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

DATE: TUESDAY, February 19, 1991                   TAG: 9102190404
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WHY OUGHT DELEGATE LISTEN TO THE VOTERS?

BOO HOO hoo! My heart absolutely bleeds for those poor delegates who found it necessary to drop their support of the handgun bill in response to voter demand. Can you imagine the humiliation those elected representatives must have felt - having to listen to the voters who elected them? What do those voters think this is, the United States of America?

I suggest the laws be changed to allow delegates to reign as long as they wish. Perhaps they could also be allowed to choose their own successors. Then they would no longer be troubled by us petty voters, and could spend their full, uninterrupted time pursuing power and prestige.

Seriously, voters, if your delegate changes his vote in response to your input, but whines bitterly all the while, he or she likely agrees wholeheartedly with the paragraph above. You would be wise to remember that delegate's feelings toward voter representation when re-election rolls around. KEMPER LOYD BLACKSBURG

by CNB