ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, October 10, 1996 TAG: 9610100004
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
IN RESPONSE to your Sept. 30 news article, ``Middle school sports: a tough call'':
I was appalled as a student who plays sports on the high-school level at the comments that were made pertaining to competitive sports at the middle-school level. As an athlete who played sports in middle school, the level of competition was unstable and weak. While some schools had a track team, others did not. While some had a volleyball team, others did not.
Then school systems complain about the dropout rate and the rate of teen pregnancy in the Roanoke Valley.
Roanoke is ranked high in the state in its teen-pregnancy rate. There are more juveniles committing crimes, and teen-age drug abuse has skyrocketed. But Pam Hultquist, a mother of two boys at Addison Middle School, suggests giving more money to academics. If that was the answer, then all of the problems should have been solved. But since that hasn't worked, let's give middle-school sports another try.
ALESHA FLINT
ROANOKE
Goodlatte got no help from Bono visit
I THOUGHT a lot of Rep. Bob Goodlatte until he brought Rep. Sonny Bono to town to speak for him (Oct. 1 news article, ``Rep. Bono: Clinton's a crook''). How could Bono call President Clinton a crook? I am sure if we traced back Bono's lifestyle, we could find a lot wrong with him. Goodlatte should be more careful about those he selects to support him.
CLAUDE WILLIAMS JR.
PEMBROKE
Light is needed for safety, not parties
REGARDING your Sept. 21 news article, ``School's stoplight stopgap'':
I was pleased to read that the Virginia General Assembly might be asked to help get a traffic light at the intersection of Virginia 419 and and the entrance to Hidden Valley Junior High School. It was, however, very distressing to read the comment of Jeff Echols, a Virginia Department of Transportation engineer: "Putting up a light for a dance on Friday night could affect traffic on 419 for 365 days a year."
Friday night dances present only a part of the picture. Parent-Teacher Association meetings, various school meetings and summertime programs generate a large volume of traffic at Hidden Valley Junior High. There have also been occasions when there has been no traffic officer on duty. This has posed a real safety hazard and a tremendous backup of traffic trying to get out of Hidden Valley, especially when school buses are involved. I've witnessed violations of the traffic officer's directives over the years as I've traveled in and out of Hidden Valley Junior High.
I probably won't benefit from a light if it is installed since this is my child's last year at the school. But I hope someone is responsible enough to see that this gets done and people don't foolishly believe that a light is needed only for dances!
JUDY S. PRETTYMAN
ROANOKE
An experience he won't forget
I COULD hardly believe my eyes when I read the Sept. 25 Associated Press news article, ``Boy's smooch smacks of harassment.''
My heart goes out to little Johnathan for being made to feel like an outcast. It would have made more sense to have explained the rules again to the child. You can bet this punishment will be one negative school experience he'll never forget.
Oh that we grown-ups would become as little children. If there were more love in this world, what a wonderful thing this would be.
I am a big girl, but if Johnathan ever wants to kiss me on the cheek, I would be honored.
DORIS H. TOLLEY
LEXINGTON
Ballot challenge was for principle
REGARDING Mike Hudson's cute rendition (Sept. 20 news article, ``One more 5th District candidate'') of events leading to Tex Wood's nomination as a candidate for Congress in the 5th District: The article slurs details by ignoring salient ones, warping the whole truth by giving only part of it.
By the time the federal court found the Board of Elections' deadline for filing for U.S. Senate unconstitutional, more than five-sixths of the allotted time to gather petitions had passed. No one in the history of the state has ever met that deadline without buying signatures. All other petition drives have failed. People knew this in January, a chilling effect from the outset.
Extending the deadline was indeed an impressive legal victory for Wood, but the practical effects were minimal because of people's attitudes - thinking for more than five months that the deadline would remain in early June. Those months couldn't be regained. That federal-court order isn't worth the paper it's printed on.
Despite having been denied a stay upon appeal, the Board of Elections announced to the entire state the ballot lineup for U.S. Senate on June 25, an action for which it had no regulatory basis and which bore no relation to the federal-court order moving the deadline to early August.
According to those attending the board's June 25 press conference, the board was asked if it were possible for anyone else to make the ballot for U.S. Senate. The response was no. How could anyone, even Wood, conduct an effective petition drive when the media had been duped into telling the entire state that the ballot lineup was already set? Hudson knew about the court order and its contents, but chose to swallow the misinformation and to publish it. I also point out that no one who hadn't purchased the necessary signatures made the ballot.
It's quite clear that Wood has gained nothing personally from his endeavors. He didn't make the ballot for Senate, but he did make federal law. Just maybe he'd make a good congressman.
CHARLES W. ANGLIN
WOOLWINE
Many healthy fetuses are aborted
REGARDING DAVID Nova's Sept. 18 commentary, ``Real families need late-term abortions,'' I have the following comments:
The term ``partial-birth abortion'' is correct, even if it's called ``late-term abortion procedure'' or ``intact dilation and extraction.''
Nova presents carefully selected cases, most of which would be permitted under the exceptions clause of the vetoed bill.
At the time he testified before a congressional committee, the doctor who performed the highest number of such abortions admitted that 80 percent were elective, with a healthy fetus and no danger to the mother's health.
The ban is needed to stop the 80 percent.
JOHN W. McGUIRE
ROANOKE
Most Virginians liked Warner's vote
IN RESPONSE to Vaira Harik's Sept. 28 letter to the editor (``Warner's vote lacked value'') concerning Sen. John Warner's vote on the Defense of Marriage Act:
I haven't taken any recent history courses, but the ones I had in the past taught that our government was for the people, by the people. Representatives and senators are chosen by a majority of the people to represent them in Congress. Based on polls, phone calls and e-mail to Warner's office, I believe he voted exactly as the majority wanted.
Sen. Charles Robb no longer feels he has to follow the mandate of the majority, but can pursue his own agenda and that of special-interest groups. In the next senatorial election, it is to be hoped the voters will retire Robb so he can pursue his agenda and that of any special-interest group full time. The majority of his votes have been contrary to those of the majority of Virginians, and have only served to cancel Warner's votes.
Maybe Harik is in the wrong country. I hear there are some places where the minority runs the country.
BOB BOWMAN
DALEVILLE
LENGTH: Long : 143 linesby CNB