Let grocers sell alcohol — and any other legal substance

For Pete’s sake, if liquor stores can sell potato chips, why can’t grocery stores sell liquor — and if an auto parts shop wants to sell jewelry too, who cares (“Grocery stores and alcohol don’t mix,” Jan. 2)? Any retailer should be allowed to sell any legal product it wants to. Furthermore, any restaurant that wants to serve alcohol should be allowed to until proven unworthy.

Licensing and restrictions do more to stifle competition, limit freedom, raise prices and encourage corruption among those granting the licenses than they do to “protect” us.

— Dave Reich, Perry Hall

Never assume everyone has a cellphone

I agree with a recent letter writer’s criticism regarding the use of a QR code for a trash and recycling pickup schedule because Baltimore County government should never assume everyone owns a cell phone (“Hey, Baltimore County, trash the QR codes,” Jan. 2).

— Sean Bender, Nottingham

Vaccine lessons learned (foolishly rejected by some)

Thanks to Dan Rodricks for reminding us of how critical vaccines are to public health (“Dan Rodricks: Given RFK Jr.’s nomination as health secretary, a memoir of polio and the vaccine that saved millions,” Jan. 2). And extra thanks to former Maryland Department of Disabilities Secretary Catherine Raggio for telling her story.

I remember the polio vaccine I received in the 1950s and am grateful for it. I’m equally grateful for the COVID vaccines that have helped keep the grim reaper from my door in the 2020s. Imagine the pain and suffering if more parents ignore science and refuse to inoculate their children against tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles and rubella.

I had the honor of working with Cathy Raggio for many years and know her to be a fierce and effective advocate for people with disabilities. I’m glad she’s still at it.

— Herb Cromwell, Catonsville

Plenty of roadblocks ahead for Trump’s costly deportations

I am not surprised to read of the America First Legal threat to Howard County Executive Calvin Ball over potential failure of the county to assist with President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan (“Howard County gets legal warning from Trump ally over immigration enforcement,” Jan. 1). Trump’s promises to quickly deport as many as 15 million undocumented individuals on Day One sound tough but face a rocky road ahead.

The Trump administration will need to quickly recruit and train tens of thousands of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and immigration judges and will need local law enforcement, National Guard and federal troops to assist in the deportation process which is likely to draw strong opposition at the state and local level, especially in so-called sanctuary jurisdictions.

One can expect fierce resistance at the local and state level to roundups, internments and deportations, as well as resistance by foreign countries to agree to accept deportees.

The Trump administration will need congressional approval to implement its deportation plan, potentially leading to all-out battles in Congress and will face drawn-out legal challenges by individuals and local jurisdictions all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Don’t be surprised to see Trump resort to unlawful or unconstitutional executive actions to drive the deportation process which, according to the American Immigration Council, could take at least a decade and cost $315 billion.

Stay tuned.

— Beryl Rosenstein, Pikesville