ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 17, 1997 TAG: 9701170034
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
Ethics laws must be strengthened
YOUR JAN. 8 editorial (``Time to tighten the ethics laws'') certainly points out the need for more encompassing laws, with some realistic accountability required of politicians.
With the current lack of strong ethics laws, it's understandable how a scandal-free history was accomplished in the Virginia legislature.
Even the Cub Scouts have rules, and to remain in good standing, a participant must comply with those rules.
A question of merit: Can anyone out of politics receive annually a $9,000 reimbursement from his or her employer and give no accounting of what the $9,000 was used for? I don't believe that will happen for the average worker even once, to say nothing about annually. Come to think of it, just maybe this is the reason Virginia legislators spend millions of dollars getting elected to a job that pays about $18,000 per year.
You and I know it's time for them to use common sense and quit acting stupid. You wouldn't expect to get away with not reporting a personal financial gain of $100,000 per year, and you shouldn't get away with it. Neither should politicians!
All the wrongdoers live in other states? Yeah. And O.J. Simpson is innocent and our politicians police themselves. A good way to start out 1997 with a good laugh.
FERDIE TANNER
SALEM
The wrong stand on teachers
IN RESPONSE to Jeffrey T. Morris' Jan. 8 letter to the editor, ``Be thankful for any salary raise'':
If he thinks that schoolteachers work only six hours a day, he needs to spend some time standing in their shoes.
NANCY J. YOUNG
BLUE RIDGE
Let license tags show our heritage
THE RECENT commotion over license plates in Maryland deeply offends me (Jan. 3 Associated Press news article, ``Sons of Confederate fall in battle over license plates'').
Maryland's black leaders are making another excuse to try to wipe away the Southern heritage of those who had relatives in that great conflict called the American Civil War. If we don't watch out, that heritage will be gone forever. I consider it discrimination when we cannot display that heritage.
Maryland had the right idea, but instead of using the battle flag, I suggest they use the first national flag of the Confederacy.
When is Virginia to issue these plates? I will be first in line to get one.
JEFF WILLARD
ROANOKE
God put humans in charge of animals
REGARDING KARIN Warner's reply (Jan. 11 letter to the editor, ``All creatures deserve compassion'') to Casey Hash's Dec. 24 letter (``Human suffering takes priority''):
Humans should have compassion for nonhuman life. Domesticated nonhumans should be treated with compassion and empathy. None should experience cruel treatment, but many species provide meat for human consumption.
Unfortunately, wild species - both edible and nonedible - must be dominated (thinned) by humans who, in our ignorance, have nearly extinguished species that controlled the nonhuman population growth by killing and eating the old, weak and crippled.
The dominion of humans over nonhumans has existed since the beginning of time. In the Old Testament - the foundation of Christian, Hebrew and Moslem religions - God gave humans dominion over every living thing that moved on the earth (Genesis, chapters 1-28). In chapter 7, the Lord tells Noah to take ``clean beasts'' (those eaten by humans) by sevens, and beasts that are not clean by two, male and female.
Nonhumans shouldn't suffer needlessly. Many are loved, living a pampered life. Others are butchered, usually as compassionately as possible, for human consumption. That's life. Always has been.
GEORGE F. SNYDER
VINTON
Crack 'recipe' was uncalled for
THERE ARE many things about The Roanoke Times that disturb me on a daily basis. However, I am appalled and almost speechless concerning Jan Vertefeuille's Jan. 11 news article (``Crack's double edge'') that described the ongoing problem of illegal drugs in Roanoke. Soaring levels of crime, drug dependency and financial concerns were all valid topics discussed in the article.
Then flip the page, and what will you find? A graphic, put together by a national news service, that offers a step-by-step explanation of how crack cocaine is made. Wow! I wonder if that trick helped increase your declining circulation numbers.
What were the editors thinking? Or better yet, were the editors thinking? I feel there is no greater disservice to our community and our youth than for our only source of printed news to publish Betty Crocker's recipe for crack cocaine!
In the future, I suggest that you use more scrupulous editing procedures to avoid such blatant disregard for the community.
CHAD BLOSSER
BLUE RIDGE
LENGTH: Long : 102 linesby CNB