ROANOKE TIMES

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

DATE: MONDAY, December 27, 1993                   TAG: 9312270285
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


COMPROMISE NEEDED TO CURTAIL VIOLENCE

THE BATTLE lines are drawn. Some say that the violence in movies is causing violent behavior to increasingly become the violence of our neighborhoods, our schools, etc.

On the other hand, many others argue quite convincingly that movies and television are only a reflection of what's already happening in our society and that they bear no responsibility whatsoever for this wave of killings and mass craziness.

I propose a compromise idea. The movies are feeding the flames of violent expression, and the violent expression in our society is fueling the movie producer's continuing need for more and better scripts. The two causes constitute a vicious cycle that's driving the level of violence in our society ever upward into a spiral, like a tornado.

All tornadoes run out of steam.

WOODY RILEY

ROANOKE

Neither snow nor rain ...

THE Small Society cartoon on the Dec. 9 editorial page, which was critical of postal service, was offensive to me.

For more than 60 years, I've received home mail delivery in large cities, small towns, apartment complexes, colleges and now on a rural mail route. The service I've received has always been excellent. No segment of society has served me better than the United States Postal Service, and very few have served as well. The power fails, telephones go out, cable television goes on and off, but the mail is always in the box. When I leave for a month, they keep every bit of it for me until I get back.

Especially in December, letter-carriers should be thanked, not cursed with mindless cartoons.

HORACE SMITH

MONETA

Boy Scouts did their duty

THE BOY Scouts of America are 100 percent correct in excluding boys who'll not acknowledge a duty to God (Dec. 7 Associated Press story, ``Scouts' exclusion stands'')!

Asking them to change the wording of the Scout oath is like asking Billy Graham to change the wording of the Ten Commandments. No way!

RON PENLAND

WYTHEVILLE

Truth's the truth, believe it or not

I SUPPOSE there was just too much joy, celebration and too much Jesus to avoid the front-page article in the Dec. 12 edition of the Roanoke Times & World-News (``Gospels give wrong picture of Jesus, scholars say'' by David Crum of the Knight-Ridder Newspapers).

I guess I'm just a little too idealistic and naive to think that a minimally newsworthy article would take precedence over all the factual statements of faith about who Jesus was and is. I'm also amazed that this article just happened to appear during a season celebrated as the time my lord and savior Jesus Christ was born.

It's also disturbing that a questionable article such as this would be given such prominence, when very little is said about all the good that's done for the community by churches and individuals who believe what Jesus said to be accurate and true, which calls them to action.

The truth is the truth, whether it's believed or not. Since Paul's words were not in question, I quote him: ``For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.''

From what I read, I believe we have some very frustrated ``scholars.''

J. ALLIE McNIDER

ROANOKE

Fast track available to Salem students

THANK YOU for featuring Oberlin College President S. Frederick Starr's commentary on Dec. 1, ``Fast track is a boon to students.'' Dr. Starr validates the highly regarded International Baccalaureate Program offered at Salem High School.

IB students worldwide have benefited from Dr. Starr's proposal since 1962. Recently, 34 Salem students received a total of 169 hours of college credit at some of the best universities nationwide. One IB-diploma recipient received 37 hours of credit at prestigious Stanford University. Dr. Starr illustrates the price of a Harvard bachelor's degree costing $75,000 instead of $100,000 as an example of the savings of an accelerated degree. He's correct; the IB-diploma student enters Harvard as a sophomore.

The Roanoke Valley is fortunate to have the International Baccalaureate available to students. It's a fast track where many students worldwide now experience the three-year bachelor's degree. This feature perhaps accounts for the much-increased interest in the IB throughout North America and, more specifically, Virginia.

BETSY B. McCLEARN

Assistant Principal

Salem High School

SALEM



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