DATE: Monday, July 28, 1997                 TAG: 9707260014

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B6   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  136 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR -THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

SPORTS Ethnic, racial slurs hurt everyone

In his July 16 column, Bob Molinaro minimized the importance of a pro-basketball coach's calling a sportswriter a ``Mexican blankety-blank.'' He then implied that a race car mechanic's angry attack on another sportswriter, calling him a ``black Jew,'' to be insignificant also.

The choice of those three names as being worthy of put-down (would the mechanic or coach have called someone ``you Anglo-American'' with similar effect?) reminds us that some groups are still seen as ``less-than.'' No matter how much we'd like to deny it, there is a general difference in status and power in our country among ethnic and racial groups. When we accept the legitimacy of those put-downs, we participate in the problem of dismissing those who aren't white or European enough.

Let's start with a challenge to every implied or explicit put-down of a group and let those of us in the dominant groups be active allies of those groups.

Garrett J. McAuliffe

Norfolk, July 17, 1997

CENSORSHIP

Banning classics

smacks of communism

It is a sad country we live in when you cannot watch a movie without fear of police charging into your home because you may be viewing objectionable material.

Just because some citizens view a movie as ``obscene,'' I am no longer allowed to view it. Smacks of Nazi Germany or a communist state to me.

I do not normally support the ACLU, but I must go with it on this issue. ``The Tin Drum'' is a classic movie and worth viewing, not a piece of adult-oriented material available on your street corner.

The people in Oklahoma City need to lighten up. If they want to attack pornography, go after the real thing and leave great movies, especially classics, alone. What's next, ``Birth of a Nation''?

William Lee III

Norfolk, June 28, 1997

BOATING

Enforce speed limit,

especially at night

Last fall, I was drifting along in a 20-foot sailboat in the downtown harbor, 200 feet or so from Portside, when a large dual-propeller powerboat traveling around 50 mph ran into and over me, demolishing my boat and almost killing me.

Coast Guard and police perform routine safety and sobriety checks on just about anything that floats. Despite these checks, high-speed collisions, such as the recent head-on collision near the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth, continue to occur at night.

I feel that law enforcement is missing the mark. The one thing that will virtually eliminate all serious accidents in the harbor waterways would be to enforce the 6-knot speed limit, particularly at night. Operators of powerboats who speed through the area should be treated in the same manner as motor vehicle operators who recklessly endanger lives by their driving.

My powerboat friends insist they can see just fine at night without headlights, and besides, going slow is aggravating and boring when you are perfectly able to go fast. Anyone with experience knows you just can't see that well on the water at night. You think you can, but it's a false sense of security. I learned this myself years ago, hitting fish net poles that would magically appear in the York River at night.

My only intent in writing this is to help reduce the carnage, particularly for those of us who don't like to take risks. Maybe it's time for boats to have headlights and reflectors!

Eric C. Hansen

Norfolk, July 17, 1997

EDUCATION

TCC's Whitworth

will be sorely missed

I was shocked and dismayed to read July 12 that Larry Whitworth was asked to leave his post as president of Tidewater Community College. Mr. Whitworth has rendered more positive community awareness of TCC and community colleges as a whole than have any of his predecessors.

He must be commended for his diligent efforts in establishing a Norfolk campus, in creating a Women's Center and, especially, for introducing a new Technology Center at the college that would attract more businesses to relocate into our area. Mr. Whitworth is a board member of the Central Business District Association and, as such, was able to inform prominent business leaders in the community about the merits of the community college.

Mr. Whitworth's absence will be sorely felt since he was a pro-active thinker and on the cutting edge of planning positive changes for the college.

Pearl Smith

Executive director

Central Business District Association

Virginia Beach, July 15, 1997

COMPETITION

You're off the mark

on tax, regionalism

Once again, you play with the facts and manipulate them to your liking. In the matter of personal property tax, you scoffed at Mr. Gilmore's idea as you have in the past at any conservative idea (editorial, July 22).

The second issue is regionalism, a project spearheaded by your paper with little regard for what is best for citizens. Cooperation did not build this nation, the states or the cities. Competition did. That is an ugly word to the PC crowd.

Regionalism has major flaws in its implementation. First, the stronger cities pick up more of the share of the burden when it comes to outlays of capital. Second, a sports arena or other major facility can only be placed in one of the cities while all the region picks up the tab. People lose their voice in the form of their vote to decide their own destiny and that of their city.

Freedom and individuality and the competitive drive are what make our cities great. Regionalism would erode our rights and is tantamount to socialism.

Nathan D. Rohr

Virginia Beach, July 22, 1997 > NORFOLK

Focus Nauticus on

port of Hampton Roads

Nauticus is a fine idea gone slightly awry. It should be a showcase of the maritime history and present-day wonders of the port of Hampton Roads. This would complement the Naval History Museum.

The main exhibit should be a panoramic display of the port in miniature, showing the Naval Shipyard, Lamberts Point Coal Piers, the Naval Base, the bridge tunnels, the container piers, the CSX coal piers and Newport News Shipbuilding. The miniature display should have ships loading at the various piers, as well as ships being built or repaired in the shipyards. If possible, the coal and container piers would have working models of their operations.

Computer programs could show in detail the navigation of the port, the launching of a major ship from Newport News Shipbuilding and the building of the bridge-tunnel. Film and details of the great naval ships that grace our port could be shown in operation.

The port of Hampton Roads is one of Virginia's most historic areas as well as one of its most dynamic. Nauticus can show this to all and become the symbol of a great maritime center.

Wendell N. Vest

Norfolk, July 22, 1997

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