If You’re Really Worried About the Children, Gay Parents Should Be Pretty Low on Your List

The idea that every child needs a mother and a father in order to be properly raised is belied by thousands of years of reality. Historically, women have raised children on their own, through no fault of their own, but because their husbands fought in wars, warred in bars, or were killed by bears, leaving wives raising the children for long periods of time if not permanently. Conversely, men raised children on their own before modern medicine, when the main cause of death for a woman was childbirth. If one parent of one sex can do this, how much better would two parents be, whatever their sexes?

Regarding the child testifying about the benefits of being raised by a mother and a father (“It’s Not Over,” Feature, Feb. 29), her testimony no more supports the benefits of heterosexual parenting than an abused child’s testimony against a mother and father proves that heterosexual parenting is bad. A fact that is mysteriously ignored in the debate over homosexual parenting is sex itself. Those so opposed to homosexuality should get their minds out of the gutter and their noses out of someone else’s business, and leave the children or potential children to loving people alone.

If they really want to help children, use their prodigious effort and energy to actually do that. Here’s some suggestions: abused children; children of addicts; children with no health insurance; children of those paid less than a living wage; children of foreclosures; abandoned children; children of deportees; children without proper food, shelter, and education; disabled children; children with chronic or terminal diseases; children of war; children of famine. And let each of us remember that somewhere in our individual ancestry there is no doubt some group of people that persecuted our lineage for some reason or another. Stop being that person.

Sharon Price

Baltimore

A Perpetrator-less Crime?

Regarding your article in the Feb. 29 issue, “Smoked Out” (Mobtown Beat), if marijuana was legal, none of this would be an issue. Jeremy Landsman would be considered a successful entrepreneur. Instead, the law-enforcement community is exposing him as the face of all that is criminally evil. Who’s the perpetrator of criminal activity in this scenario, after all? Where is all of this confiscated drug money going? How much of the taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars is being spent on this investigation? Someone should do an investigative piece on this. Perhaps City Paper could do a followup, please?

If marijuana was legal, an ideal scenario would be that Landsman’s marijuana business venture would create more jobs, he would be paying taxes on resulting gains, marijuana would be readily available for medical and recreational use, and perhaps Mr. Landsman would rank high among some of Baltimore’s most successful philanthropists. Furthermore, City Paper would be writing about Landsman’s successes instead of his shortcomings.

Julia Dietz

Baltimore

Editor Lee Gardner responds: For the record, the story in question reported on alleged criminal activity, alleged drug money, an alleged marijuana business, and alleged shortcomings. Jeremy Landsman has not been convicted of any charges in this case.

History a Highlight

I wanted to reach out and say that I very much enjoyed the article by Andrea Appleton about the collection of civil rights material at the Maryland Historical Society (“At the Source,” Feature, Feb. 22). While attending Towson University, I spent two semesters at MdHS receiving internship credit. While there, I helped to curate an oral history exhibit on this very material. I sifted through the photographs as well as the oral histories, and often spent time doing my own research on where the photographs originated from. The collection is something that I was truly intrigued by and still recollect on today.

I often mention to friends and family about my experience with the collection as it was very eye-opening. We were one of few cities to riot after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination making national headlines. I learned much about the city that I grew up in that many other Baltimoreans are unaware of. Thank you for highlighting this, and I would love to see more articles like this in the future. What a rich history Baltimore truly has! Thank you.

Clare Elliott

Baltimore

Correction: Last week’s review of Meli (Free Range, Feb. 29) mistakenly identified the executive chef as Patrick Morrow. Morrow has not worked at the restaurant since late 2011; Meli’s current executive chef is Audiel Vera. City Paper regrets the error.