THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 8, 1995 TAG: 9501070015
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
Hooray for Sheriff Robert McCabe. He should be applauded for his decision to deny the 1,400 inmates of the Norfolk City Jail their annual Christmas present from the Salvation Army. Instead, your newspaper and local talk-radio pundits have tried to paint Sheriff McCabe as the Grinch. I say Humbug! to them.
As an ex-paramedic/firefighter in Norfolk for seven years, I've visited the jail on many occasions in the performance of my duties. While some of the inmates may be innocent or worthy of reform efforts, the average resident of the jail is a contemptuous heathen who has no respect for the law, freedom, justice or charity.
In my sojourns to the jail to help the sick or injured, the inmates have threatened me with violence, spit on me, screamed obscenities at me and made vulgar sexual remarks. Co-workers have had the same, in addition to having cups of urine and other bodily fluids thrown at them.
Outside the jail, these criminals prey on the innocent. Inside the jail, these criminals are housed and fed at our expense. Our tax dollars already provide them soap, shampoo, toothpaste and shaving cream. They do not deserve ``presents'' containing the same items - bought from charitable contributions from honest, hard-working citizens.
The estimated $7,000 that the Salvation Army would spend on the inmates would better serve the community if spent on the poor who are trying to be good citizens and obey the law. Seven thousand dollars could buy a lot of toys - as well as a lot of good will. That, I believe, was Sheriff McCabe's point.
Ever since I was a small boy, I've never passed a Salvation Army solicitor without contributing something. If the Salvation Army is going to use my contributions to coddle criminals, then I will be forced to rethink my commitment to its charity.
Sheriff Robert McCabe has guts, along with my support.
ALAN W. KECK
Virginia Beach, Dec. 28, 1994 by CNB