Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 19, 1994 TAG: 9409220009
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The program initially set out to raise $120 million, but ended up raising more than $236 million in donations by Rotarians of the world and $10 million from other grants. Of these, more than $2.7 million came from private sources. Rotary International has completed fund raising. Further efforts are being implemented by local clubs. Much credit for past success must also be given to doctors, pharmaceutical companies, etc., whose cooperation and assistance were invaluable.
This was done mostly in the ``decade of greed'' by groups now being vilified as the ``rich and uncaring.'' Contrast this program with the $1 billion child-immunization bill proposed by the administration, and fortunately scuttled by Congress. Should members of the above groups opposing the Clinton health plan and its offshoots be castigated as anti-social and unsympathetic? Does it occur to the media that opposition arises because bills they foster are unworkable, bureaucratic and costly, and that such bills should sink because of their own weight, all 1,300 pages?
To the contrary, we're bombarded with editorials that extol idealistic objectives, demand social justice and criticize opponents for playing politics, but never tell any plan's actual contents. The devil may be in the details, but who needs them? It's been proposed by a president who cares, is praised by his followers, takes from the haves and gives to the have-nots, and above all, it's called ``health reform.'' That's all we need to know.
JAMES F. PHELAN BLACKSBURG
Krisp, lite and artic
THE LANGUAGE prude in me has finally revolted. Who says product identity requires butchered English? It's bad enough that ``krispy'' and ``lite'' have become market mainstays. Now,we're offered an ``artic'' beer, named for its icy brewing process - or perhaps its aesthetic qualities?
Small wonder so many college students need remedial courses. Beware of this conspiracy to keep our nation muddled by geography and hooked on phonics.
TERRY T. SMITH ROANOKE
Don't let North interpret the facts
OF COURSE, Oliver North denies he lied to Congress. After all, he has a great deal of criminal activity to hide as he runs for the Senate.
But why does your staff writer aid the North campaign through the use of mid-'80s Reagan/North hatespeak (Sept. 2 news article, ``Did North lie? The answer isn't black-and-white'')? He resorted to North's rhetoric in describing the Nicaraguan Sandinistas as ``a communist dictatorship.'' However, history has proved North wrong.
In 1979, the Sandinistas overthrew the American-sponsored dictatorship of Anastasio Somosa. The new Sandinista-led government held internationally monitored free and fair elections in 1984 and 1990. The latter was lost by the Sandinistas, who peacefully relinquished their power to the UNO party, a coalition of 17 political parties sponsored by the United States through the National Endowment for Democracy. Sandinistas weren't a dictatorship as North and your staff writer would have us believe. Dictators don't hold free and fair elections or peacefully give up power.
During the Oretega presidency, Nicaragua had a mixed economy, much like that of France and Sweden. In 1983, Nicaraguan government and business economists agreed that approximately 55 percent to 60 percent of the Nicaragua gross national product was attributed to the private sector. So, the Sandinistas weren't really communists after all.
STEVEN P. HELM CHRISTIANSBURG
Allen puts teeth in crime fighting
GOV. GEORGE Allen's plan to reform parole is the best thing going right now in any state that is making efforts toward fighting crime. I read editorials from other cities in my travels, and it can be said that Allen is on the right track with his crime-fighting strategy.
His plan could cut serious crime by at least 40 percent if given the chance. So far this year, 45 of the 94 murders in Richmond were committed by repeat offenders. There's no way to know who might be spared by his plan, and one can't help but wonder if the Hodges family might be alive today if Allen's plan had been in effect.
Let's face the truth about crime, and get on with doing something about it. Criminals need to know that we've had enough, and that we put Allen in office for his strong anti-crime position.
Also, where murder and violent crimes are concerned, we can't divide any lines with racial groups. Don't give criminals a chance to repeat, at least while on parole. Let's put some teeth in crime-fighting that will bite hard.
JIM LAWRENCE VINTON
by CNB