Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 25, 1995 TAG: 9503270008
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Has Mayor David Bowers forgotten he's not our boss? We, the citizens, are his boss. Have Council members - who voted against a referendum so citizens could vote on changing from an at-large system to a modified ward system of city government - forgotten this also?
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I guarantee you that this citizen will not forget what happened in City Council chambers on March 13 when the time comes to choose our next mayor and City Council. Neither will the people who, along with me, left that meeting with footprints all over them!
JEFF ARTIS
ROANOKE
In defense of concealed weapons
THE CONCEALED-weapons bill, sponsored by Sen. Virgil Goode, should be considered a major victory for freedom-loving Virginians. The General Assembly recently sent this bill to Gov. George Allen. It will provide security for all law-abiding Virginians, but the obvious advantage of self-defense given to women would require pages to write about.
As expected, there's some opposition to this bill. There have always been a small minority of anti-gun zealots wanting us to believe that law-abiding, private citizens have no right to own firearms. These self-appointed, "herd leader" types feel the victim should submit meekly to lawbreakers, if police or public defenders aren't present to defend him or her.
The anti-gun minority should keep in mind that the criminal is given much encouragement if he knows his prey is legally disarmed. If the only guns around are his own and those of the police, he only has to worry about pursuit after committing the crime.
Fortunately, for the protection of all Americans, our forefathers had the good common sense to include in the United States Constitution some very necessary words: ``The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.''
ELMER DeHART
STUART
Affirmative action wasn't King's dream
THE BENSON cartoon on your March 4 editorial page, ``1995's Wedge Issue,'' was one that many Southerners, including myself, will find incredibly offensive. There's much that I admire and agree with in your newspaper; therefore, I'm deeply disappointed and shocked that you provided even an inch of space for a cartoon showing two goonish Klansmen holding the Confederate battle flag and standing on a stage opposing affirmative action.
Benson should be ashamed of himself for his insulting display of cheap bigotry toward the flag under which more than 250,000 Southern men fought and died to defend their homeland from Northern invasion - an invasion that U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Chase declared after the war to be ``illegal.''
Virginians, like most Americans, are committed to fairness and equality before the law. Many of us object to the inherent racism of affirmative-action programs that promote candidates for employment, college admission and scholarships based upon their ethnic origins. We should remember Dr. Martin Luther King's dream that every American child be allowed to grow up in a society where he or she will be judged by the content of his or her character, rather than by the utterly meaningless pigmentation of skin.
You owe Southerners an apology for printing Benson's bigoted cartoon implying that the Confederate flag, a symbol of Southern heritage and pride, is nothing more than a racist Klan talisman. I wonder what the Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee thought of Old Glory, which was waved about by the U.S. Cavalry on their mission of genocide?
ALPHONSE VINH
Director
Commonwealth Foundation of Virgini
FAIRFAX
Daring to be new, different
AM I to ascertain that anything new is bad? Change is bad? The old way is best? Then, let's all ride horses to work. If we were meant to fly, we'd have wings.
When it comes to our jobs, never suggest change because it will upset some antediluvian ideas - ``We've always done it this way.''
Outlaw all new vaccines, abolish research. Let AIDS, Alzheimer's, cancer, or any yet-undiscovered diseases depopulate the Earth. Abolish all cosmetic surgery, hearing aids, motorized wheelchairs or anything new to improve our way of life or self-esteem.
New - bad; different - wrong. Outlaw change.
Take away our congressional right to bear arms. What did our founding fathers know? Make all men over 16 years old shave all facial hair. Force women to lower hemlines to cover their ankles. No slacks or shorts for women. Shut down all computer systems. Outlaw contraception.
If new is bad and old is good, then we certainly have a lot of ``good'' thinkers. Have a nice day. But please don't dare to do anything different or new.
P. KEITH WEBB
NEW CASTLE
by CNB