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Take control of the television from children

Re: "Banning fast-food TV ads could dent childhood obesity" (Nov. 22 news story):

The article suggests the TV ads are a primary contributor to childhood obesity. What happened to parental responsibility? Are the children so powerful they control Mom and Dad? Ever hear the word "no"? What's next, banning cookie and ice cream commercials?

Some recent studies have suggested the youth of America are less active, leading to obesity. Is the next logical step banning Nintendo ads? Cellphones for text messaging?

"They" also suggested that ending an advertising expense tax deduction for fast-food restaurants could mean a slight reduction in childhood obesity. There's no end in sight for the long list of advertisers affected by this idea. Some studies said the ads could be linked to childhood obesity, but concluded proof was lacking.

Are we so afraid of being responsible parents that we will allow the government to dictate which ads we see and don't see? Let's turn off the tube and take our children to parks, museums and zoos.

Encourage kids to ride bikes or play sports. Don't use the television as a babysitter and expect no ill side effects.

Don't make borrowers bail out their lenders

Since the government is bailing out the mortgage companies we owe money to, and using our money to do it, then aren't we in effect buying back our own mortgages? This being the case, aren't we foreclosing on ourselves?

I say this is unconstitutional. The mortgage companies should be allowed to fail and we should be free from paying back our mortgages.

Whacked now by Obama fans

I never thought I'd say this but I'm actually feeling a little sorry for your paper. Over the past eight years, you've published hundreds of political cartoons unfavorable to our president. The conservatives have whined, moaned and threatened to cancel subscriptions.

Now you make one attempt to level the playing field, somewhat, by publishing "The first 83 days, 'Yeswecanada,' 'Barackos' and fist bumps of allegiance" (Nov. 16 commentary) and the left goes on a rampage.

It must be a little frustrating sometimes to know you just can't win.

Put teams on the field for national anthem

Over the past several years I have followed local high school football. I attend a game almost every Friday night during the season.

This year I have noticed a disturbing trend developing. The coaches are routinely keeping their players in the locker room until after the playing of the national anthem. The announcer urges us to "honor our nation and the men and women who protect our freedom." Our young people learn by example.

Please, coaches, teach your teams to respect the flag of our nation and what it represents. Many have died to preserve our way of life. The least we can do is stand quietly, hats and helmets removed, and reflect on what it means to be an American.

No workers, no customers

I find interesting the methods used by the Bush administration to save the economy. The problem, as they see it: "Save the banks and bean counters." For the banks, it's: How much do you need? You know, from one bean counter to another. For everyone else, it's: We need a hearing, what's your plan, what airplane are you riding and on and on.

It would appear to me that this is why we are where we are. The bean counters figured out that we don't need to make beans, we only need to buy them from someone else cheaply. They didn't comprehend that the bean makers are also the customers, and nothing happens without customers. So with every bean maker that we shoot, we also shoot about 1,000 customers per year. Do that math and all can be comprehended.

As usual, the cart is in front of the horse. It's likely to stay that way until the bean counters are put back into their cubicles to count the beans. Creative bean counting is not a substitute for bean making.

Better ways to use Center's resources

Re: "Roof proposal reaches for renovation heights," Nov. 21 Virginia section:

The plan for the makeover of Center in the Square has two parts -- an exterior re-do of dubious value (but considerable cost) and an interior reconfiguration that also includes expanding onto the rooftop.

The available resources should be used for features directly enhancing and enlarging Center's program. If the most wonderful cluster of Center programs and facilities we can imagine emerge from the remake and there are still several million dollars left over, then some changes to the exterior might be reasonable.

Regarding the rooftop expansion, the details were too vague for me to make much sense of it, though I admired the adventuresomeness shown. The plan would seem to come with a large operating cost, considering the cafe and an enormous energy budget for the outdoor glassed space maintaining a butterfly habitat.

How about creating some of the new indoor space by installing a significant solar panel array, using the panel type that serves as a roof surface? This would be utilitarian as well as educational, producing some of the building's electricity while being the roof for an interior space already in the plan. A modest wind turbine might be included, too.

Turkeys suffer to supply consumers

Benjamin Franklin heralded the turkey as "courageous" and "respectable" when he proposed it replace the bald eagle as a symbol for America. Indeed, turkeys are intelligent, playful and keenly aware of their surroundings (as any hunter will attest). Yet even if turkeys were not smart and friendly, they would not deserve the torture they receive at factory farms.

On these corporate farms, turkeys live months in sheds so crowded that they cannot even spread a wing or stretch a leg. Mired in excrement, the birds are subjected to a proliferation of painful bacteria. Agribusinesses keep the turkeys alive by feeding them antibiotics, which eventually are passed on to the consumer.

You might expect that slaughter would be a welcome change for the birds, but to speed up production, the process is streamlined and most turkeys are not dead before they are dropped into boiling water and defeathered.

If you purchase another turkey from a grocery store, you will help ensure that more of these remarkable animals will suffer.

No valley divide on college grants

Hats off to the The Roanoke Women's Foundation for its generous and far-sighted gift of $100,000 to the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation in support of the Roanoke City College Access Program. With this support and that of other foundations, businesses and individuals, we have the ability not only to encourage but also financially support graduating seniors of Roanoke city schools.

The next step is to expand the program further. The initial College Access Program was started last fall in Salem on a pilot basis. With early success evident, the Virginia Western Educational Foundation approached leaders of Roanoke, Roanoke County, Franklin County and Botetourt County to encourage program discussions in each jurisdiction. While there was interest in it from all localities, the city was the first to jump on board with enthusiasm.

There was recent concern that the sponsors are trying to drive a wedge between residents of the city and those of the rest of the valley ("College assistance should be open to all in need," Nov. 24 letter). Rest assured that the overall goal of the program is to provide this assistance to every graduating senior in the entire valley. Imagine the impact.

President VWCC Educational Foundation