Monday, March 30, 2009
Obama owes an apology to athletes
Letters to the Editor
Recent letters to the editor
- Letters: A home-school mom pays taxes, too
- Pick of the day: Home-schoolers reject public schools
- Pick of the day: Passing the buck won't stop abuse
- Letters archive
From the RoundTable blog
Read the latest entries
Obama owes an apology to athletes
As the blessed mother of a mentally and physically handicapped child, I am writing to take umbrage at the recent remark made by President Obama on late-night television concerning Special Olympics.
While realizing that the president was trying to be funny, I am disgusted that his statement was really a put-down of a wonderful segment of our society. Not to mention the fact that had any conservative on the planet (especially George Bush) said the same thing, the shrill hue and cry from the media, to include The Roanoke Times, would be relentless.
With that said, I have some suggestions for Obama: Call a nationally broadcast news conference to apologize to the Special Olympians -- not the administration, the actual athletes themselves and their families. Spend some of those volunteer hours he touts as being so beneficial to our country as a volunteer at several Special Olympics venues. He might learn that these men, women, boys and girls work and compete with all their hearts.
While they compete, they cheer, applaud and wish the very best for each other -- a show of character in which Obama could be schooled by these more than worthy athletes.
If it ain't working, do more of it
A couple ol' boys from Southwest Virginia started a trucking company hauling watermelons from North Carolina back to Virginia. They were paying a dollar each for them and selling for a dollar each.
After a week or so, they realized no profit was coming in so they decided to take their problem to a local congressman. The congressman submitted the problem to the Obama administration's treasurer and the solution was to buy a bigger truck.
Kind of a small example of what's going on at the Capitol under the new administration. Grab your wallet.
Pro-life should cover war, the death penalty
A statement made by Allison Welch on the subject of opposing stem cell research because she is pro-life moved me to write ("Voices of the valleys" March 22 commentary).
I also believe, as she puts it, "all human life is sacred, no exceptions." What I don't understand is, if this is the pro-life stance, why doesn't the same group take a stand opposing war and capital punishment as well as saving embryos? The fact is, war does result in children and other innocents being killed. DNA tests have proven innocent people do end up on death row.
What does calling oneself pro-life really mean? Can one truly state all human embryos should be saved because all human life is sacred, no exceptions, and still support war and capital punishment?
Congress didn't do its job
The March 24 Jim McCloskey cartoon depicting AIG largess is another distraction from the root causes. Congress members' failure to read the stimulus bill is without question irresponsible, if not malfeasance of office.
The Democratic-controlled Congress will stop at nothing to deflect blame from itself. Culpable Congress members Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and Maxine Waters, to name a few, should resign from office.
Just lock up violent partners
Violence against our women and children is getting out of hand. And whose fault is it, really? Relationships don't work, so instead of moving on, we want to try to kill the other person involved.
When we kill off our women, who's going to keep the Earth populated? If anybody tries to do bodily harm or tries to kill the other person, he needs to be in jail for the rest of his life, whether the other person wants to press charges or not. That would deter the violence a little bit.
Perriello can keep his pricey brochure
I and almost everyone I know in Virginia's 5th District recently received, via U.S. mail, a high-quality, large, color brochure titled "Congressman Tom Perriello Putting Virginia on the Road to Economic Recovery," which is basically a campaign brochure listing Perriello's 10 weeks of "accomplishments." Amazing.
What's even more amazing is that just below the address it says, "This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense." Yes, Virginia, we paid for our new congressman's first 2010 campaign mailing just 10 weeks into his term. Oh, yes, there was a blurb about contacting his staff if you need help with a variety of things. That and his reply card took up less than one-twelfth of the print space.
Doesn't Perriello understand that most of his constituents need every dime of their income? That they want their tax dollars to be minimal and spent only on absolute necessities, not on some fancy brochure to help his 2010 re-election?
Does Perriello just not get it? To that end, I've e-mailed a request asking that my name be removed from any future taxpayer-paid mailings. I invite others to do the same.
Still locked out as equals at work
While discussing employment in a recent college class, I shared the experience of an employer telling me that I had to change my hairstyle in order to be considered for full-time employment. This employer told me that he liked me, he liked my work and he wanted to keep me. However, they were "a very conservative company" and he just didn't like my hair. The professor, also male, said I should have complied.
My hair is not blue, green or purple. It is a short, stylish hair cut. The other ladies in the office wore theirs more geared to the early 1950s.
If Americans claim we want change, then we need to take discrimination regarding dress code (in moderation) seriously. Remember, it has not been so long ago that women were not allowed to wear pants.
Attitudes regarding women in the workforce are outdated. Women are still judged by the way they look rather than job performance. It is the same as saying you can be smart but you still have to appeal to the male idea of what acceptable is. Women are still not free.
Radford students, demand answers
The recent talk of budget cuts and program reviews has evoked fear in many Radford University students. As a senior at RU, I am concerned for the future of my institution and enraged by the lack of integrity with which our administration functions.
Like many concerned students, I am looking for a means to resist. The question remains: How can one resist a power structure that functions to keep the "little man" out? Through my own interest in feminist theory and social structure, I have been introduced to the concept of the "arena of power." Those inside the arena essentially create a structure that serves to keep those outside the arena unaware and defenseless. Without access to the arena of power, one has relatively no means for revolt.
This rings true at RU. I would much prefer to write a letter full of facts and figures, giving hard evidence to my concerns; however, as a student, these facts and figures have been hidden from me. Programs are being cut, tuition money is being mismanaged, and students are learning about these issues only through newspaper articles and campuswide gossip. Students must mobilize. We must demand answers.
