ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 5, 1995 TAG: 9512050065
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
AS A SENIOR citizen, I am insulted by an Oct. 24 letter I received from Rep. Rick Boucher, and I would think many other seniors would feel the same way.
The first paragraph states: ``Knowing that you share my opposition to legislation being promoted by the new congressional majority which would enact ``deep cuts'' in Medicare funding, I am writing to provide an update on our efforts to preserve Medicare and personal funding cuts from occurring.''
Boucher doesn't know if I share his opposition to this legislation (which I do not), and it's blatantly presumptuous of him to try to tell me how I feel about something.
The letter is an obvious Democratic scare tactic on seniors by saying ``deep cuts'' would be enacted when no cuts are proposed in benefits, much less deep cuts. Benefits would continue to increase over the years, but at a reduced rate in an effort to keep Medicare from going bankrupt. He also stated that he hopes to preserve Medicare as if the proposal is to eliminate it, which is untrue.
Implications by him (and also by groups such as the American Association of Retired Persons) are that seniors (probably because they're such a strong voting bloc) shouldn't play any part in the reductions necessary to keep this country solvent, and we're so selfish and self-centered that we cannot sacrifice in any way, even if it's at the expense of future generations.
There are seniors (and people in other age groups) who need help, but I feel most seniors are fortunate enough, responsible enough and care about our country's future enough to do our fair share of sacrificing along with our children and grandchildren.
JIM BUSH
WILLIS
Classrooms must have computers
IN RESPONSE to Glenda Daniel's Nov. 19 letter to the editor, ``Democrats' school stance won't compute'':
Which decade is she living in? Certainly not this one.
New schools, smaller classrooms and computers are essential. When Daniel's daughter enters a kindergarten classroom, two things her mother will be most concerned about: the condition of the school and the size of the class. Or at least she should be concerned.
She should also hope that the classroom contains at least one computer, because by the time her daughter enters school, knowing how to use a computer will be as basic as knowing how to read and write. It probably already is. It's true that Abraham Lincoln didn't use a computer, but he didn't use electricity and automobiles either.
How does she know that schools aren't teaching history the way they used to? Schools I'm familiar with do a good job of teaching history, and most students I know learn who Lincoln was in kindergarten. As for phonetics, some people learn to read phonetically and some people are better sight-readers. Daniel seems to like to group all schools together. All schools are not equally good or bad.
Most telling is the singling out of black and Hispanic children and children of unwed mothers. Why assume that they are always going to be lower-achieving students? Why assume that other children set higher standards? (I assume these ``other children'' are white and living in a two-parent home in which parents learned to read phonetically and are therefore educationally superior, although they don't use computers.)
The key to improving our educational system is to figure out what students need to learn to be employable and to enjoy a high quality of life. Next, we need to figure out the best ways to teach it to them. Computers are an excellent learning tool, and children have a natural affinity for them. They are much better at using them than most adults.
REBECCA HEDRICK
DUBLIN
Warner voted for Big Oil' interests
IT'S NOT often I find myself agreeing with your Opinion page, but I must let you know that you're 100 percent correct on one subject. Your Nov. 22 editorial (``Poised to drill a refuge'') regarding the vote on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was right on target.
Voters should remember Sen. John Warner when election time comes around. He accepted almost $80,000 in campaign contributions from the oil industry, and then voted in favor of drilling for oil in the unspoiled wilderness of Alaska - one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
RODNEY DALHOUSE
DALEVILLE
LENGTH: Medium: 85 linesby CNB