Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 24, 1993 TAG: 9301220027
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
CHAMBERLAIN'S ARTICLE BIASED, INCOMPLETE
I wonder if Jack Chamberlain, who wrote "School Board Speakers Passionate, Polite," in the Jan. 10 Current, and I were at the same meeting. I did not find the audience to be in a "festive" or "polite mood." In fact, to me it seemed that the majority at the meeting were tense and angry.When speakers suggesting changing the names from winter and spring break back to Christmas and Easter wanted to go over their three minutes, no one booed or shouted out, "Time is up. Time, time, time," in angry voices. But when those speaking to keep the current names wished to go over their three minutes, they were shouted down.
I found Mr. Chamberlain's article biased and incomplete because he reported no quotes of speakers representing the position to keep the names of the breaks the same.
One of these speakers suggested that preserving traditions is not always in the best interest of a community and cited racially segregated schools of the past as an example. Another speaker spoke of Montgomery County as a multifaith community and how the rights of the minority are to be upheld and protected by our "Bill of Rights," which are the first amendments to our Constitution. A third speaker pointed to James Madison, a native Virginian and Founding Father, who was much disturbed by the mandatory teaching of religion, as interpreted by the Church of England (the majority Christian sect of the day) in Virginia schools.
Mr. Chamberlain was seemingly oblivious to the anger and threatening nature of the crowd. In fact, a friend born in Germany [who was] in attendance was very shaken by how much the hostility in the auditorium reminded him of events leading to the rise of Hitler in his native land.
I am concerned that Mr. Chamberlain did not convey the depth of emotion expressed that evening and seemed to trivialize the explosive nature of those emotions. I would hope that in the future journalists reporting on events in our community would fairly represent all sides of an issue.\ Clark Webb Blacksburg