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

DATE: SATURDAY, September 30, 1995                   TAG: 9510020015
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THE PROBLEM WITH YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLING

YEAR-ROUND schools don't equal year-round learning. A wrong assumption is that children can only learn in a government-run public school building. This isn't the case, and I want to show the other side of the coin.

Reasons I oppose year-round schools include:

Summer camps: I've seen more education, personal growth, exploration and creativity in camps than in public schools. (I have been a teacher and camp director). What would happen to these wonderful institutions? Camps also provide leadership opportunities as counselors for teens.

Family: It's false to assume that summer is only to be used for families to support theme parks. Actually, I learned more at home with my parents about values, outdoor and environmental appreciation, home repair, and peer interaction than in a desk staring at a blackboard. Also, it's obvious public schools are no longer concerned with teaching values.

Public school agendas: Public schools increasingly are concerned with political agendas such as sex education, a liberal National Education Association union voting voice, anti-religion, non-fundamental learning. Has the NEA ever supported a conservative? Of course not. Conservatives put families and children first, not teachers.

I believe by far that the loss of summer camp would be devastating. I've seen children learn more about nature, art, computers, positive social growth and themselves than they could ever learn in a constricted, peer-pressured public school. My children will always have a choice - camp or school.

JIM DOOLEY

BLACKSBURG

Settle VMI issue at the polls

FOR QUITE some time now, the issue of whether the Virginia Military Institute should admit women has been before the courts.

Many argue that since VMI is supported by tax dollars, women should be admitted. But what about taxpayers who would like to see VMI remain all male? Shouldn't they be allowed to have a voice in the matter? I think so.

VMI doesn't belong to the Justice Department, which has brought the suit, and VMI doesn't belong to the courts. Rather, it belongs to the people of Virginia. Therefore, the issue should be settled by Virginians at the polls.

ROBERT S. McCORMICK JR.

LEXINGTON

Pat Cupp is better qualified

I URGE everyone to support Pat Cupp in his race for the state Senate's 39th district seat. He's mainstream while his opponent, Madison Marye, is far to the left.

Marye is a pro-abortion extremist. When legislation is proposed that would probably increase abortions, he votes yes. When legislation is proposed that would probably reduce abortions, he votes no.

He voted against making sex-selection abortions illegal (girls are usually aborted), ane he voted for taxpayer-paid abortions. He voted against requiring parental notification before underage girls have abortions. These are radical pro-abortion votes.

Marye opposes requiring informed consent before women undergo abortion operations. It makes no difference to him that women are fully informed before undergoing other operations. He voted to punish pro-life demonstrators much more harshly than other demonstrators, such as homosexual and animal-rights demonstrators. His positions on these issues indicate he's a pro-abortion zealot.

Let's replace our radical-left senator with a mainstream senator. Replace Marye with Cupp.

ERNESTINE FRITH

RADFORD

Lamar is to be congratulated

CONGRATULATIONS to Lamar Advertising for pulling the billboard ads on ''Celebrating Diversity'' (Sept. 8 article, ``Company rejects ad from gay-rights panel''). It's refreshing to find a company that's willing to be politically incorrect these days and stand up to the new-found political power of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition.

Apparently executives at Lamar realize that homosexuality is no more mainstream than pedeophilia or bestiality, and isn't a diversity at all but a perversion. It's high time this type of behavior is relegated back to where it belongs - in the closet - and not on Main Street!

DON ASSAID

ROANOKE

Prayer meeting at the flagpole

THANKS to Wayne Deel for the photograph (Sept. 21, ``Meeting at the pole'') of our country's future leaders gathered around our flag in prayer. Also, a big thanks to Cody Lowe for the nice write up (``Flagpole becomes a chapel'') regarding this subject, also.

Prayer changes things. We need to keep Jesus on display at all times. Please don't put him on a shelf and get him out when the wind doesn't blow your flag in the right direction.

God bless America!

PAM KINGERY

ROANOKE

by CNB