ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, June 17, 1996 TAG: 9606190004
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
I NOTICED a troubling ad campaign recently. It concerns a large group of Virginians, and Americans in general, who favor term limits for elected officials.
Wake up. We already have term limits! It's called voting. The right to vote is more than a decision. It's the way citizens voice opinions after monitoring the performance of those in office. And there's the key. As citizens, we must be ever-vigilant in observing and determining our political voices.
The only result I can see of imposed term limits is to make Americans even more apathetic toward elections by taking away the constant need to monitor government's actions. Even now, only 30 percent to 40 percent of the people vote. That means 100 percent of us are subject to the election results from less than half of the population. The last thing any special-interest group wants is an informed and responsible public. Term limits would take away people's incentive to be informed about their government.
If you want responsible government, you the citizen must be responsible. Go for pension reform or campaign reform. Get a balanced budget. Term limits will not make these happen, but our attention to government will.
Voting isn't only a right, it's also an obligation. If you want term limits, stop whining and start voting. Otherwise, imposed term limits will strip away yet another layer of accountability for the politician and responsibility for the citizen. STEVE CURTISS ROANOKE Where are HUD's standards? UPON READING your May 26 article about the loss of the home in Garden City (``Family's dream home becomes a nightmare''), I question the original intent of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by wording the contract as it did - in essence, telling the family that the property is worthless but we're going to sell it to you anyway. This is supposed to be an arm of the United States government, not some loan shark getting by just one step ahead of the law.
I agree that the buyer should have had legal counsel. But the legal counsel representing HUD, being paid from funds extracted from taxpayers, should have had an obligation to the buyer also.
Most contracts that go through government agencies are held to very strict standards. What happeend to this one? If the buyer had been dealing with the Federal Housing Administration, would the contract have been approved? JOE KEININGHAM VINTON Learn from West Virginia
I READ with interest your June 3 editorial titled ``A little help for arts and crafts.'' Many states are examinng the benefits of utilizing their craftsmen and artisans for economic reasons and for increased tourism to their state.
I'm proud that my home state of West Virginia has acted on and realized the important contributions that craftsmen and artisans can offer the economy and tourism. They also share their talents for the benefit of the state of West Virginia and for the entire country to view.
Tamarack, The Best of West Virginia, opened last month in Beckley, W.Va. It's 59,000 square feet of the best arts and crafts the state has to offer. Everything within its walls is 100 percent made in West Virginia. It's well worth the trip! But even more, Tamarack is a worthy investment for the people of West Virginia.
I hope Virginia can learn from Tamarack and her neighbor to the west. AMY J. GREER-KNOWLES CHRISTIANSBURG Insulting Virginians' intelligence
LET ME see if I got this straight. The federal government is giving money to states for teacher training, instructional materials or curriculum development. Virginia is the only state refusing to participate. More than 90 local school divisions, as well as numerous county and school associations, are in favor of accepting the funds.
The Virginia Board of Education, controlled by Gov. Allen appointees, demanded $6.7 million with no restrictions (even rudimentary record-keeping), knowing the U.S. Department of Education would have no choice but to reject the request. Then the governor claims the program had "strings attached."
Just how stupid does he think we are? As stupid as our children will be if the current board controls education decisions in Virginia?
Remember this the next time Republicans claim to be "pro-education." GENE GARDNER CHRISTIANSBURG Officers with axes to grind
AFTER READING Roger Charles' June 5 commentary (``Military materialists at war with moralists'') about our military ``moralists''' internal battles with their ``materialists'' adversaries, I began to ponder about the real issue: Was there a genuine problem, or did the former Marine officer just have an ax to grind?
Any semblance of meaningful information was completely lost in his vitriolic tirade. Was this the same fevered attitude that motivated his organization, the National Security News Service, to relentlessly pursue Navy Adm. Boorda's incorrect wearing of the now infamous ``V'' devices and subsequently promoted his suicide? Is this self-proclaimed ``news service'' staffed only by retired military officers suffering from a perceived injustice in their former career? Organizations that cannot comment objectively shouldn't call themselves a news service.
I hope your editorial staff chose this five-column commentary for its reader-rousing impact rather than any empathy for the author or his cause. DAVID J. LOFGREN ROANOKE Don't dare say a prayer|
WELL, the American Civil Liberties Union is out again, working to protect our rights thank God. Oop! I said God. Oop! There I go again. Sorry, I'll try to be better.
It's that time of year - graduations you know - and the ACLU is warning schools not to have an organized prayer at their graduation ceremony or all hell will break loose. The schools, or schoolchildren, that choose to ignore this warning can be assured of a lawsuit coming their way.
Now, don't you sleep better at night knowing the ACLU is diligently guarding our rights, searching out and bringing to justice these nefarious individuals who wish to pray? Can you imagine what might happen if schoolchildren were taught to pray? Why they may learn despicable things like don't kill, don't steal, honor your mom and dad, or even other stuff just as bad. As Barney Fife once said, ``We got to nip this in the bud.''
I'm reading the book ``The Death of Common Sense,'' but I just don't get the point. How about you? JOSEPH E. SCHROER BOONES MILL Equal time for Al Franken
REGARDING the Montvale school controversy and Rush Limbaugh:
I read (June 4 article, ``Judge closes Limbaugh book for now'') that Limbaugh sent Thomas Gardner an additional five copies of his book (in question) - one for each school day.
I urge the Bedford County School Board to place a like number of humorist Al Franken's book titled ``Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations'' in the Montvale school for the hilarious enjoyment of any interested student or parent thereof as reprisal action. GENE EVANS ROANOKE Don't give up summer vacations
I WOULD like to express my opinion on attending school year-round. I believe it would be a mistake to do this because I work hard and look forward to my summer vacation. I also think you would forget what you learned if you were off two or three weeks at a time.
The teacher needs it, students need it, and most of all, the principal needs it - a summer vacation! TARA WHEELER VINTON
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