Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 7, 1995 TAG: 9510090005
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The poltical philosophy of Sen. Madison Marye and Del. Jim Shuler isn't representative of the vast majority of their constituents. They're out of tune and out of touch with the political mainstream, and are championed by the politically naive and the so-called intellectual elite. Their campaign rhetoric is a smokescreen contrived for the gullible and the shortsighted. In Richmond, they follow the beck and call of liberal Democratic power brokers like House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, House Speaker Tom Moss and Senate Majority Leader Hunter Andrews.
The burning issue, says these two Democrats, is public education. Democrats have controlled the General Assembly since long before that party rejected conservative values and embraced liberal socialism 35 years ago. Liberal Democrats have controlled the governor's office for 12 of the past 14 years. If they and their Democrat cronies are the champions of education, why has the quality of education steadily decreased under their long legislative aegis?
The system is faulted, not broke. The answer is to fix it, not spend more taxpayer money, as Marye and Shuler advocate, on flawed educational policies that are responsible for the current condition.
We need a change in Richmond. The issues are critical and the time is ripe.
RICHARD K. CULBERTSON
BLACKSBURG
Stump at least has courage
WHATEVER we think of William Stump, he has guts. And more than most of us.
He's absolutely right that lawyers are part of the problem. Ninety-five percent of them are a laugh; the other 5 percent are part of our nation's backbone.
The American Bar Association is the most powerful union in this nation. They really do support each other. The Teamsters Union and others are far down the list.
Bless all with half the courage of Stump.
EARL W. BOWYER
VINTON
Cartoon was offensive
MY WIFE and I were shocked and offended by the cartoon on your Sept. 26 Opinion page. Being grandparents, this isn't the ``humor'' we tend to impart on our grandchildren whom we dearly love and have serious concerns for their future.
To compare the Medicare problem with the recent killing of a small child in Los Angeles isn't only insensitive but very irresponsible reporting. It appears your newspaper is interested only in alarm tactics to create headlines and cause animosity between the elderly and the younger generation. This is a despicable act, very poor journalism, and could impact future subscription renewals.
ERNEST A. RASNICK
ROANOKE
Today's youth need corrective discipline
I READ the Sept. 23 Associated Press article (``Judge takes off belt, tells grandmother to whip teen'') in The Roanoke Times regarding the sentence that Judge Frank Eppes imposed on an 18-year-old youth offender. Shall it be called ``the belt heard 'round the nation''?
If this proves so, then truly more should be heard. Arlene Andrews, a board member of the South Carolina Alliance for Children, calls it corporal punishment. I call it corrective discipline. Today's youth are out of control. We don't have to read or hear about them - their actions are present everywhere one goes. I've heard foul words from children as young as 4 years old, and have seen pre-teens mouth back at their parents. Words of discipline are being shackled to the twisted words of cruel and unusual punishment. Youth advocates or child-alliance groups don't know what cruel and unusual is - not unless, as a child, they stood in my shoes. It could be thought that because of these groups, the days of respect and discipline are being strangled.
It's not unusual today for a discipliner to end up in court as a disciplinee. The kids love, while parents fear it. I've heard some kids say that if their parents whip them, they'll take them to court. Now a question to the wind. Who blew it?
VICTOR VARGAS
ROANOKE
by CNB