ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 1, 1996 TAG: 9602010072
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
I TAKE exception to your disturbing editorial of Jan. 27 titled ``Signs of hate mar the community.'' You accuse those who take exception to open promotion of homosexuality of being hateful and blinded by prejudice.
The people in your advertising department exercise their right to refuse an advertisement when they deem it the prudent course. As a subscriber, I'm glad they do. Why then do you vilify Lamar Advertising when it makes a decision to decline a billboard it feels is too controversial?
You're correct when you note that a billboard doesn't require anyone to agree with its message. In this case, the danger is in the subtlety of what lurks behind a seemingly wholesome message. In the current context, this message (``Diversity Enriches'') implies accepting a lifestyle most in our society believe is immoral.
Diverse individuals may indeed enrich our society, but what does that have to do with what goes on behind closed doors? I believe it should stay behind closed doors. That makes me hateful and blinded by prejudice?
BARRY ARMSTRONG
ROANOKE
Flag's symbolism is unfairly depicted
REGARDING the political cartoon on your Jan. 12 Opinion page:
As a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, I found the cartoon depicting the two "good ol' boys" driving a pickup with Confederate flags in the windows and on the bumper not to be in very good taste.
As long as people associate the Confederate flag with racial and ethnic hatred, I'm afraid this will become the norm. The Confederate flag never was and never should be a symbol of ethnic and racial hate, but a symbol of states' rights. Let's not tarnish the memory of our Civil War veterans this way.
ROBERT C. HARRELL
ROANOKE
A matter of students' choice
THE JAN. 14 article, ``No help on those tuition bills,'' which discussed Gov. George Allen's proposal to increase funding for the TAG program, ignored a major point. TAG is only available to a select group of students attending a select group of private colleges. Students attending National Business College are not eligible for TAG. As a student attending National, I find this to be unfair.
If TAGs are ``vouchers'' given to students to pay for college, then all private colleges should be included. And I should be able to decide to which college I want to go. All Virginians who are working to improve themselves and their future should be eligible for state financial aid. After all, those TAGs are being paid for by tax dollars collected from all Virginia residents, including me.
LISA COCHRAN
ROANOKE
To win may depend on the horse
YOUR JAN. 12 Extra section article, "Easy Riders," regarding the high-school rodeo competition in Southwest Virginia, may not have provided all the pertinent facts.
I applaud the young lady (and all other contestants involved in this sport) for being participants. However, I recall more than 20 years ago when my daughter, a 4-H Club member, used to enter local riding events when we lived in New Jersey. She was a good rider. However, she had to work many hours with her horse to even place in any of the events. What was so disheartening was to observe some of the other contestants, with little riding ability, consistently winning most of the events because their parents had the money to buy their child an expensive horse, which often meant the horse had been professionally trained. Many of these horses can win events, such as the pole and barrel races, regardless of who is sitting in the saddle.
You mentioned the young lady has "racked up an impressive number of wins at various high-school rodeos, especially for someone who has only been competing for about a year." How long has her horse been competing? The fact may be that her horse has racked up an impressive number of wins over a period of many years experience.
PETER A. HOPKINSON
MONETA
LENGTH: Medium: 81 linesby CNB