ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, June 10, 1996 TAG: 9606100008
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
I WANT to thank Judge Vincent Lilley for being brave enough to insist that store clerks make young-looking customers prove their age before selling them alcohol (May 30 article, ``Stores stung for not carding''). Looking at Tonya Lightfoot's picture had me believing she was only 15 or 16 years old - hardly the 21 that Sue Peterson thought her to be.
One reason more clerks don't insist on carding young-looking adults who are buying alcohol appears to be their desire to escape the flak and verbal abuse directed at them many times by not only the underage buyers but sometimes by those of legal age as well. The attitude of some of these young-looking people seems to be ``How dare you even ask!'' I've witnessed - as well as have other members of my family and many people I know - some of these people cursing the cashier and/or arguing to get their way, even though they're holding up a line of people.
At the same time, there's no excuse in assuming the person is of legal age and passing them through to avoid the hassle. That's one reason stores have supervisors. One should be called immediately if a customer persists in being difficult. If the clerk is alone, it's even more important to be sure of the age. What if the person is underage and goes out and hurts or kills someone else in an alcohol-related accident?
PAT DEEL
CLOVERDALE
Music for our personal downtime
IN MY relentless search for the perfect background music for my life, I've luxuriated, sometimes guiltily, in '50s cocktail-lounge music. Bravo to Chris Henson (April 18 article, "Mondo-retro sounds are cool, Daddy-O!") for showcasing this often overlooked and much maligned genre that's as outstandingly American as jazz and rock 'n' roll.
Lounge music was born in the '50s, a wonderful time in our country's history after the stringent restrictions of World War II and before post-Vietnam cynicism set in. It was relaxed and relaxing.
Henson mentions Henry Mancini and Mantovani. I would add the mellow melodies of listless hipsters Les Paul, Lester Lanin, the Sleepwalk Guitars and Astrid Gilberto. These musicians made us feel good, secure in our own suburban homes, with a fine line of credit as high as the moon, and an emphasis on continuity and homogeneity that left little to question. Work was from 9 to 5, and cocktail hour signaled the start of personal time.
Questions came later, of course: civil rights, women's liberation, birth control, distrust of government, the Cold War. These issues evoked different types of music, more weighty and rebellious, more thought-provoking and message-conscious, more enduring as a guide to the tenor of the times.
Yet lounge music never died. Despite Henson's claim that it's being resurrected, lounge music has been with us since its inception, and we can trace its subtle influences on a host of artists through the '70s and '80s. Who could forget Brian Eno's ground-breaking 1975 "Discrete Music" or his later creation, the definitive background music, "Music for Airports"? In their own way, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Heaven 17 and Boz Scaggs can trace their roots back to the cocktail-lounge music of the '50s and '60s. They kept the sound alive and infused it with technology until groups like Combustible Edison could take up the mantra of relaxing sound and bring it into the hyper '90s where it's needed.
I raise a martini glass to Henson for his astute prognostication of this new/old trend, and I hope we still have enough of a concept of personal downtime to appreciate it.
SANDY BROUGHTON
ROANOKE
City falls behind in jobs race
UPON READING the front page of your May 25 newspaper (``Singer's Roanoke plant axed''), I was upset to see that Roanoke city has lost yet another industry. Though I don't work for Singer, I know others who do.
What especially disturbs me is that the city isn't attracting any new industries or businesses. Roanoke County and the New River Valley aren't having this difficulty. My hat's off to Rep. Rick Boucher and others involved in making their area attractive for industries!
I've lived in Roanoke most of my life, and it's frustrating to see us lose industries and businesses, and not gain to replace the ones lost. Come on, Roanoke City Council, get with the program!
TINA COX
ROANOKE
Is Whitewater's worst yet to come?
BOY, THE Washington Democrats and liberal media spin doctors are hard at work attempting to defend Bill and Hillary Clinton against Whitewater allegations. That's a tall order after two of their close friends and business partners were handed 22 felony convictions. To add to the excitement, Democratic Gov. Jim ``Guy'' Tucker of Arkansas was convicted of two federal crimes, claimed innocence, and resigned as quickly as he could slither up to a set of microphones.
Is anyone actually surprised that Clinton cronies are going to jail? Let's face it - things have smelled rotten in Little Rock since the 1992 campaign. And the trials and investigations have only just begun. Another Whitewater trial begins this month. An assortment of investigations is under way, seeking answers to such questions as:
* Who deposited Hillary's long-lost Rose law-firm records in the living area of the White House? (Her fingerprints were reportedly on the folders.)
* Did Vince Foster actually commit suicide? Was his death related to troubles with Whitewater?
* Was the sudden firing of the White House travel office staff justified?
* Did the Clinton gubernatorial campaigns receive illegal contributions?
Yes, we can count on a flurry of Whitewater-related subpoenas, investigations, indictments and trials over the next six months. Most will involve Bill Clinton in some way. Many will bring Hillary into the picture. All of them will involve the Clintons' circle of friends, associates, aides and business partners.
As the saying goes, ``First-class people surround themselves with first-class people - second-class people surround themselves with third-class people.''
MARK L. BAIN
SALEM
Band students are not happy
I ATTENDED the meeting with Roanoke School Superintendent Wayne Harris, about which you published an article on May 22 titled "PH pupils: Get rid of bad apples."
As an upcoming senior at Patrick Henry High School, I feel that I've experienced the school enough to know that it's incorrect to say that "most students are generally pleased with their school.'' The other students and I attended this meeting to discuss our concerns and expectations of our school.
It was mentioned in the article that the School Board hasn't purchased marching-band uniforms for any schools. This isn't true. In 1975, the School Board bought uniforms for Patrick Henry, and in previous years bought them for the middle schools.
I'm one of three drum majors for the Marching Patriot Band. We've received approximately $4,500 in donations from companies and anonymous donors to our uniform fund. The $6,000 provided by the School Board doesn't even bring us halfway. We need $24,000.
We're striving to raise enough money to keep our competition and performing levels high. In the past three years, the band performed at Gov. George Allen's inaugural parade, at Disney World and for the World Champion Atlanta Braves, among other appearances of honor. Why must we pay for our uniforms when we have worked this hard already?
I can honestly say that one of the best things at Patrick Henry is the band!
KIMBERLY L. ALEXANDER
ROANOKE
Teachers' selective book banning
REGARDING ``reading'' between the lines:
A Montvale Elementary School teacher determined recently that a fourth-grader was too young to read Rush Limbaugh's "The Way Things Ought To Be," a conservative book by a conservative author.
But, not too long ago, teachers wanted to keep another book aimed at first-graders in the library, despite considerable parental objection. And "Daddy's Friend," a liberal book about "understanding" homosexual relationships, was kept.
Why is a fourth-grader too young to read conservative material while a first-grader is old enough to read liberal propaganda? Because teachers are more interested in social engineering than they are in educating.
No wonder our country is in trouble.
PATRICK D. SMITH
SALEM
LENGTH: Long : 155 linesby CNB