DATE: Tuesday, November 25, 1997            TAG: 9711250010

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B8   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:   99 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

DOING GOOD

Susie Daniel left a legacy of giving

George Eliot ends Middlemarch with the following: ``For the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who live faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.''

On Nov. 18, a person who led ``faithfully a hidden life'' died. Susie Daniel for several years had been the manager of St. Mary's soup kitchen in Norfolk. I was a friend of hers, having been a regular volunteer at the kitchen. She had many other friends, but most of them live an even more ``hidden life.''

Mrs. Daniel was frequently interviewed at Thanksgiving and Christmas when the local media make their holiday visits to the kitchen to remind the community that people are going hungry.

For the rest of the year, Mrs. Daniel would serve in anonymity. She would daily confront (at less than 5 feet tall) those who would demand seconds before others had been fed, or attempt to otherwise avoid the rules of the kitchen. She would also take time to comfort and talk to those who needed something more than a hot meal. She was strong, consistent and, most of all, compassionate.

During Thanksgiving week we will be reminded that people go hungry. Some of us will work at a kitchen or deliver a basket. The few, however, who lead the ``hidden life'' all year, who strive to make this a better world for those in need, will be one less in number.

John Y. Richardson

Virginia Beach, Nov. 19, 1997

THE MARINES

Fie on Lister - Semper Fi!

It is unfortunate that Sara E. Lister, the assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, made such erroneous statements about the Marine Corps. Her views on the Marine Corps are misguided. Perhaps she should have spent some time at a Marine base or observed basic training at Parris Island.

Honor, courage and commitment are the cornerstones of the Marine Corps. Marines live by this, and they carry these ethics into battle. Marines are not out of touch with society. The role of the warrior in society is as old as recorded history. No truly great nation can hope to sustain a free and democratic society without an elite fighting force. I, for one, am very proud of the Marine Corps. Semper Fi!

Marvin Barnes

Chesapeake, Nov. 15, 1997

MOVIES

X marks the spot

What is the criteria for an X-rated movie? ``Boogie Nights'' was a four-star, R-rated movie that should have been X-rated and shown in an adult movie house for the crowd who enjoys this obscene form of movie entertainment.

Suzanne B. Horton

Virginia Beach, Nov. 12, 1997

THE GAY VOTE

Bill, Al and Ellen - our White House today

A few weeks ago, Vice President Al Gore stated that ``when the character Ellen came out, millions of Americans were forced to look at sexual orientation in a more open light.'' On Nov. 8, President Bill Clinton gave a dinner speech to the Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay and lesbian civil rights group in the nation.

For the president and vice president to go trolling for votes and dollars from this group is too much.

Both Clinton and Gore have recognized the growing political clout of the gay and lesbian rights movement and intend to capitalize on it as much as possible. While most Americans may be tolerant of this lifestyle, they do not approve of it and will not lend it any support. As former VEEP Dan Quayle said recently, ``There's no controlling moral authority in the White House.''

J. J. Kingston

Virginia Beach, Nov. 10, 1997

EDUCATION

Child-care proposals won't help your child

I am shocked by the Child Day-Care Council's proposals to reduce education requirements for day-care-center directors and increase the ratio of children from 10 to 15 in a new mixed-age category (news, Nov. 16). Arlene Casper, Virginia Department of Social Services, reported another change. The annual eight-hour required training for all staff would be met in-house, instead of by a ``verifiable'' expert, off-site.

These proposals are not ``user-friendly'' to parents and children. The nanny trial illustrates the possible harm to children from under-trained people. Moreover, recent brain and learning research proves how crucial the years from birth to 5 are in a child's development. Literacy begins then. Children must have the opportunity to speak and listen to adults, one-on-one.

Day-care centers need smaller ratios of children to adults and better-, not lesser-, trained teachers. We must put children first.

Virginia O'Keefe

Virginia Beach, Nov. 17, 1997

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