Baltimore still recalls the day that lives in infamy

As a World War II U.S. Navy veteran, I would like to amplify a recent photo that appeared in The Baltimore Sun. It shows the annual ceremony remembering the Japanese peacetime attack on the Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941.

The Baltimore St. Andrew’s Society member and the accompanying Coast Guard Color Guard member are aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter now in the Inner Harbor that helped repel the attack. The ship’s bell is rung once for each of our battleships sunk as the memorial wreath is dropped in the Inner Harbor.

And, as the father of a professional photographer, I would like to commend your photographer Barbara Haddock Taylor for the most beautifully composed photo I’ve ever seen (“Retro Baltimore: Maryland’s response to Pearl Harbor attack, start of war,” Dec. 10).

— John C. Weiss, Jr., Baltimore

Consider a seasonal gift to your local library

As the year winds down and those of you able to contribute to your favorite nonprofits, ponder a donation to your favorite library system (“Howard County Council discusses next steps for new Columbia central library branch,” Nov. 14). Libraries are not just books, they are chock full of information, enjoyable pastimes and contain a vast array of interests.

Did you know you can learn how to play a musical instrument, search for a job, research genealogy, learn to sew, meet a favorite author and attend all types of classes with your young child? That’s just a sampling of what’s behind those entrance doors and these offerings are free to the public!

Please consider a contribution. The spirit of philanthropy is contagious and begins with each of us to create better communities. Happy holidays to all!

— Carolyn K. Lambdin, Bel Air

The writer is past president and an emeritus board member of the Harford County Public Library Foundation.

For a healthier, lower carbon holiday, Santa Claus says go meatless

This year, Santa Claus is embracing the spirit of giving in a new way — he’s gone vegan! After centuries of milk and cookies, he’s apparently decided it’s time to swap dairy for creamy oat or almond milk and enjoy plant-based cookies. His decision is about more than snacks. I understand he’s also retiring his reindeer and upgrading to an eco-friendly electric sleigh to reduce his carbon footprint and give his hardworking friends the peaceful life they deserve (“The Mayor’s Christmas Parade 2024,” Dec. 8).

Going vegan improves health, helps fight climate change, and saves thousands of animals each year. It’s a gift to oneself, the planet, and all living beings. If Santa can make this change, anyone can!

This Christmas, Saint Nick will be spreading compassion along with cheer — and he hopes others will join him in creating a kinder world. It’s easier than ever to go vegan.

Warm wishes for a joyful and compassionate season!

— Bob Cartier, Rockville

Homicide count below 200 is closer to the norm

The Baltimore Sun Editorial Board recently opined that they must acknowledge Mayor Brandon Scott’s successes “including a significant drop in homicides that — fingers crossed — will total fewer than 200 this year if trends hold. That was unimaginable a decade ago” (“What if Baltimore had more Brandon Scotts?” Dec. 7).

Baltimore with fewer than 200 homicides would have been unimaginable two years ago when the city recorded over 300 homicides for eight years in a row (from 2015 to 2022) and also unimaginable last year when the number of homicides dropped to 262, below 300 for the first time since 2015. However, exactly a decade ago, (in 2014) Baltimore recorded 211 homicides for the entire year based on data compiled by The Sun.

What would have been unimaginable and unfathomable to city politicians and residents in 2014 is not a number of homicides under 200 in a year but a number over 300 annually — a number Baltimore reached in 2015 and sustained through 2022! Three hundred homicides became the norm in Baltimore between 2015 and 2022, but before 2015, it was a number well below what the city was averaging.

We became so accustomed to 300 homicides from 2015 to 2022 that we forgot how high that 300 number was compared to our recent past.

— Mark Fenster, Baltimore

Nuclear power offers the means to fight climate change

If the United States was truly interested in challenging climate change, nuclear power is the answer (“Vision and resolve will power Maryland’s energy future,” Dec. 9).

Wind and solar power are nice, but a very small part of the answer. Besides being efficient, nuclear power plants take up a whole lot less space than wind and solar farms.

— Lyle Rescott, Marriottsville