Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 30, 1995 TAG: 9505040001
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: G-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
This conservative is offended by some of their remarks, which they defend as ``freedom of speech.'' This is a recent development that goes beyond the limits of propriety just as the liberal media have been doing for years.
During my teen-age years in the '30s, vulgar language wasn't permitted in the media - radio or print. In movies, a kiss could last only seconds, married couples slept in twin beds, and Roy Rogers kissed his horse and then rode into the sunset. The first vulgar word I heard on television was President Truman's ``damn media'' after a slighting review in The Washington Post of his daughter's performance.
Since then, the liberal media, Hollywood and television have continuously breached the boundaries of decency and morality. Little by little, offensive words and actions have invaded our homes, and educated our young in violence, vulgarity, and increasingly graphic sex scenes.
I heard a nurse complain recently that when she entered the room where her 5-year-old daughter was watching television, her daughter turned to her saying, ``Sex, that's what teen-agers have, isn't it?''
Once, we talked of the innocence of children. Now we talk of 11- and 12-year-old pregnant children.
I see no difference in the freedom-of-speech claims of the ultramedia or ultraconservatives. I despise both for breaching the bounds of decency and morality.
GEORGE F. SNYDER
VINTON
Lower deficit isn't Clinton's doing
PRESIDENT Clinton claims that his administration has lowered the deficit. Not only has this assertion gone unchallenged by the press, but this newspaper has actually called this his greatest accomplishment. Though the deficit growth has decreased during the past two years, in no way is this due to Clinton's leadership.
The budget for the first half of his presidency was initiated during the Bush administration. Many of Clinton's programs didn't even take effect until 1995. The two primary reasons for a shrinking deficit were lower costs for the savings-and-loan bail-out and lower interest payments on the national debt. Though Clinton claims his budget proposals were what lowered interest rates, he seems not to have noticed that rates have risen steadily throughout his administration. He's also chosen to fund the deficit with short-term bonds. This has yielded short-term gains, but carries long-term risk.
Clinton seems to have forgotten that he advocated spending $30 billion more on the crime bill, $16 billion more on the stimulus package, more on the national-service program, more to ``reform''welfare, and more on scores of other programs.
To their credit, Clinton and Congress did reduce defense spending. But at the same time, they have expanded the defense mission. Now the Department of Defense predicts a deficit of its own.
Finally, Clinton (more precisely, a Democratically controlled Congress) has delivered us a lower deficit. However, the national debt has continued to soar. Thirty years of the Great Society has left every American $20,000 in the hole. Meanwhile, plight of the middle class and the poor has actually worsened.
As Clinton's latest budget proves, he is unwilling to propose any meaningful spending cuts. Yet he's criticized every spending reduction proposed by Republicans. His criticism would be credible if he had come up with a plan of his own. After two years of listening to Clinton claiming victory for what he's done, I'm still waiting for him to do something.
MICHAEL THOMAS
ELLISTON
Tragedy reminds us of our dependence
THE OKLAHOMA bombing is proof again that America is suffering and our future is uncertain. As explosions of rampant violence, confusion and immorality erupt around us, it remains obvious that we're a nation without direction and focus. Flailing frantically, we try to bandage the lacerations with the elixir of compromise. But it won't work. We as a nation must come back to our roots of dependence on God and prayer.
From our national anthem to monuments to currency, we're reminded of our need to trust in God and depend upon him for our very existence and our nation's existence. There is no better way to express our need and gratitude than through the power of prayer. Prayer is a time of communion and commitment with God on a personal level. It's an activity that God has sworn to honor, and that God commands.
ANDY and GLENNA HOLLEY
MONETA
Miller's retirement is Virginia's loss
THE RECENT news of Del. Clinton Miller's retirement after 24 years in the House of Delegates should be noted with regret by more than those of his Northern Shenandoah Valley District (April 5 article, ``Citing `less civil' Va. legislature, Miller opts against re-election bid'').
Miller represents a small number of citizen legislators who, despite the usual partisan wrangling, are willing to put public interest ahead of short-term political gain. He enjoys unprecedented respect from fellow legislators of both parties because of his integrity, principles and courtesy.
The true test of a man of conviction isn't when he tells his enemies they're wrong, but when he does the same to his friends. Although it hurt his political standing within the Republican caucus, Miller hasn't hesitated to resist ill-conceived initiatives from the governor's office when a more expedient course of being the good team player would have been infinitely easier. An example: the Disney Park in Prince William County, which, once scrutinized, would have been more costly to taxpayers, yielding far fewer jobs and economic benefit than touted. Miller was one of very few Republicans who had the courage to resist being swept off his feet by the marketing ballyhoo, instead following a path of caution. He insisted on studying the proposal in depth, and challenged many assumptions and projections.
I could go on about his impact on shaping Virginia's future over the past quarter century. I became his friend during his 1993 bid for the governorship, and never once during that uphill and ultimately hopeless endeavor did I ever see anything but a perfect gentleman. He was always upbeat and optimistic, never seemed bitter about his lack of funds, staff or organization, and he could, on a moment's notice, hold a roomful of people in awe with his wit, intellect and beautiful command of the language.
Virginians are losing a public servant who truly embodies all the virtues our founding fathers envisioned when they created a citizen legislature.
GILBERT E. BUTLER JR.
ROANOKE
Roanoke should go for the green
YOUR April 23 editorial (``Greenways need more than study'') is a nudge in the right direction. But I believe it will take a much greater effort with the newspaper's resources to educate many of its readers as to what greenways are and the benefits that would derive from them.
Your last editorial on the subject (Jan. 16, ``Valley greenways: the cost factor'') pointed out that for a relative small investment, many parks and interesting areas of the valley could be linked, if acted upon in a timely manner. The timely manner being, as you pointed out in your April 23 editorial, in accord with other public works' projects. To not do so would not be bad planning, but would be no planning.
Since this is a benign sort of quality-of-life project, you won't find very many of the valley's ``leaders'' scrambling to get aboard the greenway bandwagon. Maybe you should throw out some figure, like $75 million, with an up-front payment to some firm to do an ``engineering'' study for a mere $5 million. Then we'll see them come out of the woodwork to support it.
Can you imagine the valley connected from every direction to every destination with greenways? The biking, hiking, walking, jogging, roller-skating and roller-blading would be a health and a social benefit.
This is something that's worthwhile and doable. Let's not just forget about it.
DOUGLAS CHANDLER GRAHAM
SALEM
by CNB