Disrespect

I, like many thousands of Baltimoreans, thoroughly enjoyed the Sailabration events of the last few days. The parade of tall ships, the Blue Angels, the sharing of international cultures, all were a delight to behold. The Inner Harbor never looked more beautiful and was never more infused with energy and excitement. I swelled with civic pride. But this civic pride was completely crushed when I happened upon the9/11 Memorialon Sunday. In an effort to better view the festivities, dozens of people were sitting on the marble slab, walking on top of it, and what is completely appalling, standing on the twisted beams from the World Trade Center.

Will he or won't he? What's a Ravens offseason without some drama surrounding Ed Reed's future? Hours after general manager Ozzie Newsome reiterated that the team expects Reed to be its starting free safety in 2012, the enigmatic future Hall of Famer said in a Wednesday night interview on 105.7 The Fan that he feels disrespected by the Ravens -- enough to make him question playing this season. “I plan on playing. Everybody in the world knows that plans tend to change,” said Reed, who is in the final year of his contract.

I have a question for The Sun: Why are there caricatures of the four Republican candidates for president on the op-ed page instead of their pictures? The accompanying commentaries were sensitive, heartfelt, real sentiments written by supporters of those candidates and deserved more respect than that. Does The Sun think the 2012 election is a joke or perhaps a slam dunk for President Obama? Hopefully by November 2012 The Sun and the Democrats will get the comeuppance they so richly deserve!

Carl Sagan observed: "If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. " And if you wish to comprehend the palpable dynamic that operates between Baltimore fans and their professional football team, you first have to understand the chemical stew of events that long preceded today's NFL playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. It is axiomatic that the home team enjoys some very real advantages in every NFL game. Local players are able to maintain their preparatory routines without the need to add travel to their agenda, and they enjoy familiarity with their surroundings and the game-day environment.

The iconic No. 3 may be back in the Sprint Cup starting lineup one day, a possibility that may send some NASCAR fans into an emotional tizzy. That number belonged to Dale Earnhardt , the late, great Intimidator on the NASCAR circuit. Would it be disrespectful for another driver to drive a car with that number? We may find out soon enough. Austin Dillon — the grandson of Richard Childress — already is set to drive a No. 3 Chevy in the Nationwide Series next season.

When the Ravens opened the third quarter with an 18-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Joe Flacco to tight end Ed Dickson with just 21 seconds elapsed in the second half, conventional wisdom called for Billy Cundiff to kick the extra point. But the team called for a two-point conversion, and holder Sam Koch's saunter into the end zone through the left side of the line put an exclamation point on the Ravens' 35-7 rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The two-pointer was the 23rd such conversion in franchise history and Koch's first of his career, but he insisted that the play was not designed to pour salt in the Steelers' wounds.

The 1989 Texas v. Johnson case invalidated laws against flag desecration in 48 states and the District of Columbia. The American Legion and veterans everywhere were outraged that the court, in a 5-4 ruling, took away a fundamental right of the people to protect their flag - a right possessed since the birth of this nation. For 17 years, the American Legion and the Citizens Flag Alliance, a coalition of more than 140 organizations, have championed the passage of a narrowly drawn Constitutional amendment that would return to the people the right to protect Old Glory.

The remnants of Hurricane Irene are behind the Orioles and New York Yankees, but some strong feelings linger in its wake. The Yankees were not happy about the way the Orioles handled the rescheduling of Saturday's doubleheader — the games were pushed back to Sunday and a 1:05 p.m. contest on a mutual off day Sept. 8 — preferring a day-night doubleheader Friday in anticipation of the storm. The Orioles had just returned from a 10-game road trip and were dealing with news of the death of former player and executive Mike Flanagan and were not about to schedule two games Friday.

I have been following the removal of downtown trees to make way for the Grand Prix with much interest. The entire incident saddens me as much as the removal of a huge number of trees in my community. A member of the board of directors in my development thinks trees are a bother because they get old and sick and die; then they have to be removed. How to deal with that mindset is baffling. I could not even get a return phone call from the representative for Randallstown who works in the Baltimore County Executive's office.

I was dismayed by our county executive's comments regarding the proposed Clarksville Commons project . A few observations are foremost in the mind of this citizen and longtime resident of this area. The Kendalls have been a part of our community longer than our young county executive has been alive. This family hardware business has been the linchpin of Clarksville. The loyalty of their customers is evidenced by the fact that their small, World War II-era-quonset-hut-based store survived a competitive battle with another operator who opened a short distance away in a much larger newer building.