ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, October 5, 1996 TAG: 9610070004
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
REGARDING the spate of discussion on teen pregnancy and possible ways to resolve the problem:
There has been much ado about Idaho laws regarding this issue. Would it surprise you to learn that the Old Dominion has similar laws on the books? Let's take what we have and work with it.
In Virginia, it's a crime to have carnal knowledge of a female under the age of 18. The de facto evidence that the crime has occurred is obviously a pregnancy. Let's go on from there.
Bring the pregnant teen-ager in to the criminal-justice system. Make it clear that if she ever wants to petition the court for custody of this child, then she must name the father. Once his paternity is established, he and she will be obligated to the court for this child's financial support.
When the child is born, move it immediately to a foster family. There is no excusable reason to allow a newborn to stay in a dysfunctional household - one without the resources to take care of a child - and ruin it for life.
Also, custody and adoption rules need to be changed to disallow the immediate family the automatic right of adoption and custody. There is no reason to place a child in a family ill-prepared for the task and also ``reward'' the teen-ager for the ``crime.''
Removing the infant from the custody of the teen-age mother doesn't remove financial obligations from either parent. Both are responsible to the state for this child's foster care.
Once the child's mother has reached the age of 18 and has demonstrated that she's able to care for the child without state assistance, then she may petition the court like anyone else.
Is this cruel or evil? To whom? The infant didn't ask to be born into a dysfunctional atmosphere of single parentage, ill-prepared educationally or financially to care for or support him or her without dependence on the state. Society owes this child the opportunity for growth and development in a proper household, and that doesn't automatically include the teen-age mother and/or her family.
Perhaps our elected officials can ask the judicial system to start ruling in favor of the infant, not the child who bore it. We taxpayers, who are saddled with welfare programs, will benefit - as will, especially, the child.
JOHN P. RYAN
ROANOKE
Church, state and hypocrisy
OUR PRESIDENT made a campaign speech in New Orleans recently. The speech was publicized, but the fact that he was speaking to the National Baptist Association was hardly mentioned.
After the speech, the association's leader exhorted his followers to get out the vote and to vote for the re-election of our great leader. The press and the rest of the media have been strangely silent about this episode. Had this been a Republican or other conservative candidate speaking to a religious group, I can only imagine the anguished cries from the press calling for the separation of church and state.
Do I somehow detect a double standard and hypocrisy by the media?
WILLIAM H. ROBISON
ROANOKE
The invasion of Old Virginny
WHAT IS the difference between a Yankee and a damn Yankee? A Yankee is someone who comes down here for a visit and goes back North. A damn Yankee is someone who comes down for a visit and stays.
With 46 percent of our residents being damn Yankees or scalawags, I fear Old Virginny is gone with the wind. They all talk too fast and we (the real Virginians) just listen too slow.
As one requirement for Virginia citizenship, Yankees should have all been required to take elocution lessons from Virgil Goode. Too late. Too bad.
DICK CULBERTSON
BLACKSBURG
School vouchers are a great idea
BRAVO to Hugo P. Veit, associate professor at Virginia Tech, and thanks to The Roanoke Times for printing his excellent letter to the editor (Sept. 19, ``Vouchers would bring quality-control to public education''), which explained how school vouchers for parents would benefit both public and private schools and all their students. It was persuasive in detail and deserves even wider publication.
How fortunate we Americans are to live in a country where innovative ideas get a hearing and where good people like Veit take the time and trouble to teach beyond their formal responsibilities. I believe informed individuals are more reliable sources of ideas than task-force wisdom such as Carnegie Corp.'s latest recommendations for child education.
ANN MURDOCK
BEDFORD
Architecture isn't a school priority
I AM IMPRESSED by the new Montvale Elementary School (Sept. 14 news article, "Students and teachers award new school a big thumbs up"). It was built with fantastic architecture, such as the skydome in the lobby. I didn't know a school could have climate control for each classroom, but this school has it.
However, our government's responsibility is to create buildings of learning, not buildings of beauty or buildings of luxury. In a time when so many schools cannot afford competent teachers or even teaching materials, this school's construction is especially outrageous.
My school, Cave Spring High School, is dramatically different from Montvale. Students cannot breathe in the congested halls. Teachers use their classes to dictate notes containing information that ordinarily is photocopied and distributed, if adequate funds exist.
I beg the adults of this country to use reason when distributing school funds.
BRIAN LUEDKE
ROANOKE
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