Exceptions

Most of the opinions on The Sun's editorial page are things I disagree with, although I don't have to keep up good relations with the governor or the current president and administration. Every once in a while you do get it right, but I the believe your view on speed cameras not being pure revenue generators for the government is wrong. It would be nice to know who writes some of this drivel. Craig Garfield, Ellicott City

Americans should be thankful that the values that define America - personal liberty and individual pursuit of happiness - are increasingly embraced around the globe. The Arab Spring and upheavals in Russia are affirmations that even more of humanity finds hope in democracy. The remarkable economic progress of Brazil, China and others are tangible proof of the power of individual enterprise and ambition. For much of the last century, America has used its wealth to promote those values and build international institutions supporting them, and we are succeeding.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh is very cautious about saying anything that might be regarded or interpreted as criticism of officiating. So it's no surprise that Harbaugh declined to air his thoughts on inside linebacker Ray Lewis' helmet-to-helmet hit on Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward that didn't get flagged or Pittsburgh free safety Ryan Clark's helmet-to-helmet hit on tight end Ed Dickson that did get called. “I'm probably not going to get into that conversation right now,” Harbaugh said the day after the Ravens stunned the Steelers, 23-20, Sunday night.

On an afternoon in early October, I sat in a pew in an old church and took in Mass. A woman dressed all in white sang a soothing hymn, and then a priest in an intricate, green robe read from a prepared sermon; behind him, an imposing pipe organ dominated the sparsely-crowded room. I didn't understand a word. The service, the song, the Bible - everything was in French. This was the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, a nearly 200-year-old gem that's been the site of state funerals and, perhaps as notable, Celine Dion's wedding.

That 12-day lag time notwithstanding, Mike Whan acknowledges it wasn't a tough call to welcome Lexi Thompson as the LPGA's youngest member in 44 years. The commissioner's pivotal decision actually had come in June, when Thompson was given the green light to enter the LPGA's qualifying process at age 16. That's when Whan determined the Florida teen would be treated as any 18-and-older hopeful. When Thompson won her way into the tour's record book by capturing the Navistar LPGA Classic, it simply eliminated the intermediate steps.

On Tuesday night, professional ice hockey was back in Baltimore for the first time since 1997. However, the ice -- which is kind of a key ingredient in ice hockey -- didn't hold up well inside of a steamy 1st Mariner Arena as the Nashville Predators shut out the Washington Capitals, 2-0, in the inaugural Baltimore Hockey Classic. Outside of Baltimore, which sold out the event, the story line was the slushy ice conditions . It affected the quality of play on the ice, and after the game, several players admitted that they were worried about safety.

What an event Baltimore put on this past weekend! I'm living in Wisconsin now, and let me tell you Baltimore shined in more ways then one with the Grand Prix. I was in a local watering hole watching the race and was amazed at the comments the people were making about Baltimore, all positive. It made me proud to say I am from Baltimore, and everyone in the bar knew that. The views from the TV standpoint were awesome. I'm hoping next year I will be there and try to make this an annual event to attend.

As much of the region continues to recover from closed roads, downed power lines and other remnants of Hurricane Irene, Carroll County Public Schools officials said Monday that the school system will open tomorrow, Tuesday, August 30, on time and as scheduled - with two exceptions. Hampstead Elementary School and Century High School will not open on Tuesday due to power outages at those two schools, according to school system officials. There was no immediate word on when they would open.

America is a little like my eldest son. In ninth grade, at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds., Brendan was big man on campus, physically dominating senior ballplayers. Due to his savvy, size and confidence, he was given charge of older restaurant employees where he worked. "I'm kind of a big deal," he used to say. Unfortunately, at 16, Brendan's brashness and sense of invulnerability led to several serious auto accidents. Thankfully, Brendan escaped major injuries. However, his insurance premiums skyrocketed, while our trust in his forays outside home turf plummeted.

The Court of Appeals’ decision to allow anonymous juries in criminal trials when a judge believes juror safety, harassment or tampering is a concern is a good one, but its application should be strictly limited. We appreciate the views of Chief Judge Robert M. Bell, the sole dissenting vote on the issue, who said he has a philosophical problem with anonymous juries, particularly in death penalty cases. The hallmark of our justice system is its openness. We consider the application of our laws as a matter of public interest and one deserving of public scrutiny, and allowing criminal suspects to be judged by anonymous individuals runs fundamentally counter to that notion.