Letter

Researchers hailed the Supreme Court ruling Wednesday that bans the patenting of human DNA, saying it would expand access to genetic testing for disease at lower cost to patients. In a unanimous decision, the justices said Myriad Genetics did not have exclusive rights to the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes that are linked to significantly greater risk for breast cancer and thus should not be the only company allowed to test for it. "Myriad did not create anything," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for his fellow justices.

A little career advice ("Superintendent tells pupils ... " in the June 15 issue of Towson Times) for sixth-graders? Can we please let these students be kids for a few more years? Sixth-grade really is not the time to burden youngsters with concerns about their future; now is the time for them to enjoy being kids, enjoy learning, explore their world. Dallas Dance states that he thought about his future career while in high school, not middle school. We are burdening our children, making them anxious about how to afford higher education; how to set themselves up for careers.

The penultimate episode of “Game of Throne's” third season was about despair, the kind of soul-crushing despair that only a horror like the Red Wedding could bring about.   But the season finale was about hope -- hope in the form of Daenerys Targaryen, the last of her name, who has emerged as the show's conqueror and abolitionist. As a bloody civil war tears Westeros apart, Daenerys has freed the slaves of multiple cities in Essos, that continent to the east full of warlocks, Dothraki nomads and mysterious sellswords.

I take exception to Councilman David Marks' article published in your paper May 15. He stated that the building boom in Towson would "transform this suburban county seat into one of the most dynamic cosmopolitan communities in Maryland. " I feel it will transform this suburban county seat into one of the most congested impassable urban communities closely resembling the urban sprawl found elsewhere in Baltimore County along Reisterstown Road or Liberty Road. Is that what the full-time residents of Towson want?

It's natural to want more for our children I found the column in which Diane Cameron advises us to expect less and want less to be rather naive and even somewhat offensive ("Our wealth is relative to our desire," Commentary, Nov. 25). Like Ms. Cameron and many other adults, I made much less money in my 20s than I do three decades later, but I never felt "poor" living in my small apartment and driving an inexpensive car decades ago. However, my desire to have more wealth as I grew older stemmed not from a desire for a fancier car or a better wardrobe but from an increased sense of responsibility after I got married and had children, and my desire to make sure that my children had the tools necessary to succeed in a highly competitive world.

Editor: Kudos to Anne M. Brown of Bel Air (Open Forum, 27 Jan 12). Her letter said it all. For 16 years, Robert C. Richardson III's life has been swept under the rug and now our judicial system wants to do the same with his future! Are there so few of us who cannot feel compassion for this child? Yes, child, albeit a troubled one. He did not get that way overnight nor did he get there by himself. He needs help and support - not more abuse and disappointment. He needs love and understanding - every human's birthright!

Thank you for the article on education opportunities for immigrants. (Page 1 & 11, June 8th). Unfortunately, I must take issue with the writer's use of the term "Illegals. " God did not create anyone "Illegal. " Please use the term "undocumented immigrants. " The tone referenced in the article is one of withholding. The article seemed to center about withholding opportunities without discussing the alternate options. The issue of undocumented immigrants is complicated. Many persons came to the US to flee unemployment, violence, crime or lack of natural resources.

Free speech is what all of us cherish, but it's a newspaper's responsibility to ensure that even letters to the editor should be vetted for factual accuracy and should not allow opinions to be represented as facts. Julian Bauer's letter ("Restricting religious opinions to churches limits free speech," May 31) was long on religious dogma but short on facts. Mr. Bauer used his letter to denounce same-sex marriage and referred to homosexuality as a "living style" and that it is somehow responsible for the collapse of empires and potentially society as a whole.

In reading the article ("CA explores heated pool open year-round," June 6) on the possibility of turning the Dorsey Hall pool into a heated year-round pool, my memory was jarred. CA currently has two heated outdoor pools, Stevens Forest and Swansfield. Wouldn't making necessary adjustments to either of those pools be more fiscally responsible than reconfiguring a third? Just a thought. Sue Heyman Columbia

How would you feel if you were told without warning that you had one year to move out of your home without any sort of compensation money? Would you still be as angry if you were then told that your property was being taken in order to build a homelessness and drug addiction rehabilitation center? This was the dilemma that arose on Nov. 29, 2012, at a local trailer park off of Route 1. A meeting was held to alert the residents of Beechcrest Mobile Home Park that Howard County Housing, in association with the Volunteers of America organization, was claiming their land in order to build a homelessness, substance abuse, and unemployment recovery center.

Listening to the speech that Ken Ulman made on Monday, June 3 I was struck by his passion for Columbia. It is the same passion I have felt living in Columbia for 40 years. I too have loved this planned city that treats people equally. As proud as I am seeing one of our own named to the top of the ticket I am imbued with a sense of unease. One of the reasons many people came to Columbia was to live in a well thought out and carefully planned community. Columbia was the antidote to the hodgepodge exemplified by routes 1 and 40 and to escape the insidious and unethical practice of redlining!

On Tuesday, May 21, my son graduated from HCC, and I want to thank the many people who made his graduation possible. In 1994, he was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder: not otherwise specified, in Prince William County, Va. It became clear that Prince William was not the place for him to receive his education and I was fortunate to get a job in the Howard County School System in 1996. In 1996, Howard County was not the school system it is now for students with autism and other kids on the autism spectrum.

Editor: "Thank You" from the Patterson Mill High School Class of 2013! The Patterson Mill High School PTSA Chemical Free Events Committee worked hard to FUNdraise over $20,000 for Chemical Free After Prom and After Graduation Parties for the Class of 2013. Our #1 priority at Patterson Mill is keeping the students safe as they celebrate their senior year. And we did just that with the help of parents, faculty and our Community! We would like to extend a heartfelt "THANK YOU" to the following businesses and individuals who graciously contributed to our events with either a donation of money, food, drinks or a gift.

Spring has come, warm weather is final here. That can only mean one thing: Graduation season is upon us. This year my daughter Divina St. Peter is one of thousands of American students successfully graduating from high school. Divina began her educational endeavor at Laurel Elementary School, and soon after continued at Dwight Eisenhower Middle School. On June 3, 2013, she became a member of the Laurel High School Class of 2013. Her success was in no small measure a collaborative effort by her outstanding teachers from all of the above mentioned local schools.

The Greater Laurel United Soccer Club's (GLUSC) spring season ended on June 9; 346 boys and girls ages 3-18 took part in the program. All of this could not have been possible without the help from our dedicated volunteers. We would like to thank the following: U6: Eric Gans, Gary Aldred, Nulty Lynch, Irina Kemnitz, Jeremy Newkirk, Kisme Williams, Jared Scott, Mesmin Germain; U8 boys: Jose Chirino, Michael Feldtmose, Marlon James, Joseph Bailor, David Kirabo, Antonio Portillo, Dan Van Der Have; U8 girls: Beverly Gebhardt, Darius Helton, Dion Johnson, Jorge Martinez; U10 boys: Jaime Blanco, John Camarano, Tim Graninger, Eric Booth, Chris Kerrigan; U10 girls: Dan Beck, Peter DeMik, Dan Bowlds, Danny Ives, Chris Lockett, Jorge Martinez, Diego Rua; U12 boys: Jose Chirino, Carlos Jimenez, Sean Tran, Diego Rua; U11 girls: Erin Justice, Karen Frederick, Michael Hicks; U12 girls: Anthony Green; U14 boys: Terry Butler, Nelson Kofie; U14 girls: Joe Berry, Dave Durnbaugh; and high school boys: Beverly Gebhardt.

Editor: Congratulations to David Craig in his bid for Governor of the State of Maryland. I wonder if Mr. Craig realizes that for each Maryland county, there is a county teacher's union. There are many teachers in the State of Maryland, many students of voting age who want to become teachers and even more family and friends of teachers. If there was never any additional room in the Harford County budget for teacher pay increases in the past...