DATE: Saturday, November 15, 1997           TAG: 9711140011

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B8   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  107 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

CHILD CARE

Au pair concept is misunderstood

As a retired, 25-year immigration officer, I know that the au pair category of visitor to the United States is greatly misunderstood. Congress created this category to allow young foreign girls the opportunity to participate in the American family experience.

The experience was to include family chores, usually done by the American teen-age children - vacuuming, dusting, mealtime dishes and occasionally some baby sitting. The experience was to include visiting nearby historical areas, going where other young people go and associating with youths outside the host home.

Some host parents thoroughly misunderstand, believing that au pair visitors are meant to be live-in domestics with adult responsibilities. They consider these young girls bargain-basement, full-time domestic help.

For anyone to consider au pairs as live-in domestic help is really unreasonable. Live-in domestic help would be quite a bit more expensive, more adult and qualified as full-time help.

Thomas E. Violet

Chesapeake, Nov. 8, 1997

SMOKING POT

Fight drug abuse instead of drug use

In reference to the Oct. 30 letter, ``Scare tactics don't solve the drug problem'':

I agree completely. Scare tactics, especially concerning marijuana, only prove to kids that they are being lied to. The kids then distrust everything else they are told about drugs.

I do not condone drug abuse, but what we are doing today will never work and only serves to make criminals out of ordinary human beings. Our whole approach to the drug issue has been based on the question: How do we stop people from using an intoxicating drug?

A better question is: How do we minimize the damage due to drug abuse? It has many humane solutions. Notice I said drug abuse, not use. Initiate the end of the drug war starting with the repeal of marijuana prohibition laws.

Robert Ryan

Wallops Island, Nov. 5, 1997

SMOKING POT

Murphy Brown knows benefits of pot

Your Nov. 6 article, ``Murphy Brown's pot upsets DEA boss,'' screams out for a response. Obviously, DEA Administrator Thomas Constantine has never watched a family member suffer the consequences of cancer and chemotherapy.

My father, after undergoing multiple doses of chemo, was not getting any relief from the prescribed medicines. I finally talked him into trying marijuana, as a last resort. Much to our amazement, after smoking less than half a joint, his nausea abated and his appetite returned.

I have seen the results firsthand. Marijuana is an effective antidote to the effects of chemotherapy. Why go government officials like Constantine continue to deny this?

Robert Page

Norfolk, Nov. 7, 1997

ESTATE LAWSUIT

Heilig post-mortem: He shares the blame

Concerning reaction to your Oct. 29 article, ``Heilig's former lover sues for a share of his estate'':

As we place the scarlet letter around Cynthia Gerard's neck, let us take a moment to reflect on the enthusiastic participation by the late Del. George Heilig in the events which have culminated in this lawsuit. Not only did he live with this woman for two years, he also signed contracts with her.

Maybe if married men knew that their indiscretions would cost their families money as well as pain and suffering, they would be more inclined to behave as mortal beings. In my opinion, death shouldn't necessarily absolve Mr. Heilig of responsibility in this matter.

Robin Shelton

Norfolk, Nov. 4, 1997

THE THREE R's

Fix our schools, go back to basics

I have followed the statements of political candidates and letters to the editor regarding schools, with the pros and cons of standardized testing.

The most recent area of comment concerned ``social promotion'' - never mind that the child cannot read or do simple arithmetic. In my day (1938-1950), the Three Rs stood for Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmetic; now it has been replaced by Rowdyism, Ruination and Rape. High school graduates today cannot add, subtract, multiply (other than biologically) or divide without a hand-held calculator. And heaven help their grammatical skills! Most do not know a verbal tense from sleeping tents.

The cry being raised against standardized testing - racial bias, unfair, etc. - is the sound of fear from people who cannot admit they are deficient in the most basic academic knowledge. The resistance heard from the teaching profession causes me to wonder about their qualifications. There is an old saying: If you do not know it, you cannot teach it.

Return the curriculum to the basics. Require basic performance from students before allowing them to participate in extra-curricular activities or the socio-touch-me-feel-me courses. Evaluate the capabilities of teachers. Test the progress of students periodically, and require repeating courses where they have not achieved an acceptable level commensurate with the grade level.

Return the meaning to high school diploma; yes, and even collegiate degrees.

Ronald G. Tidball

Chesapeake, Nov. 6, 1997

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu