Control

I can't believe that I actually agree with something President Barack Obama has done. Granted, I'm one of those conservatives who has never subscribed to the full-meal-deal checklist, preferring to critically consider whether each of my positions is the most logical and sensible given the available information and my own values. Usually that process results in coming down on the "right" side of things. In this case, though, I somehow find myself in the odd position of agreeing with Mr. Obama and being rather miffed at his opponents.

The Orioles chose not to think about what may have happened had starter Brian Matusz failed to get out of the first inning last night, and for a couple of anxious minutes, that appeared to be a realistic possibility. Instead, they focused on the three innings that followed Matusz's rocky first, and preceded Delmon Young's go-ahead homer off the southpaw in the fifth. Though the end result was a listless 7-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins, the Orioles took some solace in how their struggling pitcher steadied himself to stay in a game in which he appeared headed for a premature shower.

Just the other night, the local news reported two stabbings. In light of all the recent knee-jerk gun legislation, where is the outrage and legislation for knife control? Knives should be banned. Knife owners need to be licensed and finger printed - so that when someone stabs someone, as happens in Maryland on a regular basis, the police know whom to go after. There should be consistent and fair legislation for such crimes. If there have to be draconian gun laws here, then judging by the news there should also be equally strict knife control laws in Maryland.

The state of California treats all businesses as necessary evils and treat those of us in the gun business as simply evil. It makes it very clear that it doesn't want us there. Beretta is now considering moving 400 jobs out of Maryland for the same reason ("Gun control draws more than 2,000 to Annapolis," March 2). Recall that the company already moved a warehouse to Virginia in 1990 when Maryland tightened gun laws. Why would the General Assembly knowingly force out legitimate businesses and jobs from Maryland?

Church officials and other religious-based groups are gearing up to fight an order by the Obama administration that they include birth control in employee health plans — a requirement some say could threaten the protection of other moral beliefs and practices. "Most civilized nations have allowed deeply held convictions by religious groups in these areas to be respected. I don't know why our president is not doing so after speaking [Tuesday] night so wonderfully about compromise and all of us working together and joining together," Cardinal-designate Edwin F. O'Brien, leader of the Baltimore archdiocese since 2007, said Wednesday.

How low will President Barack Obama go, using children and parents of murdered children from Sandy Hook as props to give a speech about gun control ("Obama pledges fight for gun laws," Jan. 17)? Why has he protected the people that work for him from the public finding out about Fast and Furious and who made the decision to let thousands of guns go to Mexico without a way of tracking them? Joe Heming Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

It seems that gun control should be a no-brainer. Our city and other communities across this country have recently seen the tragic results of the misuse of guns by ordinary citizens, including by young teens. When I was a growing up in Baltimore people felt safe. We went out alone at night; I often went to the library alone after dark at age 10. We never heard about shootings. They seemed to be only in cowboy movies. The availability of guns to any two-legged creature who could talk changed all that.

I just don't get it! I certainly understand the viewpoint of the Catholic Church regarding birth control and abortion, and it is their right to religious freedom to believe as they wish. However, just making birth control available to their employees does not make any woman use them. This is the choice each woman has to make. This is her religious freedom. To spout that the government is taking away religious freedom is ridiculous! It is they who are taking away the freedom from women to their own privacy and the freedom to take control of their bodies.

Instead of "People, not politicians killed gun control," Doyle McManus should have titled his July 27 op-ed "people and politicians reduce crime in America. " Not until the middle of his commentary does he admit that crime is down, and he attributes the lack of interest in gun control to this fact. But he does not say, or ignores the fact that, crime is down because of the increase in gun permits allowed by at least 35 states. As a newspaper columnist, he could have discovered this by reading John Lott's book, "More Guns, Less Crime.

The Sun's article on Catholic bishops' opposition to the Obama administration's requirement that religious schools and hospitals include contraceptives in their health insurance plans was one-sided and unfair ("Obama's 'accommodation' wins support in birth-control debate," Feb. 11). First, providing birth-control to people without proven medical conditions is a pure "give away" of precious medical funds. If this plan is reasonable, why not support "public/private safety" by providing everyone with cell phones?