Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, March 12, 1990                   TAG: 9003122971
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MANY PROBLEMS INVOLVING PEACE STILL NEED WORK

After years of steady support, Plowshare Peace Center is also experiencing a drop-off in contributions as people perceive that peace is breaking out all over. We would like nothing better than to work ourselves out of a job, but disarmament issues and U.S./U.S.S.R. relations are only a portion of the concerns of the peace center.

Despite the remarkable and heartening changes that we have witnessed in the past six months, many problems remain:

The Bush defense budget still includes substantial amounts for such destabilizing strategic weapons as the MX, Midgetman and Stealth bomber.

Our government is still sending well over a million dollars a day to the government of El Salvador despite the inability or unwillingness of the ruling party there to control the human rights abuses by its military.

The death penalty is alive and well in Virginia, as the legislature defines new capital crimes each year.

Local domestic and other interpersonal violence show little sign of diminishing.

Even Roanoke has not been immune to the problems of racism and poverty.

Degradation of the environment resulting from years of neglect and denial continues, as critical action is once more postponed.

Grass-roots education and action on all the above issues are a part of the important work of Plowshare Peace Center and other groups like us. The key to peace is resolving conflicts without resorting to violence or threat of violence. Vigorous attention to these concerns is possible only with continuing public awareness and support.\ ROBERT FETTER ROANOKE