Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 30, 1995 TAG: 9508300038
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Our great country was unified for the common good. We levied taxes for fire and police protection, salaries for leaders, education for all, for roads, and for military training for men who would be ready to protect our country, etc.
To batter down the door to a traditionally all-male school because public taxes support it partially or totally makes one wonder whether refunds should be issued if you've never had a fire or a burglary. How about childless citizens receiving a rebate?
Where is the consideration of providing for the common good?
We unite for tragedies. Why can't we unite for successes?
ELSA LOWE
SALEM
Prices too high at Salem stadium
I ATTENDED the opening baseball game at Salem's new stadium. I took a water bottle, and when I got up to the gate, a man said that I couldn't take it in. I'm a diabetic and drink lots of water. I took the bottle back to the car.
Looks as if they don't mind selling beer, yet you can't smoke in the stands. They're so goody-goody. But they can make lots of money selling beer and other concessions. Baseball caps cost $13 and up. This isn't major league baseball.
I've attended several games at Baltimore and Cincinnati. Prices aren't much worse. I'll attend few games at this stadium.
FRANK E. JONES I
TROUTVILLE
Citadel had 23 others who failed
BENSON'S CARTOON on the Aug. 22 Opinion page of your newspaper, and others that have been credited to him in the past, can leave no doubt in anyone's mind that he has a great disrespect and dislike for women in general, and particularly those who dare to step outside the circle he has drawn for them.
An equally ``funny'' cartoon might be achieved by changing the arm patch on the ``feminist'' to read ``Citadel Drill Instructor,'' changing the script to read ``Men'' instead of ``Faulkner,'' and then adding 23 prone male bodies on the ground. The 23 would depict the ones who entered with the appropriate physical anatomy, but without being forced to endure 2 1/2 years of court battles, threats of physical harm to themselves and their families, vandalism to their homes and other property, being vilified by public demonstrators every time they left their homes, television cameras recording their every move, and being shunned and frozen out by fellow cadets and instructors once they got there. Yet they failed just as Faulkner did.
Actually, it would be much more interesting to hear and read endless discussions and dissections of why these men didn't make it since we already know that Shannon Faulkner failed simply because she's female. It would give us a good perspective on the situation to see personal interviews, know their names, how they did or didn't prepare themselves to enter The Citadel, what happened, who picked them up when they left, whether they walked or were carried out, whether others at the school cheered as they left, and whether any T-shirts were printed in their honor.
MARY JANE KELLY
WYTHEVILLE
Flooding problems likely to continue
THE ROCKBRIDGE County Zoning Board is considering an ordinance that, in effect, would take away our rights as homeowners. We (in the 100-year flood plain) wouldn't be allowed to build, repair, add on to or sell our property.
There's already an ordinance that meets Federal Emergency Management Administration requirements. Most people on the flood plain of South River have insurance. Banks require flood insurance.
There are various ways to alleviate flooding problems, which can be done with assistance from various government programs.
Some of us have wanted to dredge the river that runs through our property, but the Environmental Protection Agency won't allow it, even though it would help control some of the flooding.
Some Rockbridge County supervisors are against homes on the flood plains, but want commerce, industry and agriculture to remain on the plains. Anyone with common sense knows these are the heaviest polluters of rivers, etc.
MARGARET AILIFF
BUENA VISTA
School leaders need our prayers
I REMEMBER that, when I was growing up, my pastor would sometimes ask the congregation to read prayers from the heavy, indigo prayer book tucked in the back of the pew. I was always awed and encouraged by the prayers for ``our president and leaders.'' It felt right and good to pray for these people in order to give them the strength, courage and wisdom they needed to help us and our world.
There have been a lot of articles in The Roanoke Times these past few weeks about our school systems. The low test scores in some districts, and the problems and promise of others, remind us that school leaders make many of the most far-reaching and important decisions about our world.
Maybe we, as a community, could begin to pray for superintendents of our school systems. Certainly, they're worthy of our prayers. They are the ones who have been entrusted with our most precious resource, our children.
Superintendents, principals, administrators and school-board members are those who'll lead our society into the new millennium. God bless them, and all the teachers and volunteers who teach, lead and nurture our beautiful children.
KIMBERLY M. ISAKSSON-KAYLOR
SALEM
by CNB