “excellent” and a successful attack that he knew about in advance (“Israel’s attack on Iran was years in the making. How did they get here?” June 13).

Only when all sides lay down their weapons and sit and talk 20 times more about what they have in common will they build a solid foundation for the future of all. This is because what they have in common is much greater than their differences.

A career military officer who studies history once said that he could not find any significant period of peace in the written history of mankind. The possibility of nuclear war threatens the survival of humanity. The United States has 1,700 nuclear weapons ready to fire. Now is the time to work toward world peace.

— Donald Simon, Cambridge

Angels among us

I have an idea for our readers that may be of interest. I call it “Angels Among Us.”

Readers should tell their stories of when an “angel” has touched their lives. We’ve had several such experiences ourselves. One happened to us in Ocean City. We rented a place, sight unseen, to be near where one of our daughters was staying. When we arrived and opened the front door, there was a flight of stairs staring at us. We had suitcases, sheets and towels, a box of foodstuff for the week, etc, etc. This was daunting to us as we are elderly and didn’t think we could carry all our stuff upstairs.

Just then, a young man in his teens came around the building and we asked him if he would like to make a few bucks. He said yes and helped us carry everything up those stairs. We gave him some money, he went on his way and we never saw him again. He was our angel that day. A similar incident happened in Ocean City, again when we were unloading our car near the elevator to a rental unit. A young West Virginia University student came across the parking lot and asked if we needed help. Of course, we said yes. He unloaded the trunk, went up on the elevator with us, found our unit and carried everything inside. We had to force money on him. We never saw him again, but he was our angel that day.

I think we all have angels among us, but we don’t recognize them. When people have unexpectedly assisted us at different times, I have said, “You are my angel today.” Most have loved hearing that. I’m sure, with encouragement, there is a trove of angel stories that readers could share in the paper.

Have you experienced an “Angel Among Us”?

— Loni Reynolds, Baltimore