ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 5, 1996 TAG: 9605060005
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
IN THE Republicans' current political platform, the phrase ``gun control'' is a sin. This position, however, is both flawed and hypocritical, as we can see by analyzing Republicans' policy and the way they defend it.
One of the most important planks of the Republican Party's agenda is its stance on crime. In Virginia, this stance was evident when Gov. George Allen proposed to spend millions of dollars on new prisons and to abolish parole. Others want the death penalty to be used more often.
By taking these stances on crime yet keeping their opposition to gun control, Republicans are saying that society has done its share to prevent crime if it punishes criminals after the crime has occurred. In reality, if a crime takes place at all, society has failed. By taking punitive instead of preventative measures, Republicans are pursuing a policy that says it's OK if someone is shot if the criminal goes to jail. This message is obviously flawed.
Many Republicans try to defend the availability of assault rifles by saying they have the rights to ``defense'' and to ``sport.'' Republicans must have some very lethal enemies if a .357-caliber Magnum doesn't provide the firepower they need. The ``sport'' defense is no more legitimate. Hunting isn't sport if it requires a semiautomatic assault rifle. Sport isn't truly sport when one side has no chance.
Let us hope that Republicans come out of their daze soon and admit that assault rifles, which they so fervently protect, aren't necessary for either sport of self-defense.
YONI SCHNELLER
BLACKSBURG
Prisons are creating future problems
NEVER in our history have we had so many people behind bars. The illegal drug trade is partly responsible, but the roots of crime are much deeper. It's a tragedy rooted in the breakdown of the family and the loss of faith in God - causing the general breakdown in decency and discipline in our society. There are no quick, easy solutions.
Some of our short-term solutions are only adding to the problem. Nonviolent offenders are being locked up with hard-core, violent criminals. This exposes the nonviolent prisoner to unmentionable evils, gives him a crash course in crime, and costs society more than it can afford. Are there no alternatives to this?
The reduction of educational programs for inmates is madness. Most prisoners will get out eventually. Do we really want them to come back to our cities and towns with no education or job skills, angry and bitter? It's a prescription for more crime and, of course, more crime victims.
HUBERT J. CYPHERS
TAZEWELL
Teen-agers can be role models
ALL TOO often we hear of our youth involved in acts of misconduct and law-breaking activities. Recently, however, I participated in a program at Bedford Elementary School that involved students from two of the three area high schools. The program's goal was to stress the importance of positive role models for the fifth graders.
Our high schools were approached to identify students of good character, leadership and the ability to interact with those in the fifth-grade age group. The students selected did an outstanding job.
Students from Staunton River and Liberty high schools had to answer a broad range of questions from the younger students and the faculty. The questions involved high-school work, entertainment and social activities, and pressures concerning drugs and gangs. The interaction was excellent. At times, the high-school students were doing cheers and impersonations, and performing skits from movies.
Anyone who thinks that teen-agers today don't care are sadly mistaken. I witnessed 11 teenagers from Bedford County who had positive goals, and showed they were interested in the well-being of our young.
DARRYL A. UPDIKE
D.A.R.E. officer
City of Bedford Police Department
BEDFORD
Don't make job tougher for police
ONLY ONE person is responsible for the tragic slaughter of the Faucher family on Plantation Road. Scott Allman decided to run from the police, and to drive his car at high speed through a red light in total disregard for others' safety. The responsibility for the resulting carnage and deaths rests with him alone.
When he's tried in Circuit Court for three counts of manslaughter, his defense attorneys will certainly follow the example of O.J. Simpson's ``dream team'' and put the Roanoke County Police Department on trial. The best defense is a good offense. The defendant will be portrayed as a hapless victim of overzealous police. The attorneys cannot be blamed for doing their job, but the effect is to further erode the public's perception of respect for the law.
The Roanoke Valley police and sheriff departments have a few hundred law-enforcement personnel that are charged with keeping peace among almost 200,000 valley citizens. Chaos and anarchy reign if people have no respect for the law.
Each time an officer approaches a disorderly person or stops a car for a traffic offense, he's risking his life. He knows nothing of that person's attitude, prior criminal conduct or mental health. His job isn't made any easier when every decision he makes is analyzed and criticized by the arm-chair quarterbacks of public opinion. The role models our children see at the movies are ``The Terminator'' and ``Natural Born Killers.'' When was the last time you heard a child say he or she wanted to be a police officer when he or she grew up?
Our police have a tough and thankless job. They aren't responsible for mayhem caused by people they pursue. The knee-jerk proposal to further restrict their rules of pursuit would only make their job tougher, and further erode respect for the law.
MARTIN WILLIS
ROANOKE
Old TV sets may have to be dumped
REGARDING the telecommunications bill that was passed by Congress on Feb. 8 and signed by President Clinton:
One portion of that bill concerns me: TV stations get a new chunk of airwaves to deliver digital TV signals. These stations currently transmit their signals on analog, and here's what one article in your newspaper several months ago said:
``As they convert to digital, broadcasters will use two channels, transmitting in analog on one and in digital on a second. That way, existing TV sets won't be rendered useless immediately.''
A lot of people will not want to have to buy new television sets to receive digital signals and to receive high-definition television.
I'm afraid TV stations eventually will have digital TV signals only and discontinue their analog TV signals. I wouldn't mind stations having digital signals just as long as they continue to transmit their analog signals forever.
MARK B. CAMPBELL
ROANOKE
Disregard for law was the villain
REGARDING your April 23 editorial, ``A chase - to what end?'':
Would it make the death of three innocent people tolerable if this man had been pursued because he had raped or killed someone else? We think not. There's no clear solution to this problem, except for everyone to respect and obey the law. Since this is highly unlikely, we cannot second-guess our police officers who set out to protect us. Scott Allman's father apparently didn't teach his son to respect the law or anything else.
Officer Timothy Miles is our son. He was raised to love God, people, and to respect and obey this country's laws. He became an officer of the law because he wants to serve the community by protecting the people.
He and Officer J.L. McPhail are grieving deeply over the loss of this family. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family and friends of these people. But we have to place blame where it belongs, on Allman. If it weren't for his disregard and disrespect of the law, this accident may have been avoided.
JANICE and CLAUDE MILES JR.
RINER
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