DATE: Monday, November 17, 1997             TAG: 9711150009

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  111 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

BEACH SCHOOLS

Equal-opportunity

discipline is the key

The recent discipline surveys conducted in Virginia Beach schools are, on the surface, alarming. However, if one assumes all student violaters are being disciplined, then your recent articles miss a key point: Why do some racial groups commit more infractions than others?

If there is no bias in handing out discipline, then the only percentage that matters is that 100 percent of those breaking the rules, no matter the race, receive appropriate discipline.

Stephen Wilcox

Virginia Beach, Nov. 7, 1997

ELECTION '97

It's cleanup time, folks

The elections are over, so would all the staff and volunteers who put political literature on the doors of homes and, even worse, windshields of cars, come back and pick up the litter they left behind? The stuff is all over the place.

Rick Jones

Norfolk, Nov. 7, 1997

HISTORIC EVENTS

Signor Caboto also

made a historic first

We recently celebrated the 505th anniversary of Columbus' voyage to the Americas. A lesser-known fact is that 1997 also marks the 500th anniversary of the voyage to North America by John Cabot, who has always been assumed to be an Englishman. What most history books don't tell us is that Mr. Cabot's real name is Giovanni Caboto. Signor Caboto was born in Italy in 1450.

After learning of Columbus' voyage, Caboto approached the kings of Spain and Portugal to equip an expedition to sail to the Orient. However, he was turned down by both courts. Undaunted, he sought sponsorship from King Henry VII of England. In 1496, he was commissioned by the king to sail west and claim new lands for England.

In May 1497, Caboto left Bristol on his ship Matthew and sailed west with the intention of finding China or Japan. Instead, he made landfall at the ``New Founde Landes'' - Newfoundland, Canada. He rowed ashore and planted a cross, the banners of King Henry VII, the pope and St. Mark, patron saint of Venice.

After his triumphant return to England, the king provided him with a fleet for a return trip. Signor Caboto never returned from his second voyage, and history has no knowledge of his fate.

So, the credit for being the first ``Englishman'' to land on the mainland of North America and for bringing the English language to North America belongs to an Italian, Giovanni Caboto.

Russell R. Cerro

President

ItaliAmerica Cultural Forum

of Hampton Roads

Norfolk, Oct. 22, 1997

POST-DESERT STORM

If Iraq attacks,

take its oil fields

During Desert Storm, I always said that we should go into Iraq, take over the oil wells and hold them for 40 or 50 years and sell the oil ourselves. Maybe give them a small percentage of the sales. After all, it was our oil companies that built them and taught the Iraqis how to use them.

Now they want to use them against us? No way! If they attack our planes, we should blow Baghdad off the map and take over their oil fields. Iraq is just like a little pesky fly, and one day it will get swatted; so we might as well swat it good and get it over with. Why play games with them? They are making a mockery out of the U.S.A.

Randy Chandler

Virginia Beach, Nov. 9, 1997

EDUCATION

Don't burden taxpayers

with private-school tuition

In response to the Oct. 26 article on Brian Kirwin, the father who wants the state to help pay for private school tuition.

1. Public schools cannot choose the students who attend them. They cannot refuse a child because of intelligence, behavior, race, creed, etc. As a taxpayer, I feel my taxes should go to schools that accept everyone.

2. Although Mr. Kirwin says he can afford to pay half of a private school tuition, many parents cannot. Should these children be denied the same education as Mr. Kirwin's children when the taxpayers are paying for half his children's education?

3. Private schools do not run on tuition alone. To improve their services, they request donations from parents. If Mr. Kirwin believes he will only need to pay tuition, he is mistaken.

Asking Virginia taxpayers to subsidize the education of children at private schools sounds like welfare for the wealthy.

Kathy Meehan

Norfolk, Oct. 26, 1997

HIGHWAYS

I-264 construction

just moseys along

Kudos to Laurie DeSantis on her Oct. 27 letter regarding VDOT's lazy I-264 construction efforts. She hit on every point!

I've been commuting through this mess along with everyone else since the beginning. I fail to understand why, in a region that leads the state in unemployment, VDOT cannot muster multiple shifts for 7 x 24 construction operation.

With Christmas less than 2 months away, I'll bet there're quite a few able-bodied citizens who would appreciate the employment. Instead, we sit in gridlock watching a few guys mull about as though they were browsing for hidden treasures at a Sunday flea market.

Charles E. Kirkpatrick

Virginia Beach, Nov. 8, 1997

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