Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 27, 1995 TAG: 9503010011
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
If students were again taught lessons from Scripture, our society would be transformed! They'd learn not to kill, steal, lie or cheat. They'd learn how to read (and not just at the absolute lowest level), build vocabulary, and exercise their minds as they studied deep and pithy concepts of life (for example, from Proverbs). They'd learn the sad consequences of sin, and the positive consequences of righteous behavior.
They'd be introduced to ancient history, as well as to how the Judeo-Christian culture and faith has impacted the whole Western world. Because the system of law and jurisprudence we brought here from Great Britain was founded on God's law, given to Moses in the Old Testament, they'd be introduced to an understanding of law.
Due to erroneous interpretation of the constitutional safeguard against having a state religion, we now have not separation of church and state, but what amounts to state against church.
For those growing up in an age (and area) where using the Bible was a regular part of our school day, it's tragic that in schools today the only values children are taught is secular humanism, which the Supreme Court has declared to be a religion. If man's wisdom is so much greater than God's, how come the school system of my day was so much superior to what kids are getting now?
SHIRLEIGH M. MARVIN
BLACKSBURG
Broadcasting's history of abuse
I HAD the pleasure of reading the most well-reasoned, unemotional, and almost thorough treatise ever to grace your commentary page. I refer to Marc James Small's excellent writing, competently explaining why we as Americans shouldn't use our tax money to finance domestic broadcasts of the Public Broadcasting System or National Public Radio (Feb. 6 commentary, ``Take the `public' out of broadcasting''). After all, this is a free society and most tax-paying citizens don't listen to PBS or NPR.
To eliminate the word "almost" in the above paragraph, I would have included the fact that throughout the world unscrupulous political figures (and we have had more than our share over years past) have used nationally owned and operated transmitters to sell idiotic, self-serving ``national'' programs. Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini come to mind in my lifetime, and not to forget Vargas, Franco, Peron, etc., whose programs for ``saving the country'' led to domestic ruin and world upheaval.
We should remember the 10th Amendment. We have it in our Constitution to, among other things, avoid federal government becoming too intrusive in our domestic life. Our public servants - elected, hired or appointed - should remember the 10th when taking an oath to defend the Constitution. Having lived for more than 20 years in a couple of the ill-fated countries referred to above, and having traveled widely in many others, I speak from experience, not theory.
I congratulate Small. He's big in my book!
CLARK D. BURTON
MONETA
Foster's credibility is the issue
ON FEB. 14, there was an article (``Foster allies attack'' from Knight-Ridder/Tribune) concerning Henry Foster's nomination for surgeon general. The article basically said that he was under attack by extremists.
While I oppose the nomination, I don't really consider myself extreme. I was outraged when Vice President Al Gore was quoted as saying, ``We will not let the extremists win.'' Is this the type of government we have? This statement is pretty cut and dry; they don't care for our concerns in opposing Foster. Their main goal is not to let extremists win.
While abortion is an issue, I don't think it's the main one. The real issue is that Foster hasn't been truthful in his admissions of performing abortions. I think this poses a legitimate concern about his credibility, regardless of whether you're pro-life or pro-choice.
Also, I'm tired of the label that the liberal media and politicians have given to pro-life advocates. We're pro-life, yes. Pro-life, not anti-abortion or anti-choice, as liberals like to call it. I guess that makes pro-choice advocates ``anti-life.'' Notice the difference in the feeling conveyed by names?
BOBBY D. JONES
CHRISTIANSBURG
Some must work for good marriages
REGARDING THE Feb. 12 Extra section article ``You can use a spat to enhance your love life'' by Darryl Owens of the Orlando Sentinel:
As the article indicated, the emotion of anger may be brought on by petty or small differences, or may be present due to much deeper resentments and hostility. Most of the time, spouses get angry when one has done something that the other didn't want him or her to do, or when one has misunderstood what the other has done.
There are hundreds of emotions each of us experiences daily, ranging from joy and elation to sadness and depression; from love and caring to anger, hostility or hatred. Our actions depend upon how well we recognize the emotion and then choose to act upon it, for we do have a choice! The closeness of the marriage relationship produces ample opportunity for producing both positive and negative feelings. Our goal in marriage is to be deeply loved and fully known by another, yet often the failure to resolve thoughts and actions generated by our emotions stands in our way.
Most couples have little if any training in dealing with the multiple emotions present in marriage. As a result, their marriages show little growth. It's estimated that only 10 percent to 15 percent of marriages ever achieve the potential available to them, and at least 50 percent either fail or are marked by little of the true intimacy that is possible.
There are many different programs available to help make marriages better. Our experience with one for the past 18 years has proved to us that no marriage is perfect, but that we can have better marriages if we really want to.
GERALD and ELEANOR ROLLER
ROANOKE
Aunt Jemima image still disturbs many
ON A RECENT visit to the public library in downtown Roanoke, I saw a display case filled with little statues portraying stereotyped images of African-Americans. I was shocked to learn that an African-American woman was responsible for it. She said the display was from a friend's collection, and was worth money as collector items. I talked to the library administrator, who found nothing wrong with it. That was scary to me.
The first step in dehumanizing another person is to stereotype that person's image. The particular stereotype in the display case was the image of Aunt Jemima as a woman in a red dress with a scarf around her head. For decades, black women couldn't get jobs other than domestic jobs because they were portrayed as that Aunt Jemima. Those little statues pictured them as laughing and grinning. No matter what the reality of the situation was, which was that blacks were being discriminated against, it was difficult to overcome the stereotype.
When I was a student, I remember another black librarian at the Gainsboro branch who had a private collection of black history books. It had pictures of black people being lynched, burned alive and watched by smiling faces of whites. Some observers even brought picnic baskets. If this is disturbing, it's reality, and an example of what can happen when one is dehumanized and stereotyped.
That librarian is no longer there, but her spirit lives on in the hearts of those who were touched by her life. When one sees something wrong and remains silent, then evil will triumph.
GLORIA JEAN COAN
ROANOKE
by CNB