DATE: Saturday, November 8, 1997            TAG: 9711080012

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B6   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  181 lines

LETTERS TO EDITOR -- THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

EDUCATION

CoZi plan a winner

in Norfolk schools

As the coordinator of the Comer/ Zigler (CoZi) Initiative in Norfolk Public Schools, I was very pleased to read William Rasberry's ``Exploding some education myths'' (Perspectives, Oct. 26), which described Dr. James P. Comer's beliefs regarding the critical role parents play in their children's development.

I know from firsthand experience that the Comer School Development Program is quite successful in bringing parents into the schools. Bowling Park Elementary is a success story that has gained national recognition. The school was able to create a nurturing and welcoming environment in which the parents became involved in learning and in their children's education.

Now there are four CoZi schools in Norfolk, and others are following the program. With support and commitment from the school district, these schools have embarked on the highway to success, and we all win - parents, schools, the community and, most of all, the children.

Lorraine K. Flood

Norfolk, Oct. 27, 1997

VIEWPOINTS

There's guile behind

behind Molly Ivins' smile

The Oct. 18 Perspectives page had two opposing views on taxes, by smiling cherub Molly Ivins and stern, serious Thomas Sowell. I think most would agree that character, not appearance, should be considered when assessing the honesty of their arguments. To my knowledge, Mr. Sowell's character is sterling.

Molly Ivins revealed her character in her Oct. 11 column in which she berated Republicans for not restricting funding for political speech, and then berated them again for trying to reduce pornography on the Internet. Apparently she thinks free speech is for pornography, not politics.

I'll take Mr. Sowell.

Jerry Harwood

Norfolk, Oct. 18, 1997

IS THERE A DOCTOR. . . ?

Waiting, and waiting,

in the waiting room

I guess doctors really believe their time is more valuable than ours. I called early one day recently to confirm my 4 p.m. appointment. Checking in at 3:45, I read every available magazine and office pamphlet while becoming increasingly agitated. At 4:50, the assistant opens the door and comments, ``Oh, have you been waiting long?''

Since my appointment was for tattoo removal, I suppose the doctor could have been tied up with an emergency removal. That's pretty common, isn't it? Of course, I don't know for sure because no one had the common courtesy to inform me the doctor was behind schedule.

Oh, wait, now I understand. The method for removal must be for the patient to sit in the waiting room while the tattoo fades away.

Funny, my appointment card reads, ``If unable to keep this appointment kindly give office 48 hours notice.''

Doctor, heal thyself. I'll get my tattoo removed elsewhere.

Steven R. Williams

Virginia Beach, Oct. 23, 1997

VETERANS REUNION

Forgotten War

remains forgotten

On Oct. 17-18, I participated in the festivities at the Korean War Veterans Reunion, hosting three veterans from Luxembourg.

Also in attendance were a Medal of Honor recipient, at least one POW and a large contingent from Manila. Some of these Filipino veterans had been POWs of the Japanese, and some even served in Vietnam.

On behalf of these heroes, I am totally embarrassed by the lack of support from the community. Not only was there no support from the Army and the Air Force, no one from the city of Virginia Beach made any effort to attend. All but three short paragraphs in your paper's article were about the weather.

Hampton Roads can now proudly say they have redefined the Forgotten War.

H. Lindsay Boone Jr.

Long Trang Detachment

Marine Corps League

Smithfield, Oct. 25, 1997

RELIGION

New Life church

ministers to gays

Regarding your Oct. 25 article concerning the Catholic Mass for homosexuals:

I was surprised that you failed to mention my church. New Life Metropolitan Community Church has had a ministry to gay Christians in Hampton Roads for 20 years. Your article gave the mistaken impression that only one church (four years old) pursued this ministry.

The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches was founded in 1969 to minister to gay Christians and has a worldwide membership in more than 300 churches. Our general conference was held this year in Australia.

Those who think ``gay Christian'' is an oxymoron should attend one of our services. Jesus never said that all except gays and lesbians can come to God's kingdom through him or that God is love for all except gays. Other churches may be wrestling with this concept, but New Life teaches that no one should be excluded from God's love.

Rose Nayyar

Virginia Beach, Oct. 27, 1997

BENEFITS

Day-care costs

hurt middle class, too

In reference to the Oct. 24 article, ``Child care: Clintons cite a `silent crisis''':

I think it's great that the government is subsidizing quality day care for welfare recipients, but what about the middle class? I have two children, ages 7 years and 23 months. My day-care bill is $150 per week. That does not include the extra amount they charge when my daughter is not in school (summer, spring and Christmas break), which peaks at $190 per week for a yearly total of about $8,500. I can claim only $2,400 per child, $4,800 per year on my income tax return.

Something must be done to either revise day-care charges for all, or we should be able to claim the full amount on our income tax returns.

Patricia C. Zimmerly

Virginia Beach, Oct. 23, 1997

VA. BEACH SCHOOLS

Racial bias is not

the big problem

The Oct. 22 front-page article, ``Beach schools on watch for race bias,'' suggests that Virginia Beach schools institutionally, and Beach teachers individually, are guilty of racial bias in the handling of school discipline problems. The argument is made that because African-American students are punished at a rate disproportionate to their enrollment, there must be bias on the part of the school system toward blacks. How can anyone with a modicum of intelligence buy into this nonsense?

Even more incredible than the accusation is the school system's acquiescence and resulting agreement with the Office of Civil Rights, i.e., the federal government. What business is it of an agenda-minded bureaucrat in Washington, D.C., when a local teacher in Virginia Beach sends a child to the principal's office for misbehaving in her history class? Talk about federal government intrusion in our lives.

School Superintendent Timothy R. Jenney is quoted as saying, ``(W)e know we have a problem. . . . But we need to know what it is and where it is.''

Well, the problem is not disparate statistics or teachers being unfair. The problem is not racism. The problem is unruly children in school who know how to use the system in our politically correct, litigious society today. And until our leaders have the strength and the will to stand up to the political pressure that can be brought by ``victim'' and minority groups, the problem is not going to go away.

Lawrence H. Field

Virginia Beach, Oct. 23, 1997

WEAPONS

Yet another potshot

at our gun rights

Under the headline ``2nd Amendment protects the gun industry,'' Alice Mountjoy repeats a familiar attack on our rights. As only one example of her flawed logic, consider the assertion that keeping guns in the home makes family members ``43 times more likely'' to be killed by gunfire. Guns are inanimate objects. They don't fire by themselves, nor do they attract gunfire to the members of a family by their mere presence in a home.

Based on well-published Justice Department findings, it is clearly much safer for an assault victim to be armed and to use such arms in self-defense than it is to be unarmed when assaulted.

When and if anti-gun people succeed in making it illegal to own firearms or in requiring guns to be trigger-locked and stored in a locked area, firearms will be useless for emergency self-defense. Honest citizens can then only hope their home isn't the target of an armed criminal.

C. L. Willis

Suffolk, Oct. 24, 1997

HIGHWAYS

Thanks for ripping up

all our major roads

I would love to know which politician had the idea to rip up most major roadways at the same time. Then, VDOT doesn't even put forth a whole lot of effort to get the job done in a reasonable period of time.

Here's a question for commuters traveling from Virginia Beach to Norfolk: How may VDOT workers do you see working before 8 a.m and after 5 p.m.?

The fact that VDOT didn't plan an emergency shoulder for the frequent breakdowns and accidents has caused major delays in traveling to and from Norfolk.

You would think they would be working around the clock to complete this construction.

Laurie DeSantis

Virginia Beach, Oct. 27, 1997

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