ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 4, 1997 TAG: 9702040127
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
Tonight, President Clinton goes before Congress - and the nation - to fulfill his constitutional duty to report once a year on "the State of the Union." If you were giving that speech, what would you say? That's the challenge we gave readers, and here are two responses from two very different points of view.
AMANDA ACKLEY is a senior at Cave Spring High School in Roanoke County. In her spare time, she runs a computer bulletin board - "Cross Roads," accessible at 989-4991 - which generates about 25 "hits" per day, mostly from the Roanoke Valley, but some from as far away as California. That's where she got many of the ideas for her speech. "When the election was going on, there was a big thing between Clinton and Dole. Religion is another big issue on there. And college has been brought up, because a lot of people are going off to college." She'll be heading off this fall, herself - to Ferrum College, where she plans to major in chemistry.
C.S. McKINSTRY is a retiree who lives at the Friendship Manor complex in Roanoke. The former Shenandoah Life employee says he gets bored too easily, so he keeps coming out of retirement to find a new job. For a time in the 1980s, he managed the Ronald McDonald House and still works there as a volunteer. "And I nap a lot," he jokes. But he's pretty serious when it comes to his views on what's wrong with the world. He concedes, though, that he toned down his speech after his wife read his more fiery first draft.
`Whatever happened to the good people?'
By C.S. McKINSTRY
The state of my nation, under God, of, by and for the people, is unrecognizable from that which was envisioned by our forefathers.
Our present "leaders" are immoral, unethical, power-mad egomaniacs who believe anything goes - just don't get caught. Oh, Abe Lincoln, your grave must be a churning mass of frustration.
Homeless shelters are bulging at the seams. Soup kitchens are overburdened by the hungry. Churches are less than half-full. Unwed children are having babies they cannot afford to care for. Alcohol and drug abuse are widespread throughout the nation. Prisons are so full, older criminals are being released in order to allow new criminals to be incarcerated. Pornography is sanctioned by the Supreme Court.
Greed, corporate and personal, is an accepted fact, even admired by the press. Athletic prowess is rewarded by public acclaim with salaries in the millions. Oh yes, the unemployment rate is very low, but too many workers receive less than a living wage. Both parents must work to make ends meet. Children are running wild, committing crimes, taking drugs, and using alcohol. Baby sitters raise children in place of working or absentee parents.
Whatever happened to the good people? They are going to church, working hard and teaching their children right and wrong. Their children are quietly doing many right things. They seldom are seen in the news. Their lives should be celebrated instead of the dopers and terrorists overwhelming the news.
How about the wrinkled rich? They are doing great. Right? Ha. I am one of them - not so rich in monetary terms, but rich in experience. The bulk of my income is spent on doctors, medicines and health care. Have you noticed the 15 to 20 percent annual increases in the cost of health care?
Oh well, we get an inflation stopper every year to counter the greed of health care sellers. A great big 2.9 percent, based on the CPI index. Whoever it is that comes up with that 2.9 percent figure has to be living with his head under a basket. There was not one thing that I buy that increased only 2.9 percent last year. My health insurance went up 20 percent. My medicines went up 15 percent. Even my rent in a senior citizens complex went up over 2.9 percent. The gas bills have increased 25 percent.
But food has gone down drastically to make up for the increases, right?
Baloney. Food is up, up, up every month.
There are some solutions: Eliminate the 30 percent fraud in Medicare. Eliminate the pork barrel system. Eliminate the political contribution racket. Reduce government to the size we can afford. Fire immoral and unethical politicians immediately.
Continuing to condone these vices, by raising taxes, wrist-slapping, reducing seniors' benefits or ignoring the poor and needy does not solve the problems. It only transfers the problem to someone else's back.
Yes, we are better off then many other nations. Yes, I am proud to be an American. Yes, there are better days coming. When?
* When God decides enough is enough. Do you remember ancient Rome, Hitler's Germany, Fascist Italy, godless Japan. God showed us that he has a lot of patience, but not forever.
* When we get some sense of electing moral, ethical people to govern this God-inspired country.
* When we reward people for their integrity rather than their charming good looks.
* When we reward people for their high standards rather than their notorious acts of shame.
* When we teach our children to be good citizens, not rely on baby sitters to do the job for us.
* When we return to belief in a higher justice that allows no appeals.
The media have led us down this path to oblivion. It is time to reject the false idols of materialism, sensationalism, corruptible power, and greed.
It is now time to understand that this life is only a proving ground for that which is to come. Get yourself straight with God. He will take care of all the other problems in His time.
I have faith in the people of my nation to rise up and reject this present state of our nation. Take off the rose-colored glasses. Demand the nation our forefathers envisioned, reject this poor mixture of greed, corruption, immorality and shame.
Above all, pray to God for His help. He is listening.
`Do not give up hope, America'
By AMANDA ACKLEY
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of the 105th Congress, exalted guests, my fellow Americans: Let me begin by welcoming all who are here and those who are tuning in by way of television and radio. It is an honor to deliver the State of the Union address once again.
Tonight is not about government per se, but America. Tonight we discuss our duties as Americans, our goals, our dreams, how we can make this country one of which our founders would be proud.
We are on a bridge to the future, one in which I pray we will all gather peacefully, where race, age, and gender will not matter. A future that will bring peace, not just to our nation, but to the world we all must live in as well. One we can be proud to leave to future generations. Last year, the crime rate, welfare and food stamp rolls, the poverty rate, and teen pregnancy were all down. Our union is strong, but to keep it strong, we must keep all these down, and push other issues - jobs, education, and health - to the front line.
Our founders wanted to form a more perfect union, to ensure domestic tranquillity. My fellow Americans, to do this we must bring the crime rate further down, in hope that one day it will rest at 0 percent. I believe one thing we should seriously consider is the death penalty. We need to stop studying its emotional impact and focus on statistics.
As a whole, we need to answer this question: Does the death penalty deter capital crime? Sadly, in this day and age, too many Americans are dodging punishment and letting others take blame for their actions. We need to teach our parents and our children to take responsibility. As someone once said, "It's a sad world when kids run wild and we send dogs to obedience school."
Detention and suspension should not be part of our school system, especially by high school. Discipline was not a problem a generation ago. Discipline in the home is deteriorating. Our parents need to realize that television is not an adequate replacement for love, affection, togetherness, and firm reprimands. If good behavior and morals begin in the home, then children will take these learned values with them to class. Think how much better today's education system could be if teachers did not have to spend so much time punishing children and could spend that time doing what they are there for: teaching, reaching out to our future.
We also need to look at money spent on school systems. Teachers are the people who instill knowledge in our future leaders, yet their pay ranks among the lowest professional salaries in the union. Many schools are old, many leak, and many are overcrowded.
When there are too many in a classroom, learning is difficult. We need to modernize our schools.
Let's talk about health care. Managed care creates a bad situation. For example, it tells psychologists and psychiatrists that they are allowed perhaps as few as six sessions with their clients. What if a client is suicidal? What if insurance will not cover that client being hospitalized? It is all about money. We should care more about our nation's health and well-being. Employers should give the money that would have been used to pay insurance premiums to employees, to allow them to budget their own health care.
And how should we deal with the growing drug problem? Surely there are better ways for people to make money. Drugs are killing us. Even if drugs spare your life, they may leave you a vegetable. What a terrible waste. My fellow Americans, God is looking over you, but even He can only do so much. But that is not our only problem. We have children overdosing on Ritalin, on prescription medicines. Suicide is high, especially among teen-agers. We need to teach our children and ourselves that suicide is and always will be a permanent answer to a temporary problem. Don't turn to drugs. Things will improve, maybe not right away, but do not give up hope, America, there are two sides to every coin. Please, pick life, not death.
Gangs are another problem. So many times youths are maimed, arrested, or even killed. Often these people are school dropouts. We need to find the potential in each of these dropouts and work with them. Keep these youths off the streets, out of the gangs, off drugs -clean inside and out.
While teen pregnancy has declined, we need to make sure it stays in a decline and does not escalate. I would much rather have teens practicing abstinence, but if they do engage in sexual activity, they should at least use protection. AIDS is on the rise, and people need to protect themselves against it. There are new drugs available, but none, as of yet, are capable of completely curing this deadly disease.
There have been a number of shootings and bombings at abortion clinics. If you are one of the perpetrators, consider this fact: You say you are doing this to tell mothers that they should not kill the life that they are carrying, yet by your shooting and bombings you may very well be killing what you are trying to save. Abortion is a very personal decision. This issue needs to be removed from the political arena into the only place it belongs - the home, between the parents of the unborn fetus.
There are many things that we as Americans can do to make this a more perfect union. Wonderful dreams yet to be dreamed, ideas not thought of, bridges not built, cures not yet created. We live in a great country, but it will become better yet if we all take part, accept our responsibilities, and do so with charm and grace.
Thank you, God bless you and the United States of America. Thank you.
WHAT OTHERS WOULD SAY
At Millboro Elementary School in Bath County, sixth-grade teacher Cliff Gilchrest asked his pupils to draft their own State of the Union speeches. Here are parts of four speeches:
"Live within our means"
If I, Katie Hicklin of the sixth grade at Millboro Elementary School, were president and giving the state of the Union message, I would emphasize the good things about America in the past year. Also I would state what I would do to make it a better place in the year of 1997.
Many good things have happened in the year of 1996. Much progress has been made in the treatments of cancer, AIDS, diabetes and heart disease. Also people are using computer technology in their jobs, at home and in schools. In addition, parents have more control of what their children watch on TV because of the ratings system....
... We still have many problems to face. We need to ensure that our children are [cared for]. We also need to get tougher laws for illegal drugs, gang crime and unethical behavior of our elected officials.
However, the major issue facing Americans is our huge debt. We have to learn to live within our means. ...
- KATIE HICKLIN
"I never go back on my word"
I have four issues that concern me and I have many ways to improve each.....
1. ... The environment is being punished just for letting off its beauty to all of us..... I will improve [the environment] by establishing recycling communities..... If you don't want your children's children to see the forest just keep on and don't try to improve. But you can't blame me.
2. Education. For most kids when it comes to school, it's not exactly at the top of their list of things to do..... It's just not fun or should I say "cool." To improve everything I'll start with educating teachers to improve the skills of each teacher..... More parent-teacher conferences might help. But don't blame the teachers, because they are doing all they can.
3. Diseases roam the world killing and destroying people..... I will expand hospitals so there is no long wait for patients that aren't seriously hurt but could become hurt or sick. I've been in a waiting room before and it's usually always noisy, crowded and takes a long time.... I would recommend a children's waiting room for parents who bring a child, so this child can play while his mom or dad is in care....
4. ... If you have a job you will have insurance. If you don't, there will be a second-class insurance for you. This needs to be improved.... Maybe I will have a pre-insurance so teens can get health care at their first job.
Thank you for listening to all my issues, and I hope you will see my side and be careful how you cast your ballot. Remember, I never go back on my word.
- JENNIFER CLARK
"Keep on working ..."
... I would like to talk about the environment, education, crime and violence.
I think that one good thing about the environment is that more people are caring about it.... A few bad things that I think have happened are first, the ozone layer is being destroyed even more .... Second, the ocean is being polluted even more because of the oil spills. ... Third, the rain forest is not doing too well either. When we kill the rain forest, we are killing all the beautiful animals and plants that live there plus ourselves because when people chop it down, it destroys the ozone layer.
I think that the U.S. government is working harder to get all children in school. But all children don't appreciate their right to learn and some teachers don't appreciate the students. ...
I think we are doing a whole lot better keeping crime and violence rates down. ... If we can get more people off drugs then we could have even lower crime rates. ....
These are only some of the things that we have been working on and need to work on harder. If we don't keep on working to make America a better place, then we will make it a terrible place.
- AMANDA DEEDS
A "most important speech"
I feel that the state of the Union is one of the most important speeches that the president will make during his term in the White House.
The president .. must have a plan that will balance the budget without taking away benefits that the people of the U.S.A. need to survive
The environment is a critical issue... [It] must be cleaned up if we are going to survive on earth. Tougher laws and punishments must be issued....
Everyone is entitled to medical care.... Poor people and middle class people should have the same health care as the wealthy.
The welfare system must be changed because it is being misused by lazy people. Old people and handicapped people who need help are not getting it because young, lazy people are getting the bulk of the funds.
Education should be addressed. Each and every person should have the same opportunity to get a good education. ...
- BRANDON POWELL
LENGTH: Long : 274 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff. Cave Spring High School senior Amandaby CNBAckley and former Shenandoah Life employee C.S. McKinstry report on
the state of the union. color.