THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 15, 1996 TAG: 9607130010
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 54 lines
A year ago Virginia made it easier to obtain concealed handgun permits. But the state may have gone further than it intended.
The FBI used to check fingerprints of applicants, but the General Assembly failed to authorize a continuation of the practice. As of July 1, the FBI is no longer checking to make sure those getting guns haven't already got criminal records. There's a difference between a free society and a foolishly permissive one. New area code improves looks
You don't absolutely have to use the new area code, 757, until Feb. 1, but if you try it you'll discoverer 757 has advantages over 804.
1. It's far easier to punch, since the 7 and 5 are close together.
2. That means less chance of calling the wrong number with 757 than with 804.
3. The new number is easier to remember than 804. Perhaps some day you'll meet someone wonderful and the person will remember your area code because it's simple to recall two lucky 7's with a 7-minus-2 in between.
4. It's far easier to say 757 than 804. Saying 804 a dozen times times is akin to practicing facial aerobics. The energy saved throughout the entire area code will be phenomenal, once everyone uses the new number. Civics lesson
The high school in Chapel Hill, N.C., requires seniors to do 50 hours of community service to graduate. Parents of six students brimming with community spirit sued, claiming the school was requiring involuntary servitude of their offspring.
A Court of Appeals this week told the parents to get with the program. Good. It's a sad commentary when students learn more at home about taking their neighbors to court than lending them a helping hand. Washington, D.C., is a financial wreck. No one is more aware than employees at the city morgue. The air conditioning isn't working. The crematorium has broken down, and there's a shortage of body bags. And you thought your working conditions were bad.
Technology to the rescue
Three counties in Northern Virginia are helping battered women in a new way. They are issuing pendants that look like jewelry but double as police transmitters. When activated, an emergency call to police is automatically made.
Often, violence against women has been treated as a domestic problem, not a serious crime. In a post-O.J. world, that mind-set has begun to change. Police are more willing to get involved than in the past, and courts are more willing to punish harshly guilty parties; but more needs to be done. For women who live in fear of stalkers or abusive men under court order to leave them alone, 911 jewelry is a step in the right direction. by CNB