ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, June 24, 1996 TAG: 9606240017
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PHYLLIS AND JIM OLIN
WE THANK The Roanoke Times for its coverage of the June 1 Stand for Children in Washington - the June 2 news article, ``Thousands make `Stand','' the editorial, ``On their feet for children,'' and the colorful picture of the crowds around the Reflecting Pool. It was a momentous occasion.
Almost 200 people from Roanoke were in the crowd of 200,000. Three busloads and several vans of parents, teachers, Girl Scouts and church people left Roanoke at an early hour to join others in Washington for the weekend. It was a beautiful and inspirational day, seeing crowds of young and old, families, people from all walks of life and in all kinds of colorful outfits, listening intently to the speakers and mingling happily together.
So we were stunned by the June 9 commentary (``Help kids - end the welfare state'') by Michael Tanner of the Cato Institute. Tanner said "speaker after speaker" demanded "more spending of taxpayers' money, more federal programs, and more government intrusion into everyone's life."
We heard speaker after speaker talk about who or what had helped them overcome severe problems in their childhoods. For some, it was an adopting parent, a loving grandmother, a neighbor or a special teacher. For some, it was a Sunday School group, doing well in a school class or going to summer camp.
Yes, there's an important role for federal, state and local governments, and there have been significant cuts recently in programs that affect children. Schools, health departments and recreational programs are feeling the pinch, and we should all be concerned about this.
But Stand for Children emphasized the importance of every person doing more in his or her own community to improve the quality of life for all children. What can we do? Be a good role model, set a good example, work together to build a family and a community that "leaves no child behind." The event emphasized: ``Good home training, good school training, good job training and a good moral training must all go hand in hand.''
A Stand for Children publication offers many more suggestions for parents, relatives, neighbors, employers, office holders, professionals, religious and community members, and cultural and media leaders who want to "make it easier for children to grow up safe and well and for families to raise healthy and caring children."
The encouraging part of Stand for Children is that it was endorsed by so many organizations, including the American Association of Pediatrics, the American Association of Retired Persons, the American Nurses Association, Catholic Charities of Washington, Church Women United, the United Negro College Fund, the General Federation of Women's Clubs, Harvard School of Public Health and about 700 others - not exactly the "gaggle of liberal interest groups" described by Tanner in his commentary.
What we would like to see is a "gaggle" of people in the Roanoke Valley who will join us in a Stand for Children here at home. Everyone can do something meaningful.
Phyllis Olin chairs the Early Childhood Education Subcommittee for the New Century Council, and Jim Olin is the former congressional representative for the 6th District. They live in Roanoke.
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