Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 3, 1994 TAG: 9405050002
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
He'll appear on Oprah to tell about being molested when he was a child; Donahue will interview him about his feelings toward homosexuals; Geraldo will expose the bare facts to the nation; Fox network will buy the movie rights and probably cast Tonya Harding as his girlfriend.
In Singapore, you pay for your crimes; in America, you get paid for them. Just think, if this happened here, he'd probably be awarded $3.8 million. Is this a great country or what?
DAVID FRASER ROANOKE
Lawmaker made 'ridiculous' promise
IN RESPONSE to your April 5 editorial, ``A lawmaker shows backbone'':
I take issue with your description of Del. Morgan Griffith as having shown ``courage and leadership in the face of road-hostile Not in My Back Yarders.''
Bent Mountain's not just our back yard; it is Roanoke's, too. Thousands of Roanoke residents come to Bent Mountain to hike our mountains, fish our streams, bicycle our roads and take a Sunday drive. Roanoke will need to find a new back yard when Bent Mountain is paved over.
Courage and backbone are terms reserved for those willing to take a hard stand for fiscal responsibility. We're taxpayers first and foremost, and the outrageous additional estimated cost of this route, $500 million, is ludicrous. Obviously, Griffith's climbed aboard the pork-barrel bandwagon early in his career. Supporting routes along existing roads through the Roanoke area would cost far less and show true courage and backbone.
His assurances at the meeting of the Blue Ridge Interstate Impact Network that if Bent Mountain didn't want an interchange at proposed Interstate 73 and existing U.S. 221 we'd not have to have one is, at best, ridiculous. What beneficial effect could I-73 have on Roanoke if the only realistic exits in the area would be on U.S. 220 between Rocky Mount and Boones Mill, and on U.S. 460 between Shawsville and Elliston? I wonder how Roanoke city and county officials feel about his assurances to Bent Mountain's residents and those living along U.S. 221 in Southwest Roanoke County?
I voted for Griffith on just such principles as economic responsibility and sensible growth. I'm afraid I made a dreadful mistake. Let's keep terms like courage and backbone for those who are truly deserving.
LARRY FLORIN BENT MOUNTAIN
Children whose lives are in jeopardy
I READ the April 4 commentary by Kathryn Haynie, executive director of Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge, entitled, ``Parental notification law will endanger young lives.'' I couldn't believe the hypocritical arrogance of Ms. Haynie. She stated that such a law ``endangers the lives of teens.'' This comes from someone who openly endorses terminating innocent babies. She was also incorrect in stating that the only reason for the law was to ``create barriers.'' As a parent, I'd want to know if my child was going to subject herself to this operation. The child would get no moral advice from assembly-line-type abortion clinics.
Most people don't want their tax money paying for birth-control abortions. Sorry, lady, the only sure way not to get pregnant is not to have sex. That is what Planned Parenthood should promote.
The commentary also states ``we love our children too much to support a law that will place young lives in jeopardy.'' What do you think abortion does, Ms. Haynie?
McKINLEY G. LILLY III MARTINSVILLE
Postal logo gets no stamp of approval
I CAN'T believe that Postmaster General Marvin Runyon plans to spend $7 million on a new logo called the ``sonic eagle.'' Get real! This is a joke, right? Does anyone, besides Runyon, really care what the postal logo looks like? Is this the reason we need a postage-rate increase?
It never stops to amaze me how much money our government leaders can find to throw away, and then they have the gall to request increases to cover their mistakes.
MONIKA WOOD ROANOKE
Attacks on guns won't halt crime
THE ANTI-GUNNERS' drive to disarm Americans and their unprecedented assault on the Second Amendment really received a shot in the arm when Clinton was elected. The antis were so happy that they kissed his feet.
Clinton's proposals for increased taxes on alcohol and tobacco and tenfold increases on guns and ammo in the name of health reform is socialism in its worst form. The Roanoke Times & World-News editorial staff is pushing government control right along with most liberals and others in the media.
The media won't admit that the problem in America today is the breakdown of our courts due to plea bargaining, parole and lack of the death penalty. I've never broken any laws or hurt anyone with my firearms, and I'll never give them up. Until criminals are given maximum sentences and murderers are executed, crime will remain rampant, no matter how many new laws are passed.
CHARLES W. HAMRIC LEXINGTON
by CNB