Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 28, 1994 TAG: 9409280025
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The complaint isn't a new one. Every year, news is heard about the plight of the American public-school system. Yet cries for aid seem only to echo through the media caverns, and are only faintly heard by communities and an unresponsive government. It's no surprise then that as the year begins, continues and ends, the problem is barely contained and not at all solved.
What aversion is there to truly attempting to fix the underbudgeted education system? It seems as though little things are done to rearrange or to redirect the problem, yet few earnest efforts are ever made to fix the dilemma itself. How long must children learn in a makeshift environment?
There is, of course, the ever-present excuse of money - or the lack thereof. This is where the apathetic community and the legislative body neglect their roles. First, the community's citizens should have the concerns of the children's needs foremost in their minds, should realize the problem, and express their discontent with the situation. These views are best expressed toward government officials who have the most power to remedy this pedagogical plague. These officials must, of course, subsequently deal with the instructional issue.
The fault is that the American public-education system is underbudgeted, underemphasized and overlooked. Blame rests upon community individuals who have no or little concern for children's future. The victims are children who must struggle with outdated textbooks, understaffed schools, and are still expected to gain a quality education. It's no wonder that a country whose role models are baseball players and movie stars is being quickly surpassed in international power by those countries that have their educational priorities straight.
MATTHEW LUCAS
CHRISTIANSBURG
Universe couldn't create the universe
FRANK MUNLEY'S Sept. 3 letter to the editor (``Invoking a `God of the gaps' is just intellectually lazy'') on the creation/evolution debate shouldn't go unchallenged since it contains several inaccuracies.
For example, scientists haven't proved that the Earth is 4 billion years old. Of 66 dating methods, only those based on radioactive decay produce ages in the billions of years, whereas 21 other methods yield ages of 10,000 years or less. Dr. William Stansfield wrote, ``It is obvious that radioactive techniques are not the absolute dating methods that they are claimed to be. Age estimates on a given geologic stratum by different radiometric methods are often quite different (sometimes by hundreds of millions of years). There is absolutely no reliable long-term radiological clock.'' Interestingly, when the age of a rock does not fit with evolutionary theory, it's ignored and considered to be obviously incorrect.
Concerning the second law of thermodynamics, creationists and evolutionists realize seeds develop into plants, and embryos develop into infant creatures. In so doing, complexity is temporarily increased, although the second law eventually has its way, resulting in death and decay. However, any increase in complexity is absolutely dependent on a pre-existing, intelligently designed plan (the genetic code) to direct the increase in complexity, as well as an intelligently designed mechanism (photosynthesis in plants and metabolism in animals) for storing incoming energy and converting it into the work that needs to be done. Raw, undirected and uncontrolled energy always damages or destroys any order that might be present. It never increases it.
In the absence of such intelligently designed mechanisms, the second law's effect is always destructive to the formation of specified order. Whence, then, came these highly specified complex systems? Is it not logical to conclude they came from an omnipotent, pre-existent and supremely intelligent designer? After all, since the universe couldn't have created the universe, Munley's pantheistic god just doesn't qualify for the job.
EARL R. JOHNSON JR.
ROANOKE
Supervisors didn't ask many questions
THE MONTGOMERY County Board of Supervisors missed an opportunity to benefit all Southwest Virginia residents when it passed a resolution supporting Appalachian Power Co.'s 765,000-volt power line through Craig, Roanoke and Botetourt counties.
Board members took the easy way out. They should have thought of the reaction of Montgomery County residents if the boards of supervisors of Craig, Roanoke and Botetourt counties had passed a similar resolution supporting an Apco-proposed route through Montgomery County. It's appropriate, and fair, to reverse roles before making a decision. It's the basis for the Golden Rule.
Before making a decision, especially one as important as this concerning a major power line that could affect the quality of life for many residents, a governing board should obtain as much information as possible from groups who support and oppose a proposal. It should also receive input from unbiased, independent sources, not just sources hired by interested parties. It should question how much additional power is needed, when it is needed, whether there are alternatives to a single overhead line, what are the costs of the alternatives, etc.
It may appear this letter-writer is opposed to Apco's plan. Actually, not enough information, especially from unbiased sources, has been presented for anyone to make a proper decision regarding the plan and any alternatives.
The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, which represents residents and companies located in the county, has an opportunity to judge proposals based on their merits. It should let it be known that residents who do not have the resources of an Apco will be properly represented by their elected officials.
If all boards took time to thoroughly question proponents' claims, it's probable that Apco would have submitted a plan acceptable to everyone.
H. CHARLES ROGOL
BLACKSBURG
Cap salaries of professional players
WHILE NOT an avid fan of baseball, but a fan of most all other major sports, I believe that unless a salary cap or some form of control on payment to all professional athletes is instituted, professional sports, as we know it today, will cease to exist.
The average person attending a pro-sports event has to pay an exorbitant amount of money to take a family of three to a game, and it can only go up.
Professional athletes are pricing themselves out of the market. The average person would rather see five, nine or 11 men making a total of $500,000 apiece a year than two who don't make a team griping because they only get $2 million apiece.
BILL STRANG
ROANOKE
Senate has room for nonviolent offenders
VIRGINIA, here's the solution for the latest parole problem regarding perpetrators of nonviolent crimes: If we're going to let them out to make room for violent offenders, why not do what the polls indicate Virginians are planning to do - put them in the Senate!
Yes, Virginia, it's time you faced the truth. Are you aware that the only reason Oliver North is not behind bars is because he testified under a grant of immunity before a congressional hearing? Evidence used during these hearings was not permissible in court.
Do we forget that we once had a president who faced impeachment for being associated with illegal activities? At least Richard Nixon never put our national security at risk by operating his own private army. And yet the results of the latest poll show we're willing to elect North into Congress to make our laws!
DARREN A. CASSESE
RADFORD
The chief meant it, but does Wilder?
WHILE I admire Doug Wilder's ability to see the writing on the wall, I do wish he (or this newspaper) would have given credit to the man responsible for the quote, ``I will fight no more, forever.'' Those words were spoken by the Nez Perce leader, Chief Joseph, after he and his tribe decided to stop trying to get away from the white man and to preserve what was left of the Nez Perce.
Too often we think that the Native American offers nothing to our culture. That isn't true. Witness the use of the above quote. It stuck in our collective memories, didn't it?
However, Chief Joseph meant it. Does Wilder? Only time will tell.
SANDRA TUCKER-MAXWELL
ROANOKE
by CNB