ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 27, 1996 TAG: 9610290026
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
PRESIDENT Clinton has said untrue things that have gotten prime media coverage. The truth, if it ever comes out, usually gets buried in the background much later.
One example of his untrue statements occurred during his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention when he said, ``We still have too many Americans who give into their fears of those who are different from them.'' In words designed specifically to appeal to the black voters who make up a large percentage of the Democratic Party's constituency, he went on to say: ``Not so long ago, swastikas were painted on the doors of some African-American members of our special forces at Ft. Bragg.'' Clinton implied this was the work of white Army racists.
Long before his acceptance speech, television and newspaper reports said a black soldier was a prime suspect. Later, the Army officially said that the individual responsible was ``an African-American support soldier.'' It was wrong for a soldier of any race to paint swastikas on the doors of fellow soldiers' barracks. It's also wrong for Slick Willie to try and paint an untrue conclusion to this unfortunate act.
American soldiers should have a commander in chief who doesn't defame them and doesn't say untrue things about them. All Americans should have a president who is honest, respects all Americans, and has the experience, intelligence, maturity and backbone to lead our country into the next century. We can elect such a leader. His name is Bob Dole. EARL ABBOTT ROANOKE
With welfare reform, fewer have babies
AT THE RISK of sounding cynical, I suggest it isn't education that is reducing teen-age pregnancies. My feeling is that it is the taxpayers' decision not to support these children ad infinitum. AUDREY WILEY ROANOKE
Goodlatte's radical agenda
I SUPPORT Jeff Grey for the 6th District seat in the House of Representatives. More to the point, I oppose the radical right-wing incumbent, Robert Goodlatte. His voting record reveals a shameless and dangerous disregard for our society and its values.
Goodlatte voted against a minimum-wage raise and voted for:
Raising taxes on low-wage workers.
Cutting $478 million for drug-free school programs, and for making deep cuts in school-lunch programs.
Cutting Medicare by $270 billion to give the wealthy a tax break.
Cutting funding for additional police officers on the streets, public television, job training and employment programs, workplace safety and college loans.
Weakening environmental laws, such as the Clean Water Act.
Eliminating standards for nursing homes, but allowing corporations to raid employee pension funds.
Freezing funds for veterans' health care.
Abolishing the National Endowment for the Humanities.
This simply reflect a slavish obedience to Newt Gingrich's atavistic Contract [on] America. It puts children's health, working adults, the poor, the elderly, retirees, community and family values, the sick, education, cultural affairs and the environment at risk.
Should we keep such a man in Washington? I think not.
Fortunately, we have another choice: Jeff Grey is highly articulate and knowledgeable, a family man and a working man who is concerned about our country's future. Grey has the personal integrity to risk his personal money and economic safety to challenge the D.C. deities and help repair the damage visited on us by the likes of Goodlatte. For your own good, vote for Grey. FRANK WILLIAMS ROANOKE
Media hype the crime threat
THERE IS no mystery as to why the public thinks that crime is a serious and growing problem in our society.
The media tell us it is with their lopsided presentation of the news. Where is the good news? GWEN M. ABOUDARA ROANOKE
Taking stands on children's issues
REGARDING YOUR Sept. 17 editorial, ``Preschool should come first'':
The current Republican Congress increased President Clinton's budget request for the military by $11 billion while ignoring children's needs for early-education programs.
After all, children do not have lobbyists spreading political-action committees' money around, and they do not vote! Politicians know that the benefits of early-education programs do not show up in time for an upcoming election, and they don't want to be classed as big-spending liberals.
Age-old wisdom gives us succinct admonitions: "Train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it." "As the twig is bent, so shall the tree grow." "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
``Throwing'' money at education will not solve anything, but targeting funds (as Clinton wants to do) toward mechanisms such as smaller classes in preschool and early grades fulfills the age-old wisdom as quoted above.
In your question-and-answer series for candidates in the upcoming elections, only one - Virgil Goode - mentioned smaller class sizes in the early grades, knowing that this would cost more money. I applaud his courage!
If we do not invest in preschool and early education now, we will reap the whirlwind of a moral and intellectual morass. Signs of this become more evident each day. Our future is in the hands of today's children. Please question the candidates' positions on this important matter. JACK E. BYRD HARDY
Dole's attacks are getting mean
SEN. BOB Dole is so desperate that he will resort to anything. He has war-heroed us to death. Now we see the real, mean-spirited Dole.
Dole says he's going to attack Bill Clinton on whether Clinton will pardon his friends. Did he ask Gerald Ford about pardoning Richard Nixon?
Ronald Reagan and George Bush - not Clinton - passed the largest tax increase in history. Bush, not Clinton, sent more troops to the Middle East than any other president.
Who wanted to cut $270 billion from Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid? Dole and Newt Gingrich.
Dole is running ads on Christian radio stations attacking Clinton's morals. Real Christians do not attack others' morals. That's God's business. God isn't a Democrat or Republican.
People are concerned about their future, not dug-up dirt from the past. JEAN PHILLIPS ROANOKE
Christianity is rife with hypocrisy
THERE are so many flaws in Elaine P. McCauley's Oct. 8 letter to the editor (``Christian candidates must be elected") that it's hard to know where to begin.
Her platform clearly violates the principle of the separation of church and state. Even our devoutly religious founding fathers realized that religion should play no part in government. A strong government is based on fact and policy, not blind faith.
If she wants a candidate of high moral character, integrity and honor, she should choose one who belongs to a less hypocritical religion than Christianity, which is infamous for its contradictions and double standards.
Also, only an extremely biased person would consider gay marriage an immoral issue. Christianity preaches tolerance, and I've yet to hear of a homosexual with such a bias against heterosexuality. Maybe McCauley could learn a lesson from her "immoral" counterparts.
It should also be argued that abortion and pornography are not immoral issues, but decisions that should be left to informed adults.
I hope McCauley is one of many Americans who will neglect to vote Nov. 5, because her ability to think rationally is obviously clouded by her theological guesswork. DAVID CLEMENS ROANOKE
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