Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, August 14, 1995                   TAG: 9508140019
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MANY VICTIMS WERE SAVED BY THE BOMB

When the Japanese swept over Indonesia, I was one of thousands who fell victim to the invasion. Like almost all the others, we were Dutch, though my brother, sister and myself had all been born and raised on the island of Java where our father managed a cotton-textile mill. Like most of the men, he was a military reservist, and was called up when war began. He was captured, and put to forced labor. He and we were lucky in that he survived. Many prisoners, badly mistreated, didn't. We knew nothing of where he was or even whether he was alive, until the war was over.

My mother and we children were sent to a separate concentration camp, a ``good camp'' by comparison. It was a place where starvation was our everyday companion. An actual green leaf in our meager ration was an event. People envied a family that got a piece of intestine in their pitiful ration. People ate the weevils in the food. Not too many were picky enough to turn away from any kind of protein you could actually swallow, and if you were strong enough, manage to keep down. Beatings were frequent. Many of the weaker didn't survive. At the end, I almost joined them. Though at 15, a grown woman at least in size, I was down to 85 pounds and extremely weak.

It was at just this time that the bombs were dropped, the Japanese surrendered, and British and Australian troops came into our camp and brought with them real food, decent treatment and new hope.

To us - the victims of Japanese cruelty - there's no question about the morality of the dropping of the bombs. I know it's the reason I'm alive today.

VIVIAN MICHAELS HARDY

Big money buys brainwashing

OUT OF respect for their mother and their privacy, I was going to remain silent regarding the Via brothers' venture into the arena of political contributions, or the indirect buying of votes.

However, Peter Via's Aug. 5 letter to the editor (``Look who's crying foul about big campaign contributions'') and the condescending Briefly Put editorial require refutation.

Money buys exposure in the media not of facts but of propaganda reflecting the views of the one paying for same. The more money, the more repetition of such views, which constitutes a form of brainwashing.

This is, quite simply, using money to buy votes. The more money, the more votes bought. The bigger the contribution, the more votes involved and the more beholden the candidate becomes - thus creating a special interest for the giver.

If persons making large contributions were truly interested in competitive politics or the quality of life in this valley and Virginia, they would divide their money evenly among the candidates so that our airways in October would equally carry opposing viewpoints. Let voters make up their minds based on their views, not brainwashing. Or better yet, sponsor and fund a nonpartisan voter-registration drive. That wouldn't set well with the Via brothers' good partisan buddy Gov. George Allen, who opposes increased registration of Virginians.

Via condemns Dels. Richard Cranwell and Clifton Woodrum for partisan politics as if Republican candidates don't engage in it and are not partial to Allen's Republican philosophy.

FRANKLIN M. RIDENOUR ROANOKE

Remember the price paid for freedom

I REMEMBER the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in December 1941. I survived that infamous day. I remember four years of eagerly waiting for peace to return in 1945.

I remember, with sadness, the many valiant men and women who didn't return. I remember, with gladness, my husband's return. I remember, with thankfulness, my brother's return.

Please remember the price paid for freedom and peace.

LIL HARRIS WOOTTON ROANOKE