DATE: Thursday, July 31, 1997               TAG: 9707310008

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  147 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - VIRGINIAN-PILOT

My compliments to the paper and to reporter Mike Mather for his sensitive, insightful and informative series which followed a recent police recruit class through the Police Academy's grueling training to graduation. The dedication shown by the Academy staff in maintaining the highest level of professional demands and personal behavior was notable.

It was an impressive achievement, both from a reporting standpoint and from the individual one of Mr. Mather's actually completing the course himself, as opposed to maintaining an observer status. We cut out the daily articles and mailed a copy to family members in another city.

For readers such as our family, it reinforced our feelings of appreciation to those public servants who daily put their lives on the line to serve and protect the taxpaying public.

Susan Addelston

Virginia Beach, July 16, 1997 WELFARE Moms bear the burden, dads get off the hook

I was furious after reading the July 6 Another View, ``Putting welfare mothers to work.''

Christopher Jencks, a Harvard professor, writes that most single welfare mothers ``have children with men who are almost as poor as themselves. Pursuing them may be good public policy . . . but it will not raise much money.''

He also suggests that pursuing child support makes some of these mothers worse off. ``If a state agency forces an abusive man to start paying child support, he may reassert his parental rights and begin harassing the mother again.''

Why is it that women are expected to do everything in their power, and more, to be responsible for their children? Yet Harvard professors and the like create new excuses for men not to be equally responsible for their children. Your newspaper and others have been reporting mandatory job training and community service for welfare mothers to help them support their children, yet courts across this country continually allow these fathers to remain ``unemployed'' or underemployed for years.

As a parent who supports my own children, I believe we as a society should have a zero tolerance for parents who refuse to care for their own flesh and blood. There is little or no consequence for not paying child support. Where are the mandatory community service jobs for fathers who don't pay?

As for Mr. Jencks' insinuation that an abusive man should not be ``forced'' into paying child support because he may become abusive again: Isn't that rewarding the wrong behavior? How about some mandatory programs for these abusers before their parental rights are reinstated?

Maybe we could ``fan the embers'' of consequence to discourage these bullies from further abuse, rather than excuse them from their responsibilities of parenthood. Maybe then our children will learn that violence and abuse will not be tolerated in our society.

Lisa Petry

Virginia Beach, July 8, 1997 POLICE Let's get the facts in Bryan Dugan shooting

This is in response to a July 7 letter to the editor, ``Police facts often ignored.''

I hold the utmost respect for individuals within law enforcement. However, as in all fields, facts must be thoroughly investigated to maintain the stature and integrity of the profession. I do believe we are ignoring the facts regarding the tragic death of Bryan Dugan. Ambiguities are being swept under a rug without concise conclusion.

In the reports I have read, the number of knives vary, the number of shots vary and the police efforts to control this situation are inconclusive.

I understand police officers have families, but what about his family? Bryan's is one of the most loving and caring families I know. What about his stepfather, who is also a Virginia Beach police officer?

I can only pray that someday Bryan's family will have some answers as to what really happened that morning.

Juanita Sheppard

Norfolk, July 16, 1997 SPORTS ``Just win'' philosophy can lead to tragedy

In a July 21 letter to the editor, Philip Knight, chairman and CEO of Nike Inc., expressed his dismay over why our young people feel it is necessary to resort to violence instead of settling their differences on the court, the track or the playing field.

Let me help him see where he has contributed to our society's abysmal level, where people feel that to win at all costs is the ultimate goal, no matter what the setting.

Nike has taught our society that if you can't win by rights, at least try to win by might. Specifically, I refer to Nike's collusion with NBC in attempting to gain Carl Lewis a spot on the relay team during the 1996 Summer Olympics. What a financial coup that would have been, to be the corporate sponsor of an athlete who holds the record number of gold medals in a lifetime. This was attempted despite the fact that he didn't even qualify for the spot.

Nike has taught us: Just Do It, WIN, whatever it takes, just win. Bring that down to the microcosm of two youths arguing on the basketball court. The one can't win by his wits but, by all he's learned, he's going to win, so out comes the gun, and, BAM! - he wins.

I wholeheartedly believe that participation in sports is an integral element to learning how to get along in life. Both of my sons play on select level soccer teams. My primary goal is that they learn that in competition you have a winner and you have a loser. The big challenge is to accept either outcome with grace, dignity and sportsmanship.

Nike has the money for corporate bullying. The teen-ager on the street has only the gun. It would appear the might of a gun is much greater, and final, than the might of money. The goal is the same. Just win.

Kathy Jublou

Norfolk, July 22, 1997 ROAD SAFETY Parade story unfair to truckers

On July 20, Parade magazine featured a biased and inaccurate story about truck safety in the U.S. In fact:

More than 41,000 people die on American roads and highways each year, and more than 88 percent of those fatalities don't involve a truck in any way.

From 1985 to 1995, the rate of fatal accidents involving large trucks fell 39 percent, while the miles driven by those trucks increased 41 percent.

Yet, the article asserted that trucks are to blame for 21 percent of traffic fatalities. This is a complete falsehood.

The article's author accepted the standard and familiar attacks on the trucking industry by so-called safety advocates, such as Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH), failing to mention that this group has been bankrolled by trucking's chief competitor, the railroad industry.

Trucking is safer than it has ever been, and any objective examination of our record will bear that out.

James W. Robinson

Vice president, public affairs

American Trucking Associations

Alexandria, July 24, 1997 POLLUTION Pagan River loses to politics

So the state bungled its case against Smithfield Packing Co. - how convenient for Smithfield. The state probably could have taken action against the company thousands of times for polluting the Pagan River, if it really cared.

Considering the fact that the state has allowed Smithfield to dump its hog pollutants in the river for years, the state is equally guilty of violating the EPA regulations.

F. Hammond Reynolds

Norfolk, July 22, 1997

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