Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 21, 1994 TAG: 9409230003
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
I'm in favor of youngsters playing sports. My sons play soccer with a local parks-and-recreation team, a well-established program. But I'm against encouraging young people to be out playing basketball at midnight. How can these same people be expected to get up and attend school? Or go out looking for a job?
And how about the parents? Should they wait up for their children? Should they go to the ``games,'' and encourage their children? Or do you assume the parents don't care and want their kids out all night?
Midnight basketball will not deter kids from committing crimes. It only gives them permission to be on the streets at all hours of the night.
REBECCA GUNSELMAN
MONETA
Quilt story was messed up
I'D LIKE to make several comments concerning Mary Jo Shannon's Aug. 25 news article (``Quilt tells childhood memories'') on Jean Mabes' quilt from the fair. I think persons interviewed should always be able to read the articles before they are printed.
There wasn't a harder worker, or a more affectionate, responsible man alive than my dad. He worshipped us and supported our mother until the day he died at age 66.
Shannon could have had a very nice article on a neat quilt idea without all that personal marital garbage she printed.
I don't know about others, but I sure had a ball in those days that sounded in the article as if they were sad.
DOT FERGUSON BRYANT
VINTON
Society ought to be outraged
SUSAN ESTRICH started her Aug. 31 Commentary article (``Democracy, and Clinton, are suffering hard times'') by saying that our democracy isn't working very well these days because a crime bill couldn't be passed easily in Congress.
The real crime is with us. There was a time when the entire nation was shocked and outraged at the senseless murder of one child, when a beautiful star was drummed out of Hollywood and our lives because she had an out-of-wedlock child. A man who beat or robbed someone who was weaker or defenseless was called a coward.
Now, we as a society excuse those who commit heinous crimes, and offer them compassion and understanding. We quietly accept the new morality, and shake our heads when an elderly woman is beaten, raped and killed. Money is poured into programs to prevent crime, and new locks are added to our doors.
Political correctness demands that we cease labeling those who break the law. Yet what badge of honor and courage does one wear who drives by in a car and shoots whomever happens to be along the way? Young people swagger in hero status after committing a crime, and responsible adults make excuses for them and blame society for their actions. Why do we accept such behavior? Where is the outrage that children cannot play outside their homes in safety, that the elderly aren't safe in their homes, and employees aren't safe in their stores at night?
Washington isn't the answer. It's a case of citizenry. Laws must be kept to have a civilized country, and our own attitudes have to reflect that. A sense of community is needed, where adults lead the way for the young, where big government isn't needed to solve our problems, where respect and dignity are instilled in the next generation and demanded of the older generation.
Light up a cigarette in a crowd, and see the looks of disapproval. Where are the same signals that criminal behavior is not acceptable? Defending criminals and making victims' lives unimportant is the real crime. Big government and money won't solve that. Only we can.
SIDNEY L. McCLANAHAN
ROANOKE
Anybody but North
THE CONTROVERSY over whether Oliver North lied to or merely misled Congress pales in comparison to one fact: He worked secretly to overthrow the rule of law. He can't be trusted with our most important political jewel - the U.S. Constitution.
North campaigns, masquerading as an outsider. In fact, he's the ultimate insider. Elected by no one, he plotted in the White House basement, and successfully overturned the will of the American people as expressed by our representation in Congress.
If he thought Congress was wrong, North could have lobbied for change as citizens do every day, in the sunshine of open democratic processes. Instead, he secretly trampled upon U.S. law. By this choice, he shows he'll dictate what should be done rather than follow the will of the people, the rule of law. That is the definition of a dictator, not a conservative. A conservative obeys the Constitution, never violating it for opportunistic reasons or convenience.
When his devious plot began to unravel, North shredded documents and purposefully misled Congress. The means never justify the end. This action alone states clearly that North isn't worthy to run for office, let alone be trusted to sit among those sworn to uphold our Constitution.
Virginians who care about a moral America and about preserving our democracy must stop North here. We must do this, even if it means holding our noses and voting for someone less than ideal for the Senate. Recall that Hitler was first elected to power. My vote on Nov. 8 is going to the one most likely to stop North.
REES SHEARER
EMORY
by CNB