THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606210238
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 44 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 143 lines
I saw something the other day, which, upon first glance, I thought comical. There was a truck stopped in front of me and on its bumper were two stickers. One read ``No wetlands, No seafood;'' the other, ``Re-elect Walter Jones Jr. for Congress.''
However, after seeing two other vehicles displaying the same stickers, I became concerned about people knowing where their candidates stand on certain issues. Jones has the worst record in Congress on environmental issues. He and Lauch Faircloth support the ``Contract with America,'' which has as a priority to do away with the Clean Water Act.
The Clean Water Act is the legislation that protects wetlands. This act has been in place since 1972 reducing the loss of wetlands, therefore protecting critical areas for spawning fish. If the Clean Water Act is abolished by the Republicans then not only will wetlands be lost, but industries and municipalities will be allowed to increase the amount of pollutants they dump into our waterways. This would include reducing the restrictions on the hog industry as well, which would increase the chances of more fish kills.
It frightens me that people do not realize what all the issues are and how their elected officials stand on these issues and, even worse, that they want them re-elected. All of eastern North Carolina relies on clean water to attract tourism. We also rely on clean water for our fishing industry (commercial and recreational). To do away with the Clean Water Act would set us back over 25 years.
I would like to encourage Dare citizens to educate themselves on the candidates, their voting records and how they stand on certain issues. Ask Jones why he waits until the last days before an election to even introduce any environmental legislation. Is this not a contradiction to the ``Contract with America?'' I remind those watermen who support Walter Jones Jr. because of his stance on Oregon Inlet that without wetlands and clean water there will be no need for the jetties.
Brant L. Wise, Vice Chairperson
National Surfrider Foundation
Kill Devil Hills Cut defense spending and stop funding war
This Sunday morning I happened to glance through Paul South's column, ``Be thankful we can march on city streets, not off to war.'' This column beautifully illustrates why I don't read the paper or watch the news.
In this piece, Mr. South tells us that ``we live in an age not so much of swords, but of plowshares,'' This is a strange thing for Mr. South to say, seeing as more than 50 percent of all income taxes are going toward the military.
It is in this ``age of plowshares'' that environmental efforts are being cut, money for education is drying up and welfare is getting slashed, but the military budget, already the biggest slice of the pie, got several more billion for 1997.
Well more than 30 million people are living in poverty in this country alone. Imagine what could be done about this problem and so many others if we cut the military budget, but Mr. South, and millions more just like him, seem more content on pretending that we've already beaten our swords into plowshares when really they are poised right at our throats.
Mr. South goes on in his column to say, ``Mothers and fathers by the dozen will not have to bear the flag-draped coffins of their sons and daughters to a final resting place.''
This may hold true for those of us living in America, but due to our government, the situation is not that way elsewhere. In southern Mexico, countless bodies have fallen to the earth for the last time - shot to death by attack helicopters flown by the Mexican government, and supplied by the United States.
On the other side of the globe, the United States gives more money to Israel than to any other country. The Israeli government, in turn, has killed countless Palestinians. In these countries and dozens more, mothers and fathers by the dozen still have to bear the coffins of the sons and daughters. But as long as we can march on city streets, why worry about all those that can't because of our government, right?
Toward the end of the column, Mr. South explains, ``we don't have to consider whether it is right or wrong to fight wars in places with names we have never heard.'' While it is true ``we'' are not fighting, the question is still there. Around the globe murderous regimes and U.S. proxy forces do the same dirty work we did ourselves in Vietnam - but once again, as long as it's not our children, why worry?
In closing, Mr. South writes, ``Children should not have to think of wars, or the names on a stone wall.'' Children shouldn't have to think about wars, but as long as our country is responsible for so much death, adults have to think about such things. This world's in a lot of trouble, and America holds a lot of the blame. Articles like Mr. South's, with their false sense of tranquility, do nothing but make the situation worse.
Jeffrey Kidder
Manteo Colington Harbour property owners lied to
I would like to respond to the campaign letter that was mailed to Colington Harbour's property owners before the recent election of four directors to the board of the Colington Harbour Association.
I was instrumental in organizing the Roanoke Island Yacht Club in 1983. Not long after the RIYC was organized my wife and I bought property in Colington Harbour and built a waterfront home. Some of the reasons for making this change were because Colington Harbour was the only deep water boating community on the Outer Banks at that time and because many of the other RIYC members lived in Colington Harbour and kept their boats at their own docks. It was definitely more convenient to sail and race out of your own home port.
My wife and I also joined the Colington Harbour Yacht and Racquet Club, but soon found out that none of the members had any interest at all in boating-related activities. We discovered that the CHY&RC amounted to a small elite group of about 65 property owners who were pursuing a very limited personal social agenda.
RIYC is a social club with no political affiliation. As a property owner I was appalled to see the campaign letter that the candidates (and now newly elected board members) had mailed to the community that knowingly made statements about the other candidates who also happen to be RIYC club members that are not true, were misleading and were deliberately fraudulent.
Further, as a property owner of Colington Harbour, I have every right under the covenants and the by-laws to hire or rent the clubhouse, picnic area or any common property. I also have the right to invite any friend(s) - including those who belong to RIYC. The members of this community have the right to belong to any club or social organization and should not be discriminated against because of that affiliation or social jealousies.
The ``picnic shelter,'' which cost about $5,200, was built and erected by Roanoke Island Yacht Club members and donated to the people of Colington Harbour with unanimous approval of the Board of Directors.
It is for all Colington Harbour residents to use at their pleasure. RIYC has no control over its management.
To further enlighten the good people of Colington Harbour, may I remind you that the Colington Harbour Association already allows non-property owners to rent boat slips; use the community boat ramp; attend CHY&R social affairs and dinners as guests of members; attend swimming events and meets; and allows other clubs and organizations such as the Colington Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary to use our facilities for meetings and to hold their social events and picnics.
I personally am tired of being manipulated, lied about, and lied to by a small group of individuals. RIYC has no affiliation with the Colington Harbour Association, has no control, and no desire to have control over the common properties. This is your community and your property that is owned by all of the members of Colington Harbour. There are 1,800 property owners and 1,100 homes which represent over 4,000 people. What a crime that four fine, qualified, and active members that represented all of our community were voted out as a result of a campaign of lies, fabrications and misrepresentations because of their enjoyment of boating-related activities in a boating-related community.
Bob Buchanan
Colington Harbour by CNB