Commentary

I once asked a friend to describe Boston, never having been there myself. His reply inspired envy, not so much of Boston, but of the word he used to describe Baltimore in comparison. His word choice was so brilliant that I wished I had thought of it. “Boston,” he said, “is like Baltimore before it got ruined.” I thought of this after reading about the 16-year-old who just turned himself in for the murder of 52-year-old Cheryl McCormack on White Avenue in January.

Not since 9/11 has an unprovoked hostility been so clearly defined as good versus evil. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has, if nothing else, sidestepped the usual vagaries of who started what or who is the victim and who is the aggressor. On the one side is Ukraine, a sovereign nation. the second largest in land mass in Europe. On the other is Russia’s authoritarian ruler, Vladimir Putin, with an enormous military and an unbridled desire to return his country back to the Soviet Union days.

How does one measure a society’s greatness? By its military might? By its wealth? By its natural beauty, architecture or founding documents? Here’s a yardstick that came to mind recently: how it treats its most vulnerable members. As the United States enters the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation’s more than half-million homeless people certain qualify as among the most vulnerable. The group is disproportionately made up of people of color who are more likely to have dealt with disability, addiction, mental health issues and incarceration.

Labor shortages and high unemployment are defining characteristics of the economic fallout of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. With the General Assembly in the thick of its 2022 legislative session, one of the top priorities for us and our Democratic colleagues is helping get Marylanders back to work. As part of that effort, we are proud to be sponsoring legislation to expand the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, a proven program that encourages employers to hire Marylanders who have trouble finding a job.

A set of proposals to legalize recreational marijuana in Maryland in two phases — a statewide referendum on a constitutional amendment and then administrative implementation — passed the Maryland State House of Delegates Friday. The state Senate is expected to take up the legislation shortly. The bill — crafted by Del. Luke H. Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) — appears to have carefully addressed many issues that have plagued recreational legalization in other states. Though the disposition of the legislation remains to be seen, Democrats have a veto-proof majority and strong support in both chambers, so the prospects for success are very good.

At long last, 2022 could be a banner year for animals, as the Maryland General Assembly appears poised to pass bills that would ban wildlife trafficking, prohibit declawing and protect pets in extreme weather. But despite the flurry of activity, one critical bill continues to languish: cost of animal care. Annapolis must take meaningful action this session to hold defendants in animal cruelty cases financially responsible for their pets.

A week ago, on behalf of The Baltimore Sun, the editorial board issued an apology for the paper’s history of upholding and furthering racism throughout its 185 years and failing to serve Black communities, chronicling many of its wrongs along with some more recent efforts to improve. As part of that project, we asked for feedback from readers about what we have yet to acknowledge and how we can do better. We received many thoughtful responses from throughout the region.

Across the nation and in various counties in Maryland, mask mandates are being lifted. Politicians on all sides waiting for midterms and upholding promises to the business community have decided it’s OK to put Black lives at risk for personal gain. Black people know this game. Our whole lives are based on survival since the founding of this nation. Horrifically, Black people are always the first to be sacrificed and the last to be protected. Everything from the polluted air we breathe in our neighborhoods to mass incarceration and food insecurity are intentional symptoms of the legacy of racism.

A small freshwater fish called the Maryland darter – the only known species unique to Maryland – might not be top of mind for legislators or members of the Hogan administration in this year’s 2022 General Assembly. In truth, the idea that anyone in Annapolis would ponder the recent extinction of the Maryland darter during a busy session, in an election year, is as much a longshot as was the decades-long effort to protect this rare fish. Still, the extinction of the Maryland darter, announced last year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, represents an ominous trend in the natural world that must be addressed.