Masks

No idea in American society is more pervasive than the notion that we all owe a debt of gratitude to the young men and women who have volunteered to fight our foreign wars. This nearly universal belief flows from a sense of collective guilt that the veterans of our previous Asian adventure in Vietnam were not welcomed home with appreciation for their sacrifices and were somehow held responsible for America's first losing war. This attitude was especially unfair since many of the participants in that conflict were draftees who had little choice about their service.

When you make as many mistakes as I do, it's good to get in the habit of learning from them. Just over four years ago, I made a big one about Mormonism, and I thank the good folks at The Sun for giving me a chance to make it right. During the 2008 primaries, a Sun reporter interviewed me about evangelicals and Mitt Romney. Why, he asked, does a candidate with his squeaky-clean character and demonstrated family values generate so little interest among the Republican Party's evangelical base?

The man who was shot and killed Friday night in West Baltimore has been identified as a 32-year-old who police say was targeted by two masked gunmen who opened fire in a barber shop in the Franklin Square community. The victim's name was not released pending notification of his relatives. Another man, age 37, also was shot in the incident. He suffered a graze wound to the head, according to police. Police said the double-shooting occurred about 7 p.m. in the 1600 block of West Baltimore St., a street with a mixture of residential rowhouses and commercial businesses.

With the broad appeal of a fast-food chain — 54 million people served in 14 countries on five continents — "The Lion King" enjoys a mighty status on Broadway, where it's the seventh-longest-running musical and has packed them in since 1997. The show isn't likely to lose its appeal on tour any time soon, either. When it first played the Hippodrome in 2005, it was a 14-week smash, raking in $15 million. It's back at the theater for a monthlong engagement that is bound to be just as fruitful, nicely timed as it is for the holidays, when families with kids need diversions even more.

The following is compiled from police reports from the Towson and Cockeysville precincts. Our policy is to include descriptions when there is enough information to make identification possible. Cockeysville Reldas Court, unit block, between 12:01 a.m. Oct. 25 and 8:40 a.m. Oct. 27. Boxes containing various items stolen from apartment. Entry through unlocked bedroom window. Timonium Eastridge Road, 2100 block, between 10 a.m. and 11:40 a.m. Oct. 29. Dresser and jewelry boxes ransacked, nothing appeared missing.

The following is compiled from police reports. The Howard County Times includes descriptions of perpetrators only when the description makes identification possible. Ellicott City North Chatham Road , 3300 block, 7:39 p.m. Aug. 6. Two juvenile males assaulted victim in parking lot. Wallet stolen. Juveniles arrested. Montgomery Road , 4300 block, 11 p.m. Aug. 5. Two people wearing hooded sweat shirts, face masks and gloves walked up to McDonald's drive-through window as teller opened drawer, pushed clerk and grabbed cash.

Concern on the part of the Havre de Grace Historic Preservation Commission over the installation of outdoor gas meters in the historic district seems just a bit much. The commission -  led by Ron Browning, who writes a community column for this newspaper's sister paper, The Record -   sent a letter to BGE saying it would be preferred that gas meters not be installed in front of historic buildings. When BGE went ahead and installed meters in front of the buildings, the commission expressed anger.

Anne Arundel County police are seeking three men, at least one armed with a handgun, who are suspects in a Glen Burnie assault and robbery. A man was walking on a foot path in the 300 block of Highland Drive just after midnight Monday when he was confronted by three men, who, with faces covered, demanded his money, according to police. After indicating that he had none, the three men assaulted the man, stole his lighter and fled on foot.

Verdi's "A Masked Ball" makes an appropriately grand choice for Washington National Opera's season opener. It's a big-gesture work with terrific sweep, yet one with many a subtle musical and dramatic detail. The composer was forced by government censors to turn the opera's plot about the assassination of Sweden's King Gustavus III into an unlikely scenario set in Colonial Boston. But like some other companies these days, WNO restores the original Swedish setting. Although Salvatore Licitra doesn't always use his sizable tenor gracefully, his singing as Gustavus has a certain visceral appeal.

Police are investigating a daytime armed robbery of two people in Roland Park Tuesday, a spokesman said. A 30-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman were walking in the 100 block of Longwood Road about 1:30 p.m. when a man wearing a ski mask and wielding a silver handgun approached them, said Agent Donny Moses, a department spokesman. "Give it up. Where is the money," he told the couple, Moses said. The man handed over his wallet with about $40 in cash and credit cards and the woman gave up her purse, including her diamond engagement ring and a set of earrings, Moses said.