Quinton

Mixed martial artist Urijah Faber is among the guests at Ravens practice today as they prepare for Sunday's showdown with the New York Jets. Faber, nicknamed "The California Kid," is a part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. Danny Castillo, another MMA fighter, is also part of Faber's group. Ravens defensive tackle Arthur Jones' brother, Jon "Bones" Jones, the UFC light heavyweight champion, is also in town. Jones defeated Quinton Jackson last Saturday. Jones is expected to be at the Ravens-Jets game on Sunday.

In his address from Kabul, President Barack Obama said that the war that began in Afghanistan will end there because it is necessary to "finish the job" even though many Americans are tired of war. To my mind, the president's trip was a selfish political ploy. The U.S. has no choice but to fight when our enemies include groups likeal-Qaidaand the Taliban, whose aim in life is to annihilate every freedom-loving individual from the face of the earth. Quinton D. Thompson, Towson

It is quite obvious that the U.S. and NATO are being outsmarted by the Taliban, who are wearing fake Afghan soldiers' uniforms to kill our soldiers and sow discord among the alliance. Moreover, the restrictions placed on our peace keeping forces prevent them from fighting a more aggressive conflict, which is absolutely a hindrance to our assisting the weak Afghan government and military. Quinton D. Thompson, Towson

Barring a last-minute surprise, Maryland's 2012 football recruiting class is officially complete. According to umterps.com , the Terps have received letters of intent from 20 players (look left for the official list). Three others -- JUCO cornerback Isaac Goins , prep school wide receiver Levern Jacobs and 2011 defensive end signee Quinton Jefferson -- have already enrolled at Maryland. Linebacker commitment Dallas Griffiths , meanwhile, committed to the Terps in December but signed today with Liberty, where his older brother plays.

The uprisings in Syria and other Middle Eastern countries, which are receiving considerable media attention, invite comparison to America's struggle for freedom and independence during the Revolutionary War ("Showdown looms in Syria," July 28). The rebels in Syria share the same aspirations should they win their battle against Syrian President Bashar Assad's government by gaining control of the city of Aleppo. To assure their victory, President Obama and the U.S. have an obligation to assist the Syrian rebels in their fight.

Regarding Baltimore schools CEO Andrés Alonso's handling of the cheating scandal in which test scores were altered by school personnel, when these devious practices became public the guilty teachers should have been charged with committing a crime, brought to trial and punished accordingly — through reductions of salary, probation or firing. Also, it is quite evident that these teachers had absolutely no respect for Mr. Alonso once they believed they could do as they pleased.

As a retired educator, I read your article about growing student enrollments at area schools with keen interest ("Growing enrollments, aging schools, straitened finances," Aug. 23). In order to promote successful programs, increasing the tax base that supports public schools should be our number one priority if we are to guarantee our students the kind of education they will need in order to compete successfully with the rest of the world. Quinton D. Thompson, Towson

W hen Michael Oher takes the field as a Baltimore Raven this fall, a national audience of readers and moviegoers even bigger than the Ravens' fan base will be cheering for him. The amazing story behind his rise to football stardom will fill the bestseller shelves at bookstores on Oct. 12, with a new edition of Michael Lewis' powerhouse piece of nonfiction "The Blind Side." And if all goes according to plan, it will also pack movie theaters on Nov. 20, when writer-director John Lee Hancock's movie version hits theaters, starring newcomer Quinton Aron as Oher and Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw as Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy - the wealthy, white, conservative, evangelical couple who devoted themselves to the happiness and success of "Big Mike," a black kid from the meanest streets of Memphis, Tenn.

From media accounts, the war in Afghanistan has hit a disturbing snag which was precipitated by President Hamid Karzai's recent remarks following the U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's visit, when he accused the Taliban terrorists and America of being in cahoots with each other ("Hagel's shaky Afghan debut," March 12). This should solidify President Barack Obama's plans to withdraw our troops from this area by the end of 2014, and I would suggest even sooner after hearing Mr. Karzai's stinging remarks.

In reference to Andrea Siegel 's article "Grieving mom works to help other youths" (May 30), it is sad and disturbing to witness or hear about teenage gangs who are involved in unacceptable behavior in their conflicts with other gangs or innocent bystanders. While I'm sure our justice system strives to controls this problem, in my opinion society has a responsibility to initiate a more effective rehabilitation program to salvage the lives of these troubled teenagers before they graduate into full fledged adult criminals, hence becoming a heavy liability to our communities, not only as a danger to others, but also as a burden to our justice system through their arrests, court trials, and prisons terms where they will associate with hardened criminals and upon their release start the cycle all over again.