ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 13, 1997 TAG: 9703130011
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-14 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: YOUR CALL
About ``Home alone is prime time for trouble,'' March 6:
From JAMES V. HYLER, Hardy
An excellent topic. It is fundamental to many ethical and moral problems that we face in our society today, particularly with the raising of kids, drug-related issues, the breakup of the family, and the feminist movement to get women out into the marketplace instead of taking care of their kids. This kind of topic will do much to help people recognize what the impact of those particular issues are in our society.
From CARLTON RADCLIFF, Blue Ridge
I agree there needs to be more done to provide better options for the children that are left alone. But for some parents there may be another option. I'm a carrier for The Roanoke Times. My wife works full time. We live comfortably, and I'm at home everyday to greet our children after school. We do without some things that we'd like to have, but our children aren't doing without the moral and ethical guidance that only parents can give.
About ``Big-time busts in a small-time city,'' March 8:
From LENNY HALL, Vinton
Until America discontinues being a filtering pot of the world and allowing all types of foreign people, regardless of race, color or whatever, to come into this country, we'll always have problems. It's getting worse all the time. I think it's about time we in America and in Roanoke and everywhere in the U.S.A. should stop just letting people come in.
About ``In the abortion debate, facts should matter,'' March 9:
From J.D. ROBINSON, Fincastle
Right or wrong doesn't change with circumstances or with people. It's wrong to abort a baby in the third trimester. It's just as wrong in the second trimester, and equally wrong three days after conception. How can we arbitrarily set the number of days before the so-called unviable tissue suddenly becomes a baby? Have we lost all common sense? We think of ourselves as so enlightened. The reality is that Americans have lost the the courage and the character to face the absolute nature of right or wrong. So we kill 1 million babies every year because they would prove inconvenient, and call them unviable tissue. That's not enlightenment. That's absolute barbarianism.
About ``Don't let fraud kill home-health Medicare,'' March 10:
From HAROLD BOWMAN, Salem
My wife had home-health care. She had an amputation, and the home-health nurse was in on a regular basis. After my wife died, I noticed her room was full of hundreds of dollars worth of duplicate supplies. Now these weren't left here without the agency's charging the government for them. This is a good example of how home-health agencies take advantage of the system. The government doesn't know. It just pays the bill.
From the Rev. JAMES A. BRAXTON, Salem.
You're right on target. It is being abused. I've been dealing for the past 40 years with sick people, and with the services provided by hospitals, doctors and these agencies. We have gone backward. I think it is to the point of evil, in the sense of how the cost is up and the services are down. Something must happen to save these valuable programs.
From MARCELLE MELKI, Roanoke
I'm a registered nurse in Roanoke County. I've been in home health for about 15 years. I've worked with several of the agencies in the city and in the county. I can see that in larger cities there is some abuse but, working with agencies in Roanoke, I have not seen any. Patients do need home health care, and it's a growing part of health care in America. Some of the patients are alone, and they're always happy to see us even though we just come by and say hello to them. Those services we do not charge for. We do other little extra things to make their days comfortable, since some of their families do not even call or ask about them. Home health, if it's run right by the government, can be efficient for the country.
About ``Roanoke is ill-serving its neighborhood parks,'' March 11:
From ELBERT C. TRENOR, Roanoke
I am a senior citizen, and I think the parks are very vital for the future of the city. I hope you will continue putting the heat on the city fathers to clean up our city.
From HELEN C. REED, Roanoke
We should get these prisoners out of jail, and put them out there to work to clean up the trash. And put up signs. If anybody is caught trashing these parks, fine 'em. Stick to it. Don't back down.
From GARNETT BREEDING, Roanoke
Broken picnic tables don't happen by themselves, soft-drink cups don't show up by themsleves, and used condoms don't appear from the dirt. They're caused by people. Don't blame the city. Blame the residents for not taking care of what the city provided for them.
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