War

Susan Reimer 's column on men becoming obsolete was excellent ("Who's winning the war on women?" Sept. 10). Men realize this, if only subconsciously, and they will use any trick possible to make certain that no one else does. Instead of digging in and trying to at least achieve parity, men react by threatening, harassing and bullying. This, in return, only verifies the fact that they are no longer useful - which, in turn, reinforces their negative behavior. David Ingalls, Severna Park

The Public Broadcasting Service recently presented a two-hour documentary on the War of 1812, the so-called "forgotten war. " Well, they forgot to include the Battle of North Point, one of the few land battles the Americans won against the British. While the show went into great detail describing American failures under inept generals, it ignored Gen. Sam Smith and the few Army regulars, militiamen and ordinary citizens under his command who prevented the British from capturing Baltimore and laying siege to Fort McHenry from the land side.

"The war on terror is over," or so claims an unnamed senior State Department official, as reported by National Journal's Michael Hirsh in his recent article "The Post al-Qaida Era. " Really? Well, if the war is over, I must have missed the peace treaty signing ceremony. I also haven't noticed a decline in incendiary rhetoric, or the disarmament -- or at least laying down of arms -- that usually accompanies the end of war. Does this mean we can do away with full-body scanners and TSA pat-downs?

A 15-star, 15-stripe War of 1812 commemorative American flag was raised in front of the Harford County administrative building in Bel Air Thursday afternoon, one of five that will fly over county government buildings for the next 22 months. Executive Order 13-3, issued by Harford County Executive David Craig, directs that the commemorative War of 1812 flag also will be flown at the Harford County Council building in Bel Air, the Harford County Courthouse, the McFaul Activity Center in Bel Air and the Havre de Grace Activity Center.

Baltimore's two-year commemoration of the War of 1812 began dramatically Saturday at the site of the British bombardment of Fort McHenry. Students from the Baltimore School for the Arts chose the fort for their open-air staging of "Fighting for Freedom," a three-scene play that looks at the war's impact on everyday life. They delivered thought-provoking plots to an audience of several hundred who spread across the grass, where a moat had once helped protect the fort. The sun shone on the actors and the sound crew adjusted quickly to the brisk winds.

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

Now what? After attacking Libya "on the fly," as Defense Secretary Robert Gates put it, what's next in this latest chapter of Operation Enduring Blunder? (I like that moniker better than the meaningless "Odyssey Dawn. ") There is more than a little of the surreal in this latest bombardment of an Islamic nation, yet we know it's all too real, and we suspect that our president's claim that we'll be out of there in "days rather than weeks" is more likely to turn into years rather than weeks.

By punishing Iran for its nuclear research and development, U.S. and European sanctions only give incentive to Iran to double-down on the program ("U.S. sees Iran sanctions bite," Jan. 8). That's because the whole purpose of nuclear capability is to protect against outside influence in Iranian affairs which the sanctions represent. The logic of sanctions as a deterrent is flawed. Let's be clear: If Iranian nuclear capability is the trip-wire for U.S. war against Iran, then the current and planned sanctions against Iran are best understood as a prelude to war - one of the many incremental steps necessary for hostilities to develop - not as a deterrent to war, which is the ostensible claim.

As a member of the American Ahmadiyya Muslim community, I am relieved over the news of Osama bin Laden's death and congratulate my fellow Americans on this accomplishment in the war against terrorism. However, this war is far from over. President Obama rightly stated: "Our war is not with Islam. " Neither the Quran or Prophet Muhammad's life support these inhumane ideologies. I urge my fellow Muslim-Americans to strongly reject and denounce the perverse un-Islamic ideologies that promote violence and terrorism.

In light of Christina Aguilera's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner during the Super Bowl, may I suggest the governor invite her to perform where the poem was inspired — at Fort McHenry during the July 4th celebration (if she is available). Or even better, next year will mark the bicentennial of the War of 1812 (even though the poem was written in 1814). The governor is looking for revenue. Why not kill two birds with one stone? Nancy Golub