Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 23, 1995 TAG: 9503230044
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
You stated: ``One wonders how many blows the downtown's dignity can reasonably suffer.'' Was it dignity that demolished the Academy of Music and the American Theater? Did dignity chase entrepreneurs of Tobacco Company fame out of town in 1989? Did dignity spread to the suburbs and let Roanoke refuse Piedmont a hub (which instead went to Charlotte)?
As stated by Millie Moore, a real-estate agent, in the March 12 article, ``Downtown paradox,'' downtown is not ``pristine.'' Also stated: ``The need now is more night-time activity and entertainment,'' a void that will be filled by Steelhawk Promotions in conjunction with Fralin and Waldron.
Besides, boxing isn't a relic of the past, but an asset to future development. The fascination of downtown is its diversification, and boxing fans are as diverse as you get. Perhaps it's not a question of couth. Maybe so-called downtown dignities just plain ain't got no sense. C'mon, get your tongue out of your cheek.
BUTCH LEE
ROANOKE
A form of corporal punishment needed
A FEB. 27 news story (``He broke his curfew, but his mom may pay the price'') said that a mother ``allowed her son to break curfew.'' Not so. Roanoke police allowed it, because this wasn't his first but his fifth offense. What happened the other four times?
Why weren't the police as diligent with this youngster as they were with my 75-year-old wife several years ago when she was given her first ticket of any kind for doing 44 mph on Avenham Avenue? She hardly does that speed on the interstates. I still say the officer was short on his quota for the day, and his shift was coming to a close.
Back to the curfew: What this town needs is a taste of what Michael Fay got in Singapore. I predict that none of these kids will ever learn until we adopt some sort of corporal punishment. Putting this smart aleck in stocks in the city square for 12 hours would do more than can a poor, single mother trying to handle him. That also goes for police trying to control his curfew.
EDGAR U. HOOVER
ROANOKE
Leave parenting to the parents
THE MARCH 1 article ``Parents face need `to care' or pay fines'' was generated by a bill in the General Assembly that leaves very little to parenting skills and more to monetary advantages regarding the discipline of children. A $500 fine can be imposed on parents for failure to comply, and a $50 fine imposed for failure to sign an agreement to this intent.
This secular point of the bill forms a broader point. There are a few who won't admit that disciplinary actions have dissipated during the past two decades in our school system due, in part, to child-advocacy groups and developmental-parenting classes. We teach that we can no longer take a hickory cane to our children's backsides, as was the disciplining principle of our ancestors.
One of the many trials and tribulations of parenting is to know when to parent and when not to. It's a growth pattern that shouldn't be altered. Teaching sound fundamentals will lead to moral reasoning; imposing fines won't. Is monetary compensation the way to parenting, and when does it breach the normal bounds of communications?
The Virginia General Assembly shouldn't be in the business of parenting or enacting legislation designed to impede family growth.
JUNE A. THOMPSON
BUCHANAN
A cut in federal spending is needed
I'M IN general agreement with Dan H. Pletta (March 6 letter to the editor, ``Quit the gabbing; make the cuts''). Perhaps some allowance would need to be made for very poor individuals living below the poverty level. But other than that, apply a percentage reduction to every federal government outlay. It couldn't be applied to the present outstanding government debt and interest thereon. It could and should be applied to the president's salary and expense allowances, to the pay of every congressman and judge, every government retiree's pension, Social Security, every appropriation of foreign aid, etc.
I don't know what percentage it would take to do the job, but I doubt that it would be as much as 5 percent. I'd be willing to take a 5 percent cut in my Social Security if I knew the same percentage was being applied across the board, and knew the cut would be used to balance the budget and not used for any other purpose. I believe that most others affected by such a policy would feel the same.
MARVIN A. LAWRENCE
BLACKSBURG
by CNB