Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 30, 1994 TAG: 9410010038
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Under the guise of ``compassion,'' Americans find themselves falsely labeling viciously violent people as ``misguided'' and ``misunderstood.'' So they may be, as also they may be simply pampered into believing they have a right to do harm to others as relief to their own discontent. It's all beside the point. Until society and individuals find the courage and clarity to declare unprovoked cruelty and violence to be deserving of serious criticism and appropriate punishment, we can all expect the current trend of increasing crime to persist.
Political correctness is a form of lying. Timidity in truth telling is no virtue, yet those false social constraints allow those with convenient consciences to hide their violent behavior in full expectation of being understood as deprived in some way.
No one wishes a return to the severity of the Puritans, yet it's time to honor the truth. It's time to give recognition to responsible self-controlled citizens, all of whom have known difficulties and frustrations, but who also respect their fellow citizens. These are people who are willing to be forebearing but not fools; who are honest enough to tell the truth.
ANN MURDOCK
BEDFORD
Politicians need to put America first
IN READING an Aug. 28 article from The New York Times entitled ``U.S. to pay families of copter dead,'' I couldn't believe my eyes. The article speaks loud and clear on how much we, as Americans, mean to our government.
Each of the families of the 11 foreign citizens killed when ``we'' accidentally shot down in April two U.S. helicopters in Iraq were paid $100,000. That part is well and good. But then to pay the families of the 15 Americans killed a mere $6,000 death benefit and up to $3,100 in burial costs is a joke.
No wonder we have such a hard time getting American men and women to join our armed forces. What kind of country are we living in?
Don't say, ``I can do nothing!'' Yes, you can, my friends. Come election time, vote for folks who will look after Americans first! That is, if there is an American politician who will do that.
INDIA KING ENGLAND
HARDY
Perot's bashers just don't get it
SO ANOTHER pundit (Sept. 16 commentary by James Lileks, ``More days of whine and Perot-ses'') makes an attempt to silence that terrible threat to our politicians' security. The threat, of course, are voters who seriously study what our legislators are really doing to us and tell the public!
He began his commentary as if to talk about lack of color in political candidates. Midway he went to his real thesis. As many before him have tried, he hoped to disarm the citizens' group, United We Stand America, by ridiculing the man he thinks is their leader.
His ridicule will fail because UWSA members weren't persuaded to a philosophy or set of beliefs. They discovered a prominent citizen to be a spokesman for beliefs they already held. Ridiculing the spokesman doesn't change or end the beliefs.
To use the phrase coined by the poor misguided souls who gave us the Clintons, Lileks doesn't ``get it.'' He thinks that ridiculing Perot's haircut, twang and ``the other voices in his head'' will make us (the voices) go away.
Don't count on it. We, to whom he dismissively referred as the ``disaffected voter'' and later as ``zombies,'' know full well that we aren't new. We've been a nuisance to folks who would disenfranchise us for at least 218 years and, with or without Perot, we're going to be here long after he, Rush Limbaugh, and other protectors of the old guard, liberals and conservatives alike, are long gone. UWSA will keep right on shining the dreaded spotlight.
ROBERT S. TERRY
BEDFORD
Legal abortions also take lives
IN THE Sept. 16 issue of this newspaper, there was a letter to the editor by Bernard S. Goffen, M.D., entitled ``Lives saved by legal abortions.'' That's strange, for, according to published figures, about 30 million unborn have been killed since Roe vs. Wade.
Goffen shows that he has tunnel vision regarding abortion. He's very knowledgeable concerning the physical side of abortion, but seems to be totally blind to the emotional and spiritual realities women experience when they have one. I've seen women on television who expressed their emotional anguish after having an abortion. As for the spiritual aspects, I believe God considers abortion to be wrong, and it will adversely affect a woman's relationship with God if she has one.
ROBERT S. McCORMICK JR.
LEXINGTON
North got the essence right
REGARDING Dwayne Yancey's Sept. 23 news article on Oliver North's recent speech in Danville (``North's parole speech doesn't jibe with facts''):
It's obvious your staff writer doesn't like North. His article should have been on the Opinion page, not the front page. Sure, North might have exaggerated some points to underscore an issue, but what politician doesn't?
Jerome Patterson, who shot and killed Officer Terry Griffith, should have been behind bars. This is a fact! He also had a criminal history ``a mile long'' (see the Sept. 20 news article, ``Man who shot policeman known as `powder keg''').
Where is empathy for the officer's family and friends? The family is angry, as they should be. I lost a former husband and a very good and close friend.
Your staff writer needs to put this under his thinking cap: Criminals being paroled and/or being given a lighter sentence than should be given, and/or not being given sentences at all for repeated offenses (as in Patterson's case), and/or being released early for one reason or another, all boils down to one obvious issue: These criminals are on the streets and threatening those who obey the law and/or enforce it.
So, no matter how North stated the situation, if Patterson had been in jail in Virginia, West Virginia or wherever, Griffith might be here today to see his children grow up and continue his positive contribution to the community. No one knows this for sure, not even your staff writer.
Reporters need to report events as they happen, and keep their opinions out of it. Readers should be able to formulate their own thoughts.
I didn't see the present governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, Sen. Charles Robb or Marshall Coleman at the Griffith funeral. North was very cordial and supportive of us who are grieving over his death.
DEBBIE GRIFFITH MARTIN
CHRISTIANSBURG
Never mind the cost
GOV. George Allen has on the floor of the General Assembly his bill on no parole. The bill is a good one, and will keep criminals off the street until their prison term has been served. But there's one tiny catch: Delegates are seeing dollar signs, saying it's too expensive and would cost taxpayers money.
True as it may be, there's another way to look at it. No matter how much money is spent on any bill of this nature, one should remember: There is no price tag on a human life. So, if the cost would save just one life, then the money spent would be worth it.
RUSSELL W. JOHNSON
VINTON
Seeing through the bluster
IN RESPONSE to your staff writer's Sept. 23 news article, ``North's parole speech doesn't jibe with facts'':
I say bravo to an article that finally brings to light that North doesn't have the answer to all the country's ills. Every time he opens his mouth, he seems to feel that he has all the solutions. However, he really should get all his facts straight.
Let's start with his claim that abolishing parole in Virginia would have prevented the death of a Christiansburg police officer. As the article stated, the man who killed the officer was from another state and wouldn't have been affected by changes in Virginia law.
It seems North always wants to jump on the bandwagon for all subjects to have the publicity but never seems to have all his facts straight. This misleads people. Just because a person takes off his jacket, rolls up his sleeves, and seems to be one of the average, every-day Joes doesn't mean he is to be believed. Hopefully, some people will see through his bluster.
SY J. MASTERS
BLUE RIDGE
by CNB