DATE: Saturday, April 19, 1997              TAG: 9704190015

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B6   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  117 lines

LETTERS TO EDITOR -- THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

MILITARY

It's attitude, ability

that count in combat

Various media in the past week have presented opinions on the state of our military and suggested that there is a move afoot to move toward a ``less masculinist . . . more idealistic . . . and moral'' military posture. The ear of some of our military leaders has apparently been hijacked by a public sentiment that understands neither the reality of combat nor the attitude required of our combatants if they are to be successful.

At the age of 20, as I stepped off the bus at Parris Island Recruit Training Depot, a process of converting me from a civilian to a competent, confident, and physically fit fighting tool began. Today, the nature of that training and the attitude necessary for combat success is under attack.

Serving one's country as part of a prepared and competent military has nothing to do with race, creed, religion, sexual preference or gender. It is about attitude and the ability to pull your own weight. If our present-day military fails to have that attitude, we are truly in trouble.

The only question to be addressed by anyone desiring to enter any branch of the service should be, ``Can I perform my assignment without special dispensation?'' Pull your weight, hump your share of the gear, keep up and, when the bullets start to fly, have no doubt that those sharing your fighting hole will be just as crazy as you are.

J. Michael Geary

Nags Head, N.C., April 4, 1997

CENSUS FORMS

``Multiracial'' says it

better than ``other''

As an American of mixed racial ancestry, I am writing to praise your April 9 editorial, ``An end to `other.' '' While I prefer a color-blind society, in the meantime I would be more comfortable including myself in the ``multiracial'' category. This reflects my background much more accurately and appropriately than ``other.'' I hope the U.S. Census Bureau adopts your recommendation and that other institutions follow suit.

But the federal government should change the category on other forms besides the census. In our schools, for example, homeroom teachers are required to report the race of every child in each homeroom. The form is federally required, and the categories for reporting each student are ``black boys,'' ``black girls,'' ``white boys,'' ``white girls'' and ``other.'' The references to ``boys'' and ``girls'' are particularly disturbing for high school students, who more accurately regard themselves as young men and women.

Should the federal government continue to seek this information, it should label these categories something like, ``black males,'' ``black females,'' ``white males,'' ``white females'' and ``multiracial.'' These terms would be more inclusive.

Mary L. Carroll

High school Latin teacher

Elizabeth City, N.C., April 12, 1997

VIRGINIA BEACH

Is cut in disability funds

due to Amphitheater suit?

After having funded the Endependence Center since 1983, the city of Virginia Beach suddenly cut all funding to the center from this year's budget. Could this possibly have any connection to the fact that the Endependence Center is one of the principals involved in the legal suit against the city over the Amphitheater?

Let's all hope the city is not being vindictive against the disability community for fighting for its rights under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). If so, this brings to mind a statement made by one of your columists, Elizabeth Simpson, a few weeks ago, about how far we have come in removing the stigma of a disability - not far enough. How right she was.

Jarrett Zoby

Virginia Beach, April 13, 1997

TAXATION

``Wealthy'' taxpayer

supports GOP plan

To read Iris Lav's criticism of the Republican tax-cut proposal (Another View, March 31), one would think that the federal government gives us money instead of the other way around. Yet you do not have to be an anti-government nut to realize that Washington is robbing us blind with high taxes and wasting billions on giveaway programs rampant with fraud and abuse.

And according to Ms. Lav and other high-tax advocates, middle-class folks are now defined as ``wealthy.'' My family's combined income is less than $65,000, yet we no longer qualify for the IRA tax benefit. We have now been shoved into the 28 percent tax bracket, and when you add Social Security (7.75 percent), state tax (7 percent), Medicare (2.9 percent), sales tax, restaurant tax, gasoline tax and property tax, we ``rich guys'' must fork over 40 percent of our incomes to the government. Enough!

Washington had better realize soon that millions like me have been pushed to the brink. If tax-loving liberals want to play Robin Hood so much, I suggest they do it with their money. I support the Republican plan.

Sally Weaver

Hampton, April 3, 1997

DOODAH PARADE

Last laugh is on humor, an endengered species

Kerry Dougherty was totally wrong in her April 12 column about the nature of humor when she cited a joke about three dimwitted North Dakotans taking three months to finish a jigsaw puzzle, saying this was good humor unlike ``mirth that relies on ridiculing people because of their appearance, sex, or race.'' Why would she not assume that all North Dakotans should be offended?

At issue was the award-winning float in the DooDah parade - ``Miss Fat City'' - depicting a papier-mache fat lady politically satirizing Norfolk's dubious distinction of having ``more overweight people than almost anywhere in America.'' One overweight parade watcher was offended.

Humor is already an endangered species because of political correctness. What will we have left when we can no longer laugh at the human condition? Human condition may be defined as being male or female, fat or skinny, brilliant or dull - or even North Dakotan!

Patricia Katherine Pierce

Virginia Beach, April 14, 1997

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