THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 30, 1995 TAG: 9503300004
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
Recently I received the latest edition of The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star's newsletter for educators. As a teacher of elementary students, I was interested in what the paper had to offer first- and second-graders when, in truth, it offers only a continuum of violence, misdeeds and biased politics. The editors of the education-news beat suggested that teachers ``invite students to look through the newspaper for acts of kindness'' - a praiseworthy lesson, indeed, but a vain pursuit, in fact.
I took the challenge upon myself. Accepting a full confrontation with a paper that generally sends me into a full retreat, I read completely the March 21 edition of the morning paper. The first section was rife with articles of killing, gunmen, court rulings, crashes, disease, divisive discussions and ethnic murders. The one act of kindness that I found there was performed by staff writer Steve Stone, who regretted that his deed was viewed as an exception rather than the norm, not aware, I'm sure, that it was an exception in his own paper, too.
The MetroNews section offered no respite from the bombardment of despair. Child abuse, killings, robbery, a missing girl, a dead angler had me searching for one positive report - just one - to redeem my efforts. The sports reporters did attest to the fact that there are winners, but alas no acts of kindness.
I did not, however, lose the battle completely. I found in full support of the challenge a front-page article in the Daily Break about Joyce White and the opportunity she provides young girls to be ``queens for a day.'' Ms. White and the reporter gave me my one glimpse of the papers' concession to kindness.
It was not and is not enough. I'll not be carrying the paper to school to use in a classroom of young, impressionable learners. The lesson this paper offers is clear: Violence and immorality take precedence in print over the numerous members of our community who set daily examples of kindness. I will challenge my students to find these people in their own lives. And I will challenge them to read material with values that encourage and build a community.
ELLEN HILL
Virginia Beach, March 23, 1995 by CNB