ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 9, 1996 TAG: 9602090097
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
FROM THE letters to the editor by Jenni Nolen (Jan. 12, ``Goodlatte's dubious distinction'') and Pauline Johnson (Jan. 24, ``Goodlatte cares about mothers and children''), it's difficult to know whether Congressman Bob Goodlatte is strongly or mildly opposed to abortion.
I do know every year he votes against funding the program that provides family-planning services (but not abortions) to the poor. In Virginia, all that money goes to health-department clinics to provide pregnancy tests, contraceptives, annual exams, cancer screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. The program targets teen-agers and poor families who lack insurance and aren't eligible for Medicaid because they work.
According to Johnson's letter, Goodlatte ``only opposes taxpayers' funding of family-planning services for organizations that also provide abortion services.'' Yet he has repeatedly voted against this funding for the Virginia Health Department. Perhaps in other states some family-planning funding is used by organizations that also provide abortion services, but not in Virginia. Goodlatte should consider Virginia's citizens first.
As a former health-department employee, I know firsthand how important it is to provide family-planning services to the working poor. It's precisely because Goodlatte has misgivings about abortion that he should lead the charge to prevent unintended pregnancies through family planning.
WINNIE KRASNOW
ROANOKE
The facts didn't sway opinion
UNDER THE headline on your Jan. 18 Commentary page article, ``High court settles for discrimination,'' Cathleen Cleaver wrote: ``Religious discrimination is alive and well, and taxpayer-funded.'' She's described as ``director of legal studies at the Family Research Council, a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy organization.'' Many readers may not know that she's affiliated with a religious-right group headed by Gary Bauer, which marches in lock step with the Christian Coalition.
Cleaver's description of the case of ninth-grader Brittney Settle, who was given a zero grade on a research paper titled ``The Life of Jesus Christ,'' and Cleaver's excoriation of the teacher, the School Board, a federal district court and the U.S. Supreme Court as guilty of religious discrimination, is typical of religious-right tactics.
I'm told that the teacher assigned research papers and instructed students to write about topics that would require study, research and - yes - work. She further tried to dissuade Brittney from simply recounting her Sunday school teachings. When the student failed to follow instructions, her grade reflected that. The School Board and the courts were apprised of all facts before making their decisions in the case.
Cleaver obviously jumped to a preformed opinion about those evil, demonic judges. She turned out a commentary, sent it wholesale to newspapers throughout the country, and influenced a lot of people.
One factor stands out. In a court of law, the rule is to seek ``the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.''
Columnists, especially those who have an ax to grind, aren't hindered by such restraints.
HAL H. EATON
MOUTH OF WILSON
The disclosures of Del. Cranwell
FULL DISCLOSURE is one thing, but real disclosure is quite another. Thanks for your recent articles (Jan. 18, ``Cranwell defends legal ties to Trigon'' and Jan. 19, ``Cranwell quits as Trigon attorney'') on House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell.
JAMES MICHAEL BESTLER
MARTINSVILLE
Nation may never know the real truth
TO ALL you ``America, love it or leave it'' types who led the cheers for the Vietnam War and Richard Nixon, and can't stand Oliver Stone's version of the Nixon years: It's a fact that our nation never demanded that historians, the government or the educational system give us the facts and true history, thus allowing Stone to hypothesize his own. Watergate was merely a red herring that allowed Nixon to walk away and collect a nice fat pension instead of going to prison.
Why did Nixon's daughters, who have criticized Stone's movie, find it necessary to destroy their daddy's diaries immediately after his death? Too much truth must be a painful thing. Rebuttals from the silent majority are always welcome.
DENNIS LUCERA
FLOYD
GOP freshmen are the new liberals
THE LABELS "conservative" and "liberal" have been applied to politicians, economists and others for some time. The words imply different meanings to many, often synonymous with "reactionary" and "radical." I read that the origins of these two adjectives recognized that both groups were progressive and for change. The former was more for gradual change, based on proven concepts, whereas the latter was more aggressive, prone to more dramatic and swift changes, based on concepts largely not tried or proved.
Based on that definition, in the early '30s, Democrats were largely tagged liberal, except for Southern Democrats. In a like manner, many Republicans, but not those of the Northeast, were looked upon as being conservative.
Who are the mid-'90s "liberals''? Who wants to largely sweep aside a cumbersome tax code, which has been gradually built through compromise for more than 80 years, in favor of one with little or no deductions? Perhaps even a flat tax? Which income groups should likely benefit? The consensus seems to be lower-income and wealthy groups, not the middle-income group - the backbone of the former conservatives. What happens to real-estate values, municipal governments' efforts to raise capital, tax-exempt bond investors and charities, to name a few?
I like change and progress, but remain a conservative. Republican liberals frighten me. I hope their reformation can be delayed until this fall when informed voters will enable the Republican freshmen and ``liberals'' to return to private life before they destroy the imperfect system that has enabled us to have some stability and predictability for many decades.
JAMES A. FORD
ROANOKE
What was fair about the fire?
IS IT fair that Patricia and Mark Leftwich had to bury five loved ones because of some landlord's supposed oversight in installing fire walls and smoke detectors? It's the landlord's responsibility to know the laws and codes. How many times have we been told that ignorance of the law is no excuse?
Is it fair that certain inspectors are contacted and know of these landlords' practices of hiring unqualified personnel to do remodeling?
Is it fair to fine these rich landlords only $2,500 when this family has to finance five funerals?
Is it fair to expect the loss of four children and a grandmother to be softened by fines and new compliances?
Is it fair to assume that such landlords will change their ways of practicing business?
JO HENRY
BEDFORD
Courage is shown in Christiansburg
I WOULD like to commend the citizens of Christiansburg for having the sodomite sign removed from the outdoor billboard (Jan. 25 article, ``Ad manager: Threats killed `diversity' billboard'').
Homosexuals are blatant about wanting to force their wicked and perverted lifestyle on the rest of us. Christiansburg residents had the courage to resist these efforts by these misguided and deceived individuals, and were successful. Thank you, citizens of Christiansburg.
DONALD SPITZ
Director, Pro-Life Virginia
CHESAPEAKE
Classic's plot has holding power
I READ with interest Katherine Reed's review of Othello (Jan. 20, ``The Moor is still murky in this movie `Othello'''). Having seen the movie the night before, I feel quite differently. In my book, this tragic study of the power of jealousy is one of Shakespeare's masterpieces.
In his fear of losing the love of his life, Othello's jealousy so sickened him mentally and physically that he is to be pitied. In contrast, Iago's revenge is despicable, and he is to be despised, as Reed pointed out.
I think Laurence Fishburne and Kenneth Branagh portrayed these characters to perfection. The story is heart-wrenchingly sad, but the plot is probably as apropos today as it was in 1604.
ANNE MACFARLANE
ROANOKE
LENGTH: Long : 157 linesby CNB