THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 22, 1994 TAG: 9412220013
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
You displayed abysmal ignorance of the merits of a prison on the Eastern Shore (editorial, Dec. 15). It appeared to have been written by the Virginia Department of Corrections.
This is not a question of ``the haves and have-nots'' or a racial issue. It is a people issue. Almost all who will have the prison in their back yards are African Americans; they are among the group most opposed to the prison. They also realize that the DOC picked that location because it believed they would least be able to fight it.
If the prison were such a good thing for the Eastern Shore, why were clandestine meetings held? Did the Northampton County Board of Supervisors break state laws in the way they have so far handled this issue? Was the Cape Charles Town Council in a legally supportable position on the water issue?
Before you pontificate further on the issue, come to Northampton County, talk to some of the real people involved, learn more about the fragile nature of the land and the limitations of the water supply. Picture an ugly, multistory prison towering above the flat horizon.
When you have done this, your outlook may take a 180-degree turn.
GEORGE M. FRASER
Cape Charles, Dec. 16, 1994 by CNB