Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 28, 1994 TAG: 9407280047
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Recently, Allen removed his foot from his mouth to put it into the case involving custody of a son by a lesbian mother. Allen, playing to the religious right, came out against the lesbian mother's right to custody of her son. His reasoning? The common-wealth's archaic sodomy statutes! (A good conservative would denounce such an outmoded law as state intrusion into Virginia citizen's bedrooms.) Further, in denouncing homosexuals, he overlooked the fact that the same law applies equally to heterosexuals and could be used to deny straights custody of their children. So much for the governor's love of ``family values.''
In the support Allen has given to the ridiculous Disney project in Northern Virginia he further reveals his socialist outlook. He plans to give Disney $176 million of Virginia taxpayers' money to lure the project to our state. Why should the state support private and extremely wealthy corporations such as the Disney Company? A conservative might have had some respect for Virginia's tradition, including historic towns, sites and battlefields that will be jeopardized by the Disney project and its adjacent urban sprawl.
Allen is simply the latest of the big-government manipulators he professed to despise when campaigning.
JERE REAL LYNCHBURG
Dogs don't start out bad
REGARDING the 7-year-old girl who required 72 stitches because she was attacked by a husky (July 8 news article, ``Girl, 7, badly hurt in dog attack''):
The mother wants the dog killed. I don't know specific facts in this case, but from many observations, it seems there are few mean puppies. Just about all puppies love children. Many mean adult dogs who attack children have been made that way because no one stopped children from throwing stones, hitting and teasing an innocent animal.
Everyone has great sympathy for the innocent little girl, but all we can do is try to prevent similar incidents from occurring. If we don't remove the causes of mean, child-hating dogs, others will quickly take their place, regardless of how many we destroy. Maybe the best solution is to strictly enforce cruelty-to-animals laws.
In some ways, dogs remind me of machines. Quality machines that need to be destroyed are rare. Punishing animals with the death penalty due to human faults seems to be on the same level as destroying cars and other machinery due to the operator's shortcomings.
Having sympathy for animals, as well as people, may pay bigger dividends than destroying them. I remember one case where a young girl was followed home and attacked by a human. A dog was let loose to save her. I'm sure many an old and helpless human owes his or her well-being and life to a vicious dog, which like a machine, can get into trouble due to human faults.
RUTH IRMER MONTVALE
Hearts ever true to Jefferson High
IN RESPONSE to Gertrude W. Lester's July 15 letter to the editor, ``The magic is back at old Jefferson'':
The last sentence in her letter was: ``We owe so much to those who saved our high school from extinction. We say, thank you.'' Her letter meant so much to me, because I was involved in the saving of this building.
I graduated from Jefferson Senior High School in 1962. Believe it or not, I cried all the way through my commencement. I loved every day I spent there, and didn't want to leave. I cried again when I saw it closed and left to deteriorate. The threat of tearing it down for a parking lot broke my heart, so I and several others with the same feelings got busy to turn this course of action around.
The people involved, up through today, have not only been many in number, but also have been truly dedicated and loyal to this cause. This is evidenced in the wonderful, new Jefferson Center.
``Still through her halls we wander - Our hearts will ever be true.''
SHERRY PROCTOR CHANDLER Jefferson Class, 1962 ROANOKE
by CNB