DATE: Saturday, September 13, 1997          TAG: 9709130014

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B8   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  111 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

RELIGION

Episcopalians in U.S. are Anglican

Thousands of local Episcopalians were surprised to read in the pages of The Virginian-Pilot on Sept. 5 that they were not attending Anglican Churches. The fact is that the Episcopal Church in the U.S. and the Church of England are Anglican Churches.

As the bishop for the more than 36,000 Episcopalians in 123 churches in the Diocese of Southern Virginia, I'd like to correct the error made in the article about the funeral of the Princess of Wales, and compounded by an erroneous ``correction'' on Sept. 10.

Congregations in this country which use the word ``Anglican'' in their names are not members of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Episcopal Church is The Anglican Church in the United States.

The Rt. Rev. Frank H. Vest Jr.

Bishop

The Diocese of Southern Virginia

Norfolk, Sept. 11, 1997

TAXES

Another truck full of money won't help

With regard to your editorial of Sept. 10, ``Fund education,'' I must express my profound disappointment at the attitude displayed toward the taxpayers of Virginia. You state that an anticipated surplus of tax dollars ``should be used to fill the budget gap rather than fund a decrease in the personal property tax.'' Shouldn't the proper course of action be to better budget the money the commonwealth already has? The irresponsibility of our elected officials should not be compounded by giving them another truck full of our money.

You just don't get it. That money belongs to individual people in Virginia, not the commonwealth. All surplus taxes collected should be immediately returned to the individual taxpayers who are, after all, the rightful owners of the money. Tax dollars do not just magically appear from the air. They are earned by the working people of Virginia. That money was not earned by the commonwealth, it does not belong to the commonwealth and the commonwealth has no right to keep it or spend it.

Harv Adams

Virginia Beach, Sept. 10, 1997

CRIME

Don't handcuff our police officers

In light of the accusations of police brutality in New York City and Baltimore, citizens are concerned that police may use unnecessary force to gain control in a dangerous situation. A recent Pilot article reports that some civic-minded groups are calling into question the powers that police have. As a parent and husband, I question what these ``civic-minded'' groups want.

When a police officer encounters a dangerous situation, that officer needs to know that the law and the community are behind him. Most citizens have no clue of the difficulty of the training that police officers undergo. I don't want a policeman to hesitate to ``take down'' an assailant who is threatening his life or the lives of my loved ones or neighbors. That officer has to make a decision to do what's best, and the people need to trust him or her.

People want to be able to live and work without fear of being mugged or killed. We want to feel safe both inside and outside our homes, and we always want to know that when we call the police, they will respond rapidly. Let the police do their job; stop trying to handcuff them. If you don't like their protection, don't call them in an emergency.

John Drake

Portsmouth, Sept. 4, 1997

THE FLAG

New Old Glory is a glorious sight

Thanks and appreciation are in order to the people at Signet Bank for replacing the old worn, faded and frayed American flag with a bright new red, white and blue Old Glory for all to see flying on top of their building on Newtown Road. If all people and businesses would follow suit, and replace flags that needed to be replaced, it would give the respect the flag deserves.

Verona Wright

Virginia Beach, Sept. 8, 1997

Show respect for Stars and Stripes

Recently, as I drove down a crowded street in Norfolk, I noticed two men taking down a flag in front of a business. As they lowered it, they began talking and both ignored it as it touched the ground. In fact, while they unhooked the flag from the lanyard, at least 90 percent of it lay on the ground and one man inadvertently stepped on it.

It saddened me to realize how little those people knew about flag etiquette or the respect that it should be given.

Jack Burton, U.S. Navy (ret.)

Norfolk, Sept. 9, 1997

ENTERTAINMENT

Pot smoking mars Amphitheater concert

I visited the Virginia Beach Amphitheater for the first time on Aug. 28, accompanying a group of young people to the 311 Concert. The rap group preceding 311, which we were unfamiliar with, used the foulest of language and invited the audience to ``light up.''

Sure enough, when the sun set, the aroma of marijuana was heavy in the lawn area where we were seated. It was appalling. We moved several times but could not escape it. The police officers who were visible on the rim of the lawn earlier were nowhere in sight.

Smoking marijuana is against the law. What kind of message are we sending to our youth when we tolerate breaking the law? We owe our young people more than that.

Sharon Plawin

Norfolk, Sept. 2, 1997

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