Ravens aren’t serious about ‘zero tolerance’

The Baltimore Ravens’ “zero tolerance policy” regarding their players’ off-field behavior is a joke (“Ravens draft Marshall’s Mike Green, who has denied sexual assault allegations,” April 26). There appear to be zero lessons learned after the Ray Rice sexual assault incident and the numerous massage parlor employee allegations against Justin Tucker.s

Recently, the Ravens used their second round pick in the National Football League draft on Mike Green who has a history of sexual assault allegations against him at both the high school and college level. In addition, the off-field antics of former players like Shannon Sharpe and Terrell Suggs continue to reflect badly on the Ravens organization.

Let’s be clear. If you are a talented football player, the Ravens could care less about your personal issues.

— Glenn Fuller, Laurel

Trump-CBS settlement a sad milestone in corruption

The pending settlement between President Donald Trump and Paramount Global/CBS is completely corrupt (“Trump, Paramount reportedly close to a settlement in $20 billion CBS lawsuit,” May 1). Trump filed a frivolous lawsuit seeking monetary damages against a news organization, complaining about how “60 Minutes” edited an interview with U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, his political opponent in the recent election. He seeks billions of dollars and it seems CBS is prepared to settle the case by paying Trump millions.

Even if the program’s producers erred, Trump was hardly damaged as he handily won the election. Moreover, there is the little matter of the First Amendment which plainly protects news coverage of a political campaign. No court would award monetary damages in these circumstances and no court would allow a political candidate to attack the free press in this fashion.

Yet a financial settlement is looming. Not because the case has any merit, but because Paramount Global, parent of CBS, needs federal government approval of a pending merger. So, Paramount fears Trump’s Federal Communications Commission will hold up the merger unless CBS settles the case and pays Trump millions of dollars. The corruption is obvious and it is shocking this is occurring. A monetary settlement will be an undeserved windfall to Trump and will encourage other similar lawsuits. Trump is already complaining he was defamed in media reports about his Ukraine comments. There doesn’t seem to be very much public outrage over this pending settlement which is a sad commentary on how far our national ethics have eroded.

— Dennis W. Carroll, Towson

Saving AmeriCorps is a worthy fight

Kudos to Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown for joining other state attorneys general, Gov. Wes Moore, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in a lawsuit opposing the Trump administration’s irrational decision to kill the AmeriCorps program (“Maryland AmeriCorps members face challenges under Trump cuts,” May 2). I speak with firsthand experience as I served in 1993 as the first campus director of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps at the U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground.

If President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency zealots think they’re terminating a hazy, bureaucratic, inside-the-beltway boondoggle, it only shows they didn’t take the time to learn about AmeriCorps and its value to more than a thousand communities across are country.

Who is doing the sweat equity, volunteer, national and community service work? It’s local Big Brothers Big Sisters programs, Boys and Girls Clubs, Goodwill Industries, Catholic Charities, Habitat for Humanity, Easter Seals, Girls Scouts, United Way, Teach for America and many other community-based nonprofit organizations that do disaster relief, environmental restoration projects, drug prevention, public safety and other essential work. I suggest any headline using the word “cuts” underplays the severity of what the administration is attempting to do. A quick review of the legislative tracker created by the staff of the Democratic House and Senate Appropriations shows the real actions are cancellations and terminations, not funding reductions.

I served on the Maryland Commission on Service and Volunteerism under Governors Parris Glendening, Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Martin O’Malley. AmeriCorps funds important, cost-effective programs in Maryland like Civic Works in Baltimore and environmental projects that protect our shorelines and forests.

AmeriCorps and its National Civilian Community Corps should be funded, not killed.

— Don Mathis, Havre de Grace