ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 3, 1996 TAG: 9603010010
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: F-2 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
VIRGINIA families or big-money lobbyists - whose side is House Majority Leader Dick Cranwell on?
Recently, the Virginia House of Delegates sent the cash-laden riverboat gambling lobbyists a clear message about influence in our commonwealth: All the money in the world can't buy away the values of our families. This message was apparently lost on Cranwell.
The debate over riverboat casinos in Virginia turned into a David vs. Goliath battle. The gambling industry sent its most prominent lawyers down from Northern Virginia to try to bully Virginians into accepting casinos as a part of everyday life. The ``Davids'' were some principled delegates, many from our area, backed by local Christian and family groups.
However, Cranwell decided to vote with the deep-pocketed lobbyists of the gaming industry. As you reported (``Riverboat gambling bill sinks'') in a Feb. 14 article: ``Delegates representing areas west of Richmond stood shoulder-to-shoulder against riverboat casinos, with the exception of House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell of Vinton.''
The actual vote on the House floor was 69-28, a resounding defeat. Obviously, most of Virginia agreed that casinos are anti-family and simply bad for society.
Riverboat casinos have been proved in other states to bring a parasitic crime culture to local communities. The industry's success is reliant upon the addiction of our youth and a depletion of core family values. How can Cranwell justify a vote for something that sets most Virginians up to lose money and increases social pathologies? It's a vote that a majority in his district surely opposes.
EMILY HAMILTON
ROANOKE
The meaning is a puzzlement
RECENTLY we have been inundated with the words ``Diversity Enriches.''
I wish someone would enlighten me and explain the meaning of the two words. I have no objection to being enriched.
LOUIS P. GLENN
LEXINGTON
Taking the negative slant on Bowers
I CAN EASILY see why Mayor David Bowers wouldn't grant an interview to this newspaper. Your Feb. 25 article (``Mayor's backers now detractors'') was nothing but a smear job from the start. The headline could easily have been ``Mayor's detractors now backers.''
The business community, as well as the nonunion, nonminority communities, have been pleasantly surprised with Bowers. Although I'm not a resident of Roanoke city, most of my customers are. And to a person, there have been few complaints.
But leave it to staff writer Dan Casey to dig up Roanoke's own professional whiner, Gary Waldo, who is neither progressive nor Democratic. The Progressive Democratic Coalition is nothing but textbook socialists working for the political views of a micro-minority. Mayor Bowers should be proud that Comrade Waldo thinks he's an embarrassment to Roanoke.
N. BRUCE REYNOLDS
SALEM
Blacks have cause to favor Democrats
I AM APPALLED at Jeff Artis' Feb. 6 letter to the editor ("Democrats play blacks for suckers") stating that the Republican Party is depicted as a racist organization while the Democratic Party takes the African-American community's votes and takes Afro-Americans for granted. Sometimes this has happened, but there's a reason for Afro-Americans traditionally voting for Democrats. I'll take you into the history books.
The status of America was different during the time of slavery through the mid-1900s. Numerous Democrats and Republicans were alike in a few ways. Some condoned the terrorization of blacks and the use of the N-word. If you didn't correct the person who used that word, you were saying it was acceptable to use that word and even call you one.
During the civil-rights movement, who stood up for Afro-Americans? John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, both Democrats. President Reagan wanted to cut out free lunches, which would have hurt many black and white children. President Clinton stood up for continuing affirmative action. Affirmative action puts pressure on many companies to hire minorities and women. Without it and set-aside programs, some businesses would hire minorities and women for lesser pay than some Caucasian-American men. A few businesses might not offer any jobs to females or minorities.
The Republican Party isn't always depicted as a racist group. The Democratic Party has its faults. But sour grapes may be the motive behind Artis' letter. He didn't receive much support from African-Americans in the last General Assembly election in which he lost.
H. TIMOTHY LOVELACE JR.
ROANOKE
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