Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 6, 1993 TAG: 9310150376
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Foster care today is vastly different from what it was a generation ago. A higher percentage of children and adolescents coming into foster care are more damaged emotionally, mentally and physically, thus requiring a more intensive level of foster-care service. Many of these same children a generation ago would have been placed in institutions.
In order to successfully provide for these children in specialized foster care, it's critical to develop an intensive program with low caseloads, an array of support services and a high level of quality control. The inherent difficulties of developing and maintaining such a program in the public sector is a primary reason for the development of such programs in the nonprofit community.
There is a growing recognition that the private sector can be more efficient and less expensive in some areas of public service, thus the trend toward privatization. Those of us in the nonprofit sector would argue that this is especially true with nonprofit agencies, since the profit motive is absent.
In response to your undocumented, easy contention that private agencies have "proved more expensive," we would argue that when all costs of specialized foster care are considered, the private nonprofit program is not only less expensive but more successful in meeting the needs of these very challenging children and adolescents.
HERB BESKAR
Executive Director
DePaul Family Services
ROANOKE
Beware liberal Baptists
AS A CONCERNED Baptist lay person, I want to respond to Cody Lowe's Sept. 25 column on Isam E. Ballenger, professor at Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond (``Professor: Baptists remain strong despite differences").
Using the text of Lowe's column, I infer that Ballenger is advocating the philosophy of "I'm OK - you're OK" instead of conservative evangelical teaching.
Combining humanism and liberal theology, Ballenger has processed the teachings of Jesus into a gospel of sociological liberation and the church's role into passive acceptance of Western culture. Basically, it's the same liberal teaching that has ripped out the soul of some mainline denominations.
By teaching social liberation, Ballenger has drifted dangerously away from fundamental Baptist doctrine of bringing salvation to a lost world. He seems to be teaching that it's more important for the church to offer social acceptance than salvation for sin, evil and death.
Ballenger is not using Scripture as a foundation for his theology; his teaching should not be accepted in the Baptist church.
MICHAEL S. LONG
SALEM
America should care for its own
I THINK that old-fashioned, grass-roots, down-to-earth thinking and doing need to happen in this country.
Our children need our love and our attention. Well-loved kids don't do drugs, don't do poorly in school and when taught respect will show it.
President Clinton's health-care reform is a step in the right direction. We have to take care of our own. We must work together to see that everyone has access to the best care. The question of funding should not be the front question with the looming doom of not having a choice.
The present situation can only get worse, not better. I admire Clinton for leading the change. He believes miracles do happen, if you believe! Are we not all created equal in the eyes of God and the law? If we are to have a future and our children's future, we must come together.
DONNA MILLER
ROANOKE
Stolen flowers I LOST my husband in June, and we waited patiently for the headstone to be placed so that we could take flowers to the cemetery.
M y son and I finally took red roses and placed them in a vase, but the flowers and vase were stolen.
We tried a second time, this time taking beautiful pink and white roses. Again, the vase and flowers were taken.
Isn't this a sad testimonial to human nature that people really have nothing better to do than to cause more sadness to those already grief-stricken?
It couldn't be money they gain, so it must simply satisfy in them some sadistic streak to know they have made someone else doubly sad.
After the anger, I suppose we should feel nothing but pity for those with no compassion, no feeling for others.
We took artificial flowers the last time, and I suppose they will take them also. We were told by a flower shop that anything we took would be stolen. They were right.
JEWEL ARRINGTON
TROUTVILLE
Talking to police is the in thing
PEOPLE used to write letters. Then came the telegraph, telephone and fax. Politicians used to gi ve speeches, shake hands and kiss babies. Things change, and politics supposedly changes to reflect the changing times. Baby-kissing, speeches and shaking hands are out; sound bites and cops are in.
What? Talking to cops is in?
Look at political television ads. Everyone has a cadre of uniformed police giving rapt attention to what this lawyer politician is saying.
When I was a cop, lawyers were the enemy and cops were the good guys. The suspect always got the first shot, the first swing, and words could never hurt you.
But consider the reputation of the cop now. Notably, the Rodney King thing, the New York thing now in the news, and the Roanoke thing.
How can this Roanoke city cop be allowed to continue to enforce laws when he's so frightened that he feels a need to have his weapon drawn when approaching someone he has stopped?
Are white police-officer candidates so rare that we have to continue to overlook situations where citizens are maimed and have lifelong injuries for minor violations, just to maintain a viable number of people we consider necessary to call it a police "force?"
Politicians had better get more in tune with those they wish to represent. Cops ain't it.
DOUG GRAHAM
SALEM
by CNB