Pitts

I am not sure where to start, or end, with this, since I deeply resent Leonard Pitts Jr.'s racist commentary that appears weekly in The Sun. As a center-right member of GOP, I think the answer to many of our problems is for people to get an education ( I am 64 and taking a class to better myself ) and work hard and smart (not dream of entitlements and taking other people's money as President Barack Obama and Mr. Nanny, Gov. Martin O'Malley, do ). But in his recent column ("Why conservatives shouldn't talk about race: Exhibit A," Nov. 6)

Well, this is a fine mess. After years of moaning about various "conspiracies" against them, conservative activists finally have a real (i.e., not manufactured by Fox or inflated by Rush Limbaugh) piece of evidence to take before the court of public opinion. Meaning, of course, last week's revelation that the Internal Revenue Service has been giving extra scrutiny to groups with the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their names. Extra scrutiny from the IRS is about as welcome as extra scrutiny from the proctologist, so one can hardly blame conservative groups for complaining, as they've done since last year.

On Friday, March 14, 2003, DAVID A. PITTS, son of Clarence Pitts; brother of Eva Austin, Sheila Jones, Hattie Turner, and Tyrone S. Pitts. He is also survived by one sister-in-law, two brothers-in-law, two nieces, six nephews, four great-nieces, two great-nephews, one aunt, Ruby Bryant, and other relatives and friends. Mr. Pitts will lie in state at Warner Baptist Church, 3613 Lacy Boulevard, Baileys Crossroads, VA, on Thursday, March 20, from 10 A.M. until time of funeral services at 11 A.M. Rev. Matthew Pearson officiating.

It should've been the shot heard around the world. Chances are, you didn't hear it. An ominous sort of history was made last week near Austin, Texas, but it seems to have largely escaped notice. There was some media coverage, yes, but less than, say, Lindsay Lohan's latest stint in rehab, certainly less than you'd think for something whose ramifications will likely shadow us for years. On May 2, you see, a group called Defense Distributed, led by law student and self-described anarchist Cody Wilson, accomplished what was apparently the first successful firing of a gun "printed" entirely by a 3-D printer.

On September 15, 2004; EVELYN PITTS. On Monday friends may call at the VAUGHN C. GREENE FUNERAL SERVICE, 4101 Edmondson Avenue, from 3 to 8 P.M. On Tuesday, Mrs. Pitts will lie instate at St. John AME Church, 810 N. Carrollton Avenue where the family will receive friends from 10:30 to 11 AM. with services to follow. Inquiries to 410-945-2700.

On September 5, 2007, JOSEPHINE PITTS. On Tuesday, September 11, friends may call at the VAUGHN C. GREENE FUNERAL SERVICES, 5151 Baltimore national Pike from 4-8 P.M. On Wednesday, Mrs. Pitts will lie in state at City temple Baptist Church, 317 Dolphin Street, where the family will receive friends from 10:30-11 A.M., with services to follow. Inquiries to 410-233-2400.

On February 19, 2006, CHARLES; beloved husband Laura Pitts; devoted father of Charles W. and Jackie Pitts. Also survived by a host of other relatives and friends. Friends may call at the CHATMAN-HARRIS FUNERAL HOME, 5240 Reisterstown Road on Friday, after 12 noon to 8 P.M. The family will receive friends at the above chapel, Saturday at 1 P.M. Funeral services will begin 1:30 P.M. Interment Garrison Forrest Veterans Cemetery, Wednesday 10 A.M.

On April 11, 2009, PORTIA PITTS. On Thursday, friends may call Vaughn C. Greene Funeral Services (East), 4905 York Road, where the family will receive friends from 4:30 to 8 P.M. On Friday, Mrs. Pitts will lie in state at Trinity A.M.E. Church, 2140 E. Hoffman Street, where family will receive friends from 10 to 11 A.M with Homegoing Celebration to follow. Inquiries to (410) 433-7500.

On January 8, 2006 RUSSELL PITTS, beloved husband of Clementine, loving father of Gloria, Floyd, Raymond, Archie, Franklin and Rosalind. Also survived by 13 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, other relatives and friends. Visitation at 2140 N. Fulton Ave. on Thursday 5 to 8 pm. The family will receive friends at Grace Baptist Church, 3201 The Alameda, on Friday at 11 am. Funeralat 11:30 am.

On December 9, 2003 MARY CLAIRE CONLEY PITTS, beloved wife of Clinton P. Pitts; devoted mother of Clinton P. Pitts Jr., Lloyd P. Deford, Henry C. Pitts ad Jeffrey L. Pitts. She is also survived by six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church, Monkton on Tuesday December 16 at 2:30 p.m. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be directed to the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, c/o Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dept of Pathology, 558 Ross, 720 Rutland Ave, 21205.

Men's college basketball Len earns Bias Award as most valuable Terp Alex Len was given the Len Bias Award as Maryland's most valuable player at the team's awards banquet. Len also earned the Len Elmore Award for most rebounds and the Buck Williams Award for most valuable defensive player. Dez Wells received the Greivis Vasquez Award for most inspirational player. Other winners were: Jake Layman , Juan Dixon Award for most improved player; Shaquille Cleare , Walt Williams Coaches Award for most coachable player; Pe'Shon Howard , Steve Blake Award for assists; and Logan Aronhalt , Tom McMillen Award for academic achievement.

Perhaps you remember when Dr. Doom conquered the world. Or perhaps you don't. Sadly enough, even in this day and age, not everyone is comic book literate. Suffice it to say, then, that back in the 1980s, Marvel Comics published a graphic novel in which the villainous Victor von Doom achieved his dearest goal: to rule the world. And he made it a better place, too. Famine ended, the stock market climbed, crime fell, occupying armies withdrew, racial oppression vanished. Doom turned the planet into a paradise, and the only cost of his beneficence was free will.

"Now is the time... " -- Martin Luther King, Aug. 28, 1963 Brendon Ayanbadejo is wrong. It is painful to say that. Mr. Ayanbadejo's heart is in a good place, and the advice he gave recently on MSNBC's "The Ed Show" was practical and well intentioned. But mainly, yes, it was wrong. Here's the back story. It seems NFL prospect Nick Kasa recently told ESPN Radio that he was asked in an interview with a team he won't specify whether he is married, if he has a girlfriend and whether he likes girls.

Mega-star Brad Pitt lent his glitter to the proponents of same-sex marriage in Maryland today, giving $25,000 to the campaign for Question 6. The donation is part of a $100,000 gift to the Human Rights Campaign, a national organization that is promoting same-sex marriage in all four states where it is on the ballot. It comes at a good time for supporters, who reported last week they have only $22,000 in the bank . Pitt is the latest in a lengthy list of bold faced names who are supporting Maryland's same-sex marriage effort.

One guy was among the greatest losers in the history of politics, the other, one of the biggest winners in all of sports. They were unalike men who shared little except recent headlines. But there was, in that brief juxtaposition, an object lesson for those who cared to see it. The loser -- George McGovern -- made headlines by dying at age 90. He is famous for having been on the rump end of one of the most thorough election shellackings in history, cobbling together a measly 17 electoral votes in 1972 to Richard Nixon's 520. But there was more to him than that epic loss.

Laid-off Sparrows Point workers and retirees from the steel mill should soon be able to sign up for health insurance through a plan set up in another steelmaking region. Mill owner RG Steel - which stopped benefits Aug. 31 - asked for court approval Thursday to allow the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation Retiree Benefits Plan to accept workers and retirees from Sparrows Point and its other facilities. The United Steelworkers union agreed to expand eligibility in the plan, and RG Steel said it doesn't think court approval is necessary, though it asked for it just in case.

On November 22, 2006 CLINTON PAINE PITTS; beloved husband of the late Mary Claire Conley Pitts; devoted father of Clinton P. Pitts, Jr., Lloyd P. DeFord, Henry C. Pitts and Jeffrey L. Pitts. Also survived by six grandchildren and five great grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church Monkton on Friday, December 1 at 3:30 p.m. Interment private. In lieu of flowers contributions may be sent to The American Heart Association, Inc., 415 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201 or to The Masters of The Fox Hound Association Educational Foundation.

Some recent headlines from the alternate universe of modern conservatism: Rush Limbaugh claims the bad guy in the new "Batman" movie was named Bane to remind voters of Mitt Romney's controversial tenure at Bain Capital. Michele Bachmann, citing zero credible evidence, accuses a Muslim-American aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood. Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio's crack investigators announce that President Barack Obama's long-form birth certificate is a fake.

An open letter to African America: In the late '90s, the Internet belched forth a rumor that the Voting Rights Act was soon to expire and that black folks would lose the vote as a result. Though stupid and untrue, the rumor spread like a dust cloud till it was inescapable. You couldn't get away from it in a confession booth. You couldn't get away from it in a phone booth. Everybody was up in arms. Flash forward to 2012. Now the threat is real. There is a sustained effort to suppress the black vote as we approach this pivotal election.