Commentary

There is a popular song, a chant really, in Annapolis this summer. Maybe you’ve heard it? It’s like the old football — er, soccer — anthem: “Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé.” It’s the one with roots in “Anderlecht Champion,” a Belgian song that twisted the Spanish bullfighting cheer “Olé!” into French, “allez, allez, allez.” Then the Mexicans made it their own with “E Viva Mexico” in 1986, the story goes, chanting “Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé” to support the national team in the World Cup. Now everybody uses it.

From ancient Taoist philosophers like Lao Tzu to contemporary celebrities like Robert Redford, there is no shortage of famous people who have publicly observed, with only minor variation, that within every problem resides an opportunity. The context may vary, but the core message is plainly true. Just look at the history books. A lot of important progress takes place when things look most discouraging.

Former Gov. Larry Hogan and a nonpartisan group he co-chairs, No Labels, deserve credit. They’ve worked hard to promote politically moderate ideas in a time of growing polarization and anger. Hogan, in particular, accomplished quite a feat: Winning consecutive gubernatorial elections as a Republican in a deeply blue state.

Going into the important series this weekend with the Tampa Bay Rays, Anthony Santander, right fielder of the Baltimore Orioles, had a batting average of .272, with 17 home runs, 54 runs batted in and an increasingly solid command of English. In fact, in a recent postgame interview on MASN, the native Venezuelan answered all questions without the assistance of translator Brandon Quinones.

Business development is essential to a thriving community. This fact is too often ignored in political debates about how to revive Baltimore, and it’s time to recognize such efforts. Despite population loss, a struggling school system, rising crime and a host of other issues plaguing the city, companies such as Under Armour, CSX and T. Rowe Price continue to invest in their community. Their resolve offers a dose of positivity and are examples that leaders and residents of the city should encourage others to follow.

The debate over the location of the new FBI headquarters has been going on for years, with Virginia and Maryland competing for the massive complex and its thousands of jobs [“Maryland gets a lift in fight for new FBI HQ,” Metro, July 15]. This has caused delays and uncertainty for the FBI and the communities involved. But instead of choosing one state over the other, why not have two headquarters, one in each state, for resiliency, flexibility and effectiveness?

The horrific event in Baltimore’s Brooklyn neighborhood July 2 caused the tragic loss of two young lives, with many more injured and countless people left traumatized. Among the traumatized members of the community were a small group of remarkable people wearing orange shirts who spend every workday walking trouble spots around Brooklyn and nine other city neighborhoods. These are parts of the city where, sadly, the data tells us shootings are most likely to occur.

I once gave a drug dealer some career advice: Sell cars, not cocaine. The guy seemed open to that idea. He had come to me in the summer of 2005, after reading one of several columns in which we offered advice for “getting out of the game.” He was about 30 years old, dressed in a white shirt, black slacks and two-tone shoes. I found him congenial and confident.