Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 26, 1993 TAG: 9311290167
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
There is no other organization in the world, besides the Catholic Church, that a reputable news service would indict on the basis of such unsupported hearsay.
Since, by the reporter's own admission, the article contained no factual data, let me provide some. The Vatican's policy of recognition of Haiti's military regime allows the church to maintain contact with this government and allows Catholics, including Catholic ``activists,'' to continue working in Haiti. The potential fruits of such a distasteful connection were visible in the Haitian military's willingness to accept Rome's mediation. Had President Aristide availed himself of this opportunity, he would be back in Haiti by now.
It was, after all, Pope John Paul II who paid a visit to Haiti in 1983, highlighting the island's inhuman poverty years before the rest of the world, like a latter-day Columbus, ``discovered'' Haiti in 1990. During the visit, incidentally, the pope was enthusiastically greeted by the people of Haiti. Instead, Aristide relied on the United Nations, whose failures in solving international disputes are as common as the Vatican's successes.
It is significant that the reporter draws virtually all of his information from foreigners. Indictments of the church come more frequently from self-styled ``activists.'' This is a revealing bias in an article supposedly about Haitian Catholics. That the article appeared at all is yet more evidence that anti-Catholicism is the anti-Semitism of the liberal.
EDWARD A. LYNCH
ROANOKE
Victim and family pay for 'mistake'
REGARDING Elizabeth Widner's Nov. 20 letter to the editor, ``He's paying for his mistake'':
Is John Stover or Dustin Washburn and his family paying for Stover's mistake? If it were Ms. Widner's son, mother, father or sister he killed in an alcohol-related accident, would she say this poor, depressed young man was a good guy, or was he what he showed?
A few beers, a fast car, and he wanted to show someone he could outrun them. I don't know him or the victim, but I'm happy it wasn't any of my family he killed while he was having his fun.
If it had been, this letter would be one of the worst letters to the editor you've ever received expressing how (most) people feel.
MONA C. FERRIS
ROANOKE
A sickening new business venture
CONCERNING the opening of an ``exotic-game preserve'' in Alleghany County (Nov. 12 Associated Press story, ```Exotic' animals to be hunted''):
We're appalled that this type of ``business venture'' can be allowed in Virginia. We're not against hunting, but to allow the killing of what obviously appear to be fairly tame animals in a fenced-in area of 170 acres is sickening. Many of our family and friends are hunters, and they've stated that any sportsperson of good conscience wouldn't consider this type of killing ``fair sport.''
Remember, and be aware, that this can happen in any county or area in Virginia as long as no one voices their opposition. Unfortunately, it's already happened in Martinsville and Cumberland County.
LISA G. PERSINGER
BOTETOURT COUNTY
ESTELLE A. DUDLEY
EAGLE ROCK
Pedestrians deserve more respect
IN ANSWER to John Hager's question ``Is the pedestrian the Almighty?'' (Nov. 9 letter to the editor, ``Some are guilty of reckless walking''):
We were made by the Almighty so this must make us part of the Almighty. What god made your car that you seem to think that all pedestrians should kneel to? I get just as upset with the idiots who place their 4,000-pound god above their fellow man.
I make my living walking and crossing main arteries of traffic and find that drivers are very rude and unforgiving. A better statement would be to say that the larger percentage of drivers would run over you in a heartbeat. I find it rare that drivers will stop and give the pedestrian the right of way, be it senior citizens on a walker, persons in the pouring rain, in a crosswalk or not.
Hager doesn't sound like the type who would obey the 25 mph speed limit, or any other limit.
Also, it seems that a lot of thoughtless drivers don't know that 25 mph is the maximum speed limit and that you can go slower. When your brain flags a caution (such as a pedestrian), you can take your foot off the accelerator, and if the brain is really functioning, you can put the foot on the brake pedal.
Sounds to me like Hager is a fan member of the Jackie Wimmer Club. She wants to eliminate all bike riders. Did anyone tell these people that Homo sapiens were here before their precious cars?
Hager said his patience is being tested. There's that old adage ``patience is a virtue, impatience is a vice of the devil.''
TERRY SMITH
VINTON
Double standard of justice
REGARDING the Nov. 10 letter to the editor by Fran Delaney, ``Outrage is not just a black thing:'' Did this person not watch the video tape of poor Reginald Denny being beaten?
The Denny verdict revealed the continued erosion of white individuals' rights and common sense in favor of group rights and the mentality of the mob. Of greater importance should be the double standard applied in these two trials.
A majority of black Americans honestly believe that Rodney King's criminal record and even his behavior the night of his arrest were irrelevant, that only the beating was of importance and not what led up to it.
I believe with white victims and black assailants, there's a change in structure. We have the videotape of the truck driver, but the jury found it of no consequence. Isn't it strange that we're supposed to ignore what we saw on the Denny tape, but believe wholeheartedly without question what went on for 29 seconds in the King case?
White victims of black assailants are subject to a different standard of justice.
Carry a gun for protection and go to jail, but throw a brick at someone's head and injure them for life and be set free.
DEBORAH REEVES
FLOYD
by CNB