Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 16, 1995 TAG: 9509180015
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Those with older record collections know that ``rock and roll'' often appeared in the lyrics of songs recorded as early as 1936, perhaps even 1935. If Freed did indeed coin the phrase, he couldn't have been more than 14 when he did so. Does the difference lie in the use of the abbreviated conjunction?
EDWARD L. HENSON JR. WISE
Inmates should have no rights
A STORY was aired recently on television showing a convicted criminal exercising rights he should have lost when he was incarcerated. The number of trivial lawsuits brought by prisoners staggers the imagination.
It's justifiable if a felon wishes to have a case retried after new evidence has been uncovered. But a convict shouldn't be allowed to sue for a special type of peanut butter or to have chicken blood provided for religious ceremonies.
When our society allows those convicted of crimes to retain this kind of right, prison is no longer a penalty but a farce. If in prison, one should really pay for his or her crime, not in an inhuman way, but neither with the full rights other citizens enjoy. When you commit a crime, which takes a right away from an innocent person, you deserve to lose rights when convicted.
Life behind bars should be harsh enough that when convicts get out, they'll behave themselves because they fear being sent back. Respect, mixed with a little fear, keeps the majority of us trying to obey the laws of our land. This should work for lawbreakers in prison also.
BERNARD D. STEVENSON WIRTZ
Billboards help inform visitors
WHAT makes Angie Daly (Sept. 4 letter to the editor, ``Billboards are hiding the scenery'') the authority on outdoor advertising in the Smith Mountain Lake area?
Although I understand her concerns about billboards, I feel compelled to address some of Daly's blanket generalizations on the subject.
She states that regulations are needed to control the outdoor-advertising business. I wish to make her aware that regulations governing billboards are currently in place and enforced by the Virginia Department of Transportation or local municipalities, and that billboards in the lake area comply with those regulations.
I have a hard time drawing the correlation between Warrenton and Smith Mountain Lake. Let's compare apples to apples. I ask that we look to Lake Norman if we wish to compare the use and impact of outdoor advertising.
I realize that my business interest may somewhat prejudice my views on the subject. However, not only am I the owner of an outdoor-advertising company, but I'm also a lake resident who values the beauty of the lake as much as Daly. There are other vital concerns in the lake area where energy and efforts could be focused, such as water quality and recreational safety.
I also contend that billboards provide valuable information to lake visitors and increase awareness of local attractions.
RANDALL Z. HODGES President Hodges Signs ROANOKE
Chocolate-covered Chihuahuas?
THIS IS about the pooch-eating gator (Aug. 29 Associated Press article, ``Old Florida gator had a rich palate''). God forbid that an alligator should eat a dog, even if that dog is running through a swamp.
This wild animal, living in nature, has beat the odds of natural selection. It made the swamp its home, where it lived its life for 50 years!
So here comes Joe Blow (the names have been changed to protect the innocent, except for the gator) of Fox Chasers Anonymous. He chucks ol' Blue out into the swamp, and then gets upset when an alligator eats it.
Look, if you don't want your $5,000 dog eaten, don't put it out where it shouldn't be in the first place. Unless, of course, you're going to kill all the gators that mistake your dog for dinner. Gators really should know the difference, shouldn't they?
MARK DAVIS ROANOKE
by CNB