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

DATE: SUNDAY, July 17, 1994                   TAG: 9407180124
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

LETTERS

The literature published by professional education associations promotes increased parental involvement as a step toward curing the ills of kindergarten-12th grade education. The authors of these articles seem convinced that a child's parents are their first and most important teachers - and they have a valid point.

It's ironic, therefore, to read in the July 1 Current that the president of the Montgomery County Education Association expressed disheartenment in the appointment of Dick Edwards to the county School Board. She apparently feels that Edwards' appointment negated the chance of a "professional" educator being added to the board. She was quoted as saying that "we want people who know something about education running our school system."

Edward's willingness to serve complies with the parental involvement request so often preached by educators. Surely the majority of Montgomery County School employees do not believe that every School Board vacancy should be filled with so-called "professional" educators. Montgomery County, including Blacksburg, is quite diverse, and always has had its share of educators on the school board. An appropriate mix of school board talent is healthy, and the Board of Supervisors should be complimented for its recent appointments.

Arnold J. Saari

Blacksburg

The truth about North

Your handling of Oliver North and his "felony conviction for lying to Congress" is an example of closing your eyes to the facts and parroting the Washington Beltway "in" crowd.

In the Oliver North case, there are 1,000 pages of testimony by Robert McFarlane, North's boss. He testified:

A. North always gave every bit of heart he had to see the job was done; his capacity for work was endless.

B. North has a passionate sense of wanting to save human life and was the kind of Marine who would rather die on the battlefield than see the lowest-ranking soldier die instead.

C. North is a man of action who understands the mission and believes he must direct every bit of talent and imagination he can to succeed in that task.

D. North was not the kind of man who went out free-lancing, doing things unbeknownst to his superiors.

E. Reagan approved covert operations to support paramilitary activities in Nicaragua. His enthusiasm for this support was clearly emphasized to the cabinet. McFarlane personally told North of the president's instruction to keep the freedom fighters together, body and soul.

So Oliver North was not convicted of lying to Congress and he wasn't absolved by a technicality. He was convicted of obstruction of our Congress, those virtuous Democrat public servants, shredding documents, and accepting a security fence at his home from General Secord when he and his family were threatened by terrorists. His conviction was overturned because he was not afforded a fair trial. That is not a technicality, that is a right of everyone, even military officers!

Bob Anderson

Blacksburg