ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, October 8, 1996 TAG: 9610080019
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
BEFORE ROANOKE City Council dismisses the idea of closing our parks to vehicular traffic, it should consider the following. No vehicles would mean:
* Less wear and tear on the park roadways; therefore, reduced maintenance costs.
* Less littering, which is always a concern in our efforts for park beautification.
* Less drug dealing, which is facilitated by the easy stop and go of cars.
* Less heckling and harassment of walkers, runners and bicyclists who are using the parks for their intended purpose.
Possibly most important of all, closing our parks to vehicles would mean we could quickly and economically begin our system of greenways.
Even Central Park in New York City is closed to vehicles, except from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. If a city with so large a population and so many cars, trucks and buses can realize the importance of green space and the safe enjoyment of it for its citizens in the inner city, is it such a stretch for Roanoke City Council to realize the same?
CAROLYN PAYNE
ROANOKE
Christian candidates must be elected
NONE OF the candidates for the presidency, the Senate or the House of Representatives is perfect. However, it's our duty and responsibility as Christians to vote for and elect Christian candidates. Our country's leaders must have Christian morals, character, integrity, honor and ethics.
No, we cannot vote for perfect men and/or women, but we can vote for those who are for moral issues such as prayer in schools and family values, and against immoral issues such as abortion, gay marriages, illegal drugs and pornography.
Elect the Christians, pray for them, and let the Lord deal with their flaws.
ELAINE P. McCAULEY
ROANOKE
Learning from women superiors
I THINK it's commendable that the Virginia Military Institute is making a serious effort to comply with the law. I hope the college continues to thrive as a public institution.
Admitting women into the corps will undoubtedly raise numerous issues. Although many have been addressed already by other military academies, perhaps VMI can improve on their experience. One dimension of this change seems somewhat overlooked in the many public discussions of the impact of coeducation on VMI: the positive value of having women cadets in command roles in a school whose goal is the preparation of citizen soldiers.
While physical strength and mental capability are critical qualities in an officer, gender-based attitudes toward authority may also be critical. How will male cadets deal with women superiors who do not wish to ensure their personal success, comfort them in their disappointments or be good sports? Will they show loyalty and commitment to a female superior who expects hard work, demands results and holds subordinates accountable to a high standard of performance?
The only way to ensure that VMI cadets will be ready to deal with these issues meaningfully is by exposure to an integrated cadet corps. To do less would deprive them of an adequate education.
MIKE PLACONA
ROANOKE
Don't blame Clinton for others' deeds
IN RESPONSE to Grace Roberson's Sept. 23 letter to the editor, ``Is Clinton guilty by association?'':
To say a person is guilty of a crime just because that person knows someone who committed a crime is ridiculous. It doesn't take much intelligence to realize that we are all responsible for our own actions. I have no control over anyone else's actions and vice versa. I don't like Bob Dole, but if this had happened to his adviser, I wouldn't have even thought of blaming Dole.
Is Roberson so full of hate for our president that she will grasp at any straw to demean him? What if her spouse, son, daughter, co-worker, friend, etc., had committed a questionable act? Does that make her guilty? No, of course not.
KELLI JENNINGS
ROANOKE
LENGTH: Medium: 83 linesby CNB