ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, June 29, 1996 TAG: 9607010018
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A9 EDITION: METRO
ROANOKE CITY'S plan to turn the Mill Mountain Star red when a drunken-driving fatality occurs in the region is troubling one of our readers. It has worried us a little bit, too, on grounds that the star has been a welcoming beacon, a symbol of pride in Roanoke, and should remain as such.
But the reader has a different problem. A red star, he reminds, has been for decades a worldwide symbol of communism. Though communism is on the wane, there are attempts to revive it in some places. ``But - in Roanoke?''
Nyet, nyet, a thousand times nyet. The New Century Council, which has endorsed the red-star initiative, may favor collectivized industrial parks. And Mothers Against Drunk Driving might go for show trials. But the plan for the star's use is no pinko plot. Not to worry, unless you see a hammer and sickle hoisted up Mill Mountain.
THE UNITED States would do well not to chalk up this week's terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia as just another case of religious fanaticism. The terrorists need to be caught, and security in general needs to be improved for American personnel in the Middle East.
But, just as important, U.S. officials need to think hard about how best to promote stability in that region. In the long run, heavy reliance on imported oil, U.S. military presence and undemocratic monarchies offers little assurance of favorable outcomes.
LENGTH: Short : 34 linesby CNB