Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505100007
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: D-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Yet at this critical moment, the United States is turning away from Africa. New congressional leaders have proposed severe cuts in U.S. foreign assistance, especially to Africa and other poor regions. They're aggressively attacking U.S. aid programs, such as the Development Fund for Africa, that promote self-help development and reduce poverty.
From 1982 to 1987, we worked in the 10 countries of southern Africa based in Botswana. We saw and experienced firsthand the consequences of war, extreme poverty, and the resulting desperation. We've also seen U.S. assistance make a real difference in a country's economy by creating jobs, self-help housing projects, secondary school and health-care improvements. We oppose cutting our foreign aid assistance because it can make such a difference to those suffering the most. In an increasingly interdependent world, the United States cannot afford to end aid to Africa. Economic deprivation results in social upheaval and political extremism. It's much cheaper to invest in development and prevention than to respond to crises once they occur.
MONICA and MICHAEL APPLEBY
Bread for the World
BLACKSBURG
Dopey diversity is on display
I'M MYSTIFIED at the lack of national introspection regarding the Simpson trial, and equally amazed at your newspaper's avoidance. It's as if you've learned nothing since misleading the country to vote for Bill Clinton by not fully investigating and vetting a candidate for the presidency.
Why haven't you discussed on your opinion pages the floor-model display of our diversity policies that the Simpson trial is? Isn't the trial a microcosm of America? We have a Japanese-American judge, an Afro-American defendant being prosecuted by a female assistant district attorney and assisted by another Afro-American assistant district attorney. We have a predominantly Afro-American jury (with a token Hispanic; it's Los Angeles, after all) - the requisite number of women, and two European-Americans thrown in for ... ?
Meanwhile, criminalist Dennis Fung, who collected crucial blood evidence, seems not to know that he's participating in a murder trial, nor does he seem capable of collecting stool samples, much less blood samples.
Ah, diversity. Thy name is incompetence.
Does our Postal Service not crow about its proud and continuing commitment to diversity? Does our mail come quicker, cheaper, or is it a frustrating bureaucracy, much like our government, committed only to its own self-perpetuation?
Is the trial not like Clinton's Cabinet of diversity that ``would look a lot like America''? Let's look at what's happened to his Cabinet members, and at what stage in the criminal judicial process they're in.
The reason liberal Democrats got their butts kicked up around their ears in the last election, have senators and citizens bolting from party ranks, and will experience the same again in '96 is so simple that you weenies just can't grasp it. Plain and simple, diversity instead of excellence doesn't work. Get it? No, huh?
Those who persevere to overcome adversity, and who work hard and long to achieve success, shouldn't be hobbled and obstructed by a nonoperable policy that rewards someone for skin tint or the number of chromosomes.
MARLEY HILLIARD
HOT SPRINGS
A lottery to reduce the federal deficit?
DEFICIT Reduction Federal Income Tax Lottery, $1-$5, check the box.
One winner from each state, each year, receives exemption from any further federal-income taxation. Period.
Would you play? How many others do you suppose would? What would the generated income be - minus, of course, the winners' taxes or lack of them?
I imagine quite a few million, perhaps tens of millions, might play, and the amount one average individual pays over the span of a tax-paying lifetime would pale in comparison.
However, government wouldn't want to turn us into a bunch of gambling junkies, or would they? For the love of money, just about anything is possible.
JOHN McCRADY
SALEM
Mentally ill may be trampled
AS HIS dad played tough football, Gov. George Allen plays hardball politics. But while his father took on the Cowboys, Gov. Allen plays hard ball with funds for people disabled by mental illness - many of whom are already underfunded into the streets. In the regular session, he tried to cut funding for mental-health care by $4 million, but was defeated by the Democrats.
Like any good gamesman, Allen publicly detested the loss and prepared for a rematch. Using the veto session, he attempted to destroy the defense for those with mental illness by muzzling state agencies.
The play went like this: He vetoed $1.5 million for helping communities care for mentally ill people, and then offered to replace it with advocacy funds to be cut from state agencies. At the same time, he attempted to pass a law blocking agencies receiving state funds from trying to influence legislation.
A goal-line stand by advocates and Democrats defeated him. But if this year's election gives a Republican majority, it's clear those with mental illness will be trampled. For the losers, it will be more confusion, public rejection, poverty, homelessness and lack of medication. For the governor's team, it will be a victory celebration and highlighted numbers on spreadsheets.
``They know not what they do'' - I hope.
TED D. ALLEN
ROANOKE
Earth Day's good news was no news
I'M REALLY disappointed in your newspaper's coverage of local Earth Day events (April 22). No reporter covered the event, and there was no report on the 600 or so participants, including 23 local environmental groups.
This reflects poorly on your newspaper's obligation to educate and inform the public about local efforts to generate support for a better planet.
BILL MODICA
Chairman
Earth Day Committee
SALEM
Blame the lunatics for their actions
I THINK it's pretty crummy for liberal politicians and the liberal media to try to use a national tragedy as a platform against conservatives. There's no way that conservative viewpoints can be linked to the Oklahoma City bombing.
On occasion, I listen to Ken Hamblin and Rush Limbaugh, both of whom, I guess, are being indirectly blamed for the bombing. That's nonsense. Whenever I listen to these shows, I hear ideas and positions that I like and some that I don't agree with, but I don't go out and harm others. To blame the actions of lunatics on another person or ideology is absurd.
This all goes back to the main belief of liberals that people can't be held accountable for their actions. Everyone is a victim, and someone or something else made the bad guy do something really bad. Poor bad guy! Let's spend thousands of dollars to rehabilitate this poor creature who was never given a chance to be good, and then put him back out into society. Then when he does something bad again - oh well, it's certainly not his fault! We just need to spend more money on him and boost his self-esteem. So what if this person commits heinous crimes against innocent people - he has a great self-image paid for by our tax dollars!
It's time people were responsible for themselves and their actions. Stop trying to put the blame on others, especially on those who don't share your political or religious beliefs.
KIMBERLY D. CARICO
ROANOKE
by CNB