DATE: Thursday, September 11, 1997          TAG: 9709100149

SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS         PAGE: 09   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letters 

                                            LENGTH:   63 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - NORFOLK

For many years I have felt that God has laid on my heart the words and wisdom to help the so-called handicapped, of which I am one, and to restore the dignity, pride and self-worth we were born to have.

This can only be done by changing the word handicapped to handicapable. Handicapped implies helplessness and worthlessness. Handicapable, on the other hand, means we are here and can do all things in the name Jesus.

Consider people who can only move their eyes, but are able to answer yes or no to questions when asked. Are they not ``handi'' because they are there to be asked and ``capable'' because they are able to answer? We are productive members of society. We have a right to hold our heads up and say as a people we are ``handi'' and we are ``capable'' of love, laughter, pain and sorrow, but most of all love.

I may be correct or I may be wrong. It is my right to be either one, but I submit to you that those of us who are labeled handicapped are at times a very strong people.

In my opinion, it takes a very special human being to bear such a burden, and our God in His great wisdom chose us to bear this manmade label because he knew we were strong enough to endure the shame, pain and agony of man's misunderstanding and mockery of us.

We are the ones who should feel sorry for the so-called able-bodied man, because he was not called to bear anything for the glory of God. If we stay informed we will not feel deformed. If we are willing to reform, then and only then will we be able to perform any task set before us, because we are souls without a label.

Leary E. Blow

Campbell Avenue Live and let live

Norfolk Animal Management Center reports that it euthanizes eight to 10 raccoons every day during the summer, that there have never been any rabid raccoons caught in Norfolk, that no one has ever reported being bitten by a rabid raccoon. Yet Robert Hanna, who continuously traps raccoons in his yard while admitting that trapping does nothing to protect his corn, is portrayed as some sort of neighborhood savior (``Corn Feast Perilous for Pesky Raccoons,'' Aug. 21).

Raccoons are not the dangerous, vicious animals Mr. Hanna describes. Has Mr. Hanna ever considered that raccoons hiss out of fear, not meanness, because they are trapped, unable to escape, and a very big stranger is waving a pitchfork at them? Conflicts can be avoided by following common sense.

Vaccinate dogs and cats against rabies, feed them indoors, store garbage in tightly fitting containers and make your yard unattractive to wildlife by not feeding them and removing shelter sources.

Trappers like Mr. Hanna should ditch their useless traps, stop leaving orphaned baby animals to die of starvation and direct their efforts toward real ``community service'' by adopting a live-and-let-live philosophy.

As early as 1973, the National Academy of Sciences reported that, ``Persistent trapping or poisoning campaigns as a means to rabies control should be abolished. There is no evidence that these costly and politically attractive programs reduce either wildlife reservoirs or rabies incidence.''

For free information on humane wildlife control, call 622-PETA.

Zoe Rappoport,

Research, Investigations

& Rescue Department, PETA

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