Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 8, 1994 TAG: 9402080245
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Business owners need the young people who work in the summer to work through Labor Day. The young people need the money. Families like to have the holiday weekend for a last vacation with the whole family before school starts. Teachers who have to come in before Labor Day now would be required to come in even sooner.
Tourism needs the business this creates, and the state needs the taxes for important things like school budgets. School-board members aren't listening to the public on this issue. Maybe if more school boards were elected, they'd listen a little closer.
The law that needs to be changed is the mandatory 180 days that schools must be open. This law should read ``180 days unless it is impossible to open schools due to weather,'' and should provide that schools cannot remain open past June 6.
Snow days are a problem, but we can provide a quality education despite snow days, especially in this part of the country. For those who'd argue this point, just think what it was like in Southern California, Southern Florida or the Midwest this past year. Those people laugh at our great concern over a week of winter snow and ice.
I, for one, plan to push for a repeal of the 180-day law and for a June 6 closing law with my senator and delegate.
TONY WILLIAMS
SALEM
Police officers need protection
RESPONDING to the latest sickening, disgusting and alarming rise of police officers killed in the line of duty:
The year 1993 will go down in history as having the most killings to date. More than 150 brave souls lost their lives in service to the public; 70 percent of those who were killed died by the way of the gun.
Here we are in 1994, and the madness continues. At least five police officers across this country have already lost their lives fighting crime, thugs and drugs. It seems that a few ingrates in this country consider the killing of a police officer a sport.
In one incident, an off-duty police officer was killed trying to stop a robbery. It was noted that he was unarmed. This made me even sicker. If there is no policy requiring an off-duty officer to carry his or her weapon, there should be one.
No ifs, ands or buts about it: Society has become so dangerous that all precautions should be taken to protect the life of a police officer. As a strong supporter of law enforcement, I know their job becomes more dangerous every day. My prayers and thoughts go out to every officer who puts his or her life on the line in service to the general public. God bless them all!
MITCHELL ROBINSON
GALAX
Skaters' soap opera is a turnoff
THE HARDING/Kerrigan soap opera continues to brew in the media. This tired joke so annoys me that I'm ready to quit on the Olympics. What next? Harding sues to stay on the team, and Kerrigan is featured in five movies and 10 books? Who cares? Turn up the heat and throw out the first baseball.
TED GRIESENBROCK
ROANOKE
North won't be Congress' first liar
IN REPLY to the Jan. 31 Associated Press front-page article about Oliver North lying to Congress (``North blames Reagan for his lies to Congress''):
What's the big deal? Congress and the president lie to us all the time. Why not call it stretching the truth a little, as the media do for them? I'll bet North is a better man than 99 percent of the men in Washington.
As far as Sen. John Warner is concerned, maybe North also can get Elizabeth Taylor to help him get elected.
EVELYN ANGLE
MONETA
Don't let ego destroy an animal
READING the Jan. 16 news article by staff writer Cathryn McCue, ``Cute cub has uncertain future,'' it appears Ed Clark is more interested in collecting his $1,000 than he is in the welfare of the cub. It's my understanding that the state provides some funding to help the Wildlife Center recover costs.
Perhaps the fee he required from Natural Bridge Zoo has been an obstacle for other establishments. Has that fee been required every time the attempt has been made to place the animal? Could this be a power game? Clark states adamantly that no individual - no matter how qualified - will receive the cub. He'd rather have the cat destroyed.
Any individuals in Virginia who could legally keep this animal would have to be inspected and licensed by the state and the United States Department of Agriculture, possibly making them just as qualified as Clark.
Any time caretakers feed their egos to the point that they assume they possess the power and wisdom of God, those in their care suffer.
SHARON H. MULLEN
BOONES MILL
Virginia's politics goes slapstick
GOOD GRIEF, Charlie Brown! Just when I begin to see signs that some Republicans are showing some sense and humanity (Goodlatte, Huffman), there they go touting that bozo ``Ollie'' North - Vietnam War hero converted to Washington crybaby. I wonder what buffoon will play Stan to this Ollie? Good luck, Virginia!
ARTHUR BERLINER
ROANOKE
by CNB