Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 15, 1995 TAG: 9509150040
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
As we view the tactics of the early church, one of the first actions members took was to sell what they had and share with everyone. If today's ``Christians'' would practice what the Lord said, and congregations did with their money that the Lord intended, then our taxes would be much lower, and we wouldn't have the worry about the homeless that crowd our streets. We would be able to feed and clothe the multitudes just as Christ fed the 5,000.
It's time for preachers and elders of the church to wake up to the fact that it's indeed our problem and our commission to reach out to the multitudes, and not to see how big a building or bank account we can build.
REV. DONALD R. SAWYER
GALAX
Downtown isn't what it once was
NOW WE have a walkway from Hotel Roanoke to the other side of the tracks. Why can't we rebuild downtown Roanoke like in the good ol' days?
We had indoor movie theaters, a bowling alley with pool table, bars, an A&P grocery store, a produce market with a fish market included, and a newsstand. And business was always good for everyone.
We have rebuilt downtown, and look what we have. Greyhound Bus Lines dumps a lot of people into downtown with time to spend, and the only thing there is the Roanoke Weiner Stand and a couple of bars.
Who knows? Maybe Boxcar Willie will ride in on Greyhound or walk over the walkway looking for a can of sardines. But he'll get fooled. There's nothing on the other side of the tracks anymore, not even a can of pork and beans.
Downtown Roanoke - a ghost town. A lot of small towns have more downtown.
THOMAS ASH
ROANOKE
Prisons have to go some place
I WAS amazed at the Sept. 6 news article, ``Private firm loses bid on prison,'' and the quoted comments of Linda Butt, who is a member of Citizens Against the Prison.
Butt says that she's happy they're not going to put the prison in Wythe County. She belongs to a group of people I call ``Yeah, we need it, but not next door.''
Where are we supposed to put these prisons? In a space station? I don't want one by my house either. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't be thrilled about it - but prisons have to be somewhere.
How often do prison inmates actually escape? You don't hear about it very often. Of course, once is enough. But still, I don't think the danger is that great. I do think it would give a few jobs to people in the area who wouldn't mind guarding prisoners, cooking for them or whatever.
Anyway, I was just amazed at the negative response, since we do need the darned things, whether we like it or not.
I wonder if Butt would be happy if we closed all prisons and let all the rapists, killers and drug dealers out. What would she think about that? We need these prisons, happy about it or not.
NORENA ROBERTSON
ROANOKE
Women hold the key to world peace
REGARDING your Sept. 6 editorial, ``Who's threatening whom?'':
Surely, the United Nations Conference on Women and the corresponding NGO conference are two of the most important world events to happen in this decade. For too long, women have been the primary victims of war, domestic violence and poverty.
I salute the conference on women and your editorial. Truly, women are the key to peace.
WILLIAM JAY BENDER
ROANOKE
Kennedy's guilt was winked away
SEN. BOB Packwood, R-Oregon, resigned from the U.S. Senate because of flagrant and improper sexual overtures toward women who worked on his staff. Even though I'm a Republican, I can go along with this decision because, frankly, he was guilty.
If Packwood hadn't resigned, he probably would have been ousted because the Democrats smelled blood, and they would have pursued it.
However, fair is fair; right is right. What did the Senate do to Sen. Ted Kennedy for Chappaquiddick? Quite candidly, nothing. The so-called punishment was minuscule. What happened was Kennedy got a small fine, had his wrists slapped and his driver's license suspended for a short time. Surely you don't call this justice?
R. KEITH WHITLEY
BEDFORD
News headline revealed bias
YOUR VENDETTA against Gov. George Allen apparently has no bounds. Your newspaper has attacked him almost daily since his election. Your attacks are often personal and rarely attempt to debate the underlying issues. Is this a lack of conviction on your part or simply an inability to get beyond petty name-calling?
However, your Sept. 5 front-page headline ``Allen belabors the issue of Democratic `backsliding''' hit rock bottom on the ladder of professional journalism. Your use of the word ``belabors'' is clearly opinion, not fact. Any self-respecting newspaper would confine opinion to the editorial page, and not to front-page headlines.
Is there anyone working as a journalist at The Roanoke Times who is willing to entertain a different point of view from your constant pounding in favor of tax-and-spend government? It would be refreshing if someone occasionally were allowed to write headlines and select articles for reprint from other newspapers that had a different point of view from those we now see. After all, you're supposed to be a newspaper, not a journal for your personal biases.
BURT A. MURDOCK
BEDFORD
Editor's note: The headline noted above (an attempt at word play on ``Labor'' Day) appeared in an early edition of the newspaper. It was changed in subsequent editions, which most subscribers receive, to read: ``Allen: Vote Republican, or Democrats will `backslide'.''
Taxpayers fund Allen's potshots
WELL, I see the political season has started. I've watched with interest as Gov. George Allen kicked it off in Buena Vista recently. I also watched the various volleys at Del. Dick Cranwell and, to say the least, I'm disappointed.
I haven't forgotten that Gov. Allen said state employees couldn't play computer games on taxpayers' time. I wish he would have his Cabinet and staff quit playing political games on taxpayers' time.
On Sept. 9, The Roanoke Times reported (``Another shot at Cranwell'') that on Sept. 6, Gov. Allen's press secretary, Ken Stroupe, made three unsolicited phone calls to your newspaper trying to get you to report the contents of a letter attacking Cranwell. The letter was written by Secretary of Human Resources Kay Coles James.
I also saw there were two other gubernatorial staff people who made unsolicited calls to your newspaper that same day offering to embellish the story. I wonder if those five calls were charged to the state, occurred during working hours, and were initiated from the governor's staff offices.
I wonder if Secretary James' letter was on official state stationery paid for by taxpayers. Was the letter dictated during working hours and transcribed by a state employee being paid by taxpayers' dollars? Was the letter faxed to your newspaper at taxpayers' expense? My understanding is that the answer to all my questions is yes.
I wish the governor and his staff would cut out the political games using my tax dollars. If he wants to run against Del. Cranwell, he should resign, move to Vinton and raise his own campaign war chest. No computer games and no political games on this taxpayer's dollars, please.
BUDDY TAYLOR
VINTON
by CNB