DATE: Sunday, July 13, 1997                 TAG: 9707120001

SECTION: COMMENTARY              PAGE: J4   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letters

                                            LENGTH:  112 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

GOD AND COUNTRY

Bring back prayer

In retrospective reflection, our 4th of July celebration this year was like so many others in the past.

The whole feeling can be summed up in a few sentences: When homosexuals are welcomed out of the closet and mainstreamed into society, and in the same breath God is locked in the same closet, something is terribly wrong. God's inspiration made this great nation.

The Declaration of Independence only guarantees us what God the Father has already provided us with his everlasting freedom.

God and country have always been joined at the hip, as they should be and for good reason. God is great by himself, but our country cannot be great without God. Place prayer back in the classroom; you're always on time for God's righteousness.

Terry Kelly

Virginia Beach, July 6, 1997

YMCA

Why no break for senior members?

I thank you for the June 26 ``Your Retirement Living'' report. The articles were informative and the interviews interesting.

Spurred on by some of your suggestions, my husband and I thought it about time for us to become more active. We are ``seniors'' pushing the heck out of 70.

I called our local YMCA. It had advertised a few weeks ago asking for people to join.

For my granddaughter with five little girls, the fee is $75 to join and $52 per month. If my husband and I want to join, the fee is $75 and $52 monthly. If we want to bring any of our grandchildren to swim, we can do so once a year.

Where is the logic and fairness in this arrangement? My granddaughter and family would use the facilities far more often and with much more gusto. As seniors we would be interested in the water-exercise classes, some swimming and perhaps an occasional trip.

The YMCA needs to take a closer look at its membership requirements and give us seniors some kind of break.

Maxine B. Lovett

Suffolk, June 26, 1997

BRIDGE-TUNNEL

What genius planned tourist season repair?

I am wondering whose idea it was to have the repairs to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel done in the height of the busy tourist season?

I just moved to Ocean View from Florida. The traffic is horrible.

I work from 10-4 or 11-5, and no matter what hour I return home, traffic is backed up to Granby Street or Chesapeake Boulevard!

As usual, it's the poor slobs who live here who have to ``pay the price'' for brilliant planning! This work certainly could have been scheduled for after our busy tourist season.

I never had a very high regard for Virginia when I lived here as a Navy wife for almost 20 years.

I lived in Florida for six years. There I saw vast road construction and repairs in a real tourist state. Florida projects were better-planned and better-executed than this fiasco on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

Where were their brains? Where was the planning?

Mary Ball

Virginia Beach, July 1, 1997

RELIGION

Church indifferent to plight of the poor

The church's commitment to the poor has been compromised through the misrepresentations, distortions and perversion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The church seems indifferent to the social problems facing the poor. It has made itself a bulwark for economic injustice.

The ranks of the traditional poor have been swelled by the working poor. The responsibility of the church is to broaden horizons, challenge the status quo and break the traditional mores when necessary. Any church that claims to be concerned about the souls of men and not about the social conditions that damn them is a dry-as-dust church.

David L. King

Norfolk, July 3, 1997

PETA

Working with local animal shelters

The June 21 Cal Thomas column unfairly criticized People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for what Mr. Thomas believes is a misdirected use of donations. He thinks PETA should forget about animals suffering and dying in laboratories, slaughterhouses, hunting preserves, fur farms, the entertainment industry, etc., and start collecting funds for local animal shelters.

As the director of a local animal shelter, I maintain that Mr. Thomas is misdirected.

There is a public-health threat associated with dog and cat overpopulation and free-roaming strays; therefore, it's fitting for animal shelter programs to be supported largely by local government funds. Humane societies often contract with their local governments to operate shelters. And when times get hard, as they have here in the District of Columbia, we've called on and received emergency financial aid from a large, national group that truly cares about animals.

Mary C. Healey

Executive director

The Washington Humane Society

Washington, D.C., July 1, 1997

JULY 5

A night to remember < Bill Deal and the original Rhondels and Fat Ammon provided excellent ``beach music'' at Ocean View Beach Park on July 5. Their original records still evoke good memories for a lot of people.

Needless to say, the fireworks were just beautiful. Thanks to all the folks who made those possible.

Organizations, local businesses, police and fire departments contributed to this - a night to remember.

Valerie G. Stutsman

Norfolk, July 6, 1997

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