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Morality is the key to human survival

Some animals are social animals who survive by cooperating in groups. Humans are the most social of any, cooperating in groups that include millions.

Morality is the way that peaceful and cooperative relations are maintained among group members. If you want to maintain peaceful relations, don't kill, steal, lie or break agreements. If you want peace, work for justice -- people will fight if their share is too small. As Shakespeare wrote, "It needs no ghost, Milord, come from the grave, to tell us this."

Health is the ability to survive; the goal favored by natural selection is to promote the health of your family. We are all descended from uncounted generations of ancestors, every one of whom acted successfully to promote the health of his or her family.

Because we are social animals evolved by natural selection, we have bred into us a natural standard for judging our neighbors. A "good" person is a desirable neighbor, from the point of view of people who wish to live in peace and raise families.

Morality is not obedience. The good is that which leads to health; the right is that which leads to peace.

Obama needed a quick dismissal

Ann Landers used to tell people "no one can get your goat or make you angry without your permission." Barack Obama needs to learn that simple but profound truth.

He has needlessly allowed the Rev. Wright matter to become a cause celebre. If Obama had asked just two questions at the next large rally after the Wright matter surfaced, he could have put it behind him.

He should have stood up at the beginning of that rally and said, "Let me ask you two questions to start with tonight. First, let's see a show of hands of all those who attend a church, temple, synagogue or other place of worship. OK. Now, how many of you write your minister's or rabbi's sermons or homilies or tell him or her what to say?

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Well, neither do I, so that's all we're going to say about that. Now, let's get to the really important stuff."

And every time the Wright matter is raised, he should ask the same two questions of the interrogator. Case closed.

In the dark about science

Linda Whitlock, an English professor, has been given the opportunity to expound on evolution and intelligent design, suggesting that intelligent design is scientific ("Evolution and aliens," April 24, and "God, science not exclusive," May 8 columns).

Science, by definition, is testable, supported by many facts gathered over time, and allows scientists to make predictions about as yet unobserved phenomena. Faith, by definition, requires no proof.

In the 150 years since Charles Darwin published his theories, his work has been tested over and over and supported by increasingly complex scientific research. The facts gathered have overwhelmingly supported his theories.

Intelligent design, on the other hand, is merely creationism wrapped up in a package that could be slipped into the science curriculum of our public, secular school system. Whitlock needs to get off the science field until she actually understands the concepts about which she is writing.

Science doesn't take the easy explanation

Linda Whitlock just doesn't get it. In her latest column she says natural selection and intelligent design "both ought to be considered scientific since both are rational attempts to explain the natural world," ("God, science not exclusive," May 8).

Scientific explanations are based on testable hypotheses. It is impossible to test for a supernatural "intelligent designer." She also states that "if some things can't be explained by natural causes, the only other option is some intelligent designer."

In other words, if you don't understand it, then God did it. This is simply intellectual cowardice at its worst.

Department of Sociology and Anthropology Radford University

So long to a sour council presence

Goodbye, Mr. Bitters. Brian Wishneff reached a new low with his attack ad on Court Rosen. Wishneff constantly preached of how slick and underhanded council was and is. Just take a look at him and his practices.

Hopefully, we'll never have to see and hear his negative attitude and the constant spilling of his venom anymore. He lost the race because we're sick of the constant bickering that came with having him on council. Now we have a new council and mayor. Let's work together and make things happen.

Officer's indictment imperils others

As I ran past the fallen officer memorial in front of the Roanoke City Police Station early one morning, I could not help but pray that the actions of Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell do not get Roanoke police officers killed.

Indeed, no officer is above the law, but police officers must make split-second, life-and-death decisions while fulfilling their duties. Caldwell's criminal indictment of Officer Daniel Meyer is handcuffing Roanoke police from being able to react instantaneously to perceived threats to themselves and to others.

I completely understand if Roanoke officers choose not to act in certain situations for fear of criminal prosecution. Under Caldwell's watch, crime in Roanoke has raged to the point where it remains the second most dangerous city in Virginia. Prosecuting police officers only makes us less safe from the crime that continues to ruin Roanoke.

To the citizens of Roanoke who recently got rid of Mayor Nelson Harris: Keep the dominoes falling; make Caldwell the next to go. To Roanoke police officers: I support you, even though the top law enforcement officer in the city does not.

Ministers missed the message

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright has rightly been condemned for his hateful and divisive statements. I am waiting to hear similar condemnation for the equally hateful and divisive statements published in recent letters.

While Pastor Benny Dodson correctly states that a verse in Leviticus condemns homosexuality, he must have a different New Testament than mine when he further insists that Jesus himself spoke against this sin, ("Jesus is in step with the Bible," May 7 letter). I can find no such reference in any of the gospels.

What I do find, however, is that when asked to name the greatest commandment, Jesus cites two Old Testament verses, one of which is in Leviticus. Rather than admonishing us against practices we should avoid, however, he charges us to love God and our neighbor.

Both Wright and Dodson need to learn that Jesus' message is one of love, not of hate and condemnation.

It's hard to put crimes in the past

I'm 31 years old and an African-American who lives in the city of Roanoke. I have a criminal past. But that's what it is: a past.

I'm an employee at one of the biggest food chains in the world. I'm part of the management team, but I can't be certified because of my record, not because of my job performance.

I do great work as a manager but can't get recognized as one. The term is paying my debt to society, but, really, am I? It seems I will always owe society. Whatever happened to second chances?

How am I going to get a good job or even apply for somewhere to live? You have young men out here trying to do the right thing and take care of their families and not turn into a statistic.

I have grown a lot in life and now I understand a lot of things that didn't register before. I just want somebody to take the time read this and see how the other half lives and feels. I hope this letter helps someone or makes people open their eyes to people who are trying, but the door is always shut because they have an unfavorable past.