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The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on a proposed federal marriage amendment the week of June 5.

Currently, many Americans (including the authors of the proposal) wish to reserve civil marriage for heterosexual couples alone.

At the same time, many are calling for civil unions for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Other Americans advocate equal civil rights for all persons, without regard for sexual orientation.

In my view, we need to be careful to distinguish between civil law (in which no single religious view can predominate) and the right of our varied faith traditions and denominations to decide for themselves whether they will perform, support or recognize the marriages/civil unions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens in their membership.

The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to enforce only one standard for all Americans and would sanction discrimination against a substantial minority of practicing Christians and/or otherwise law-abiding citizens.

My understandings of Christian faith and practice, and my appreciation for civil liberties and equality for all Americans, coincide in opposing the proposed amendment.

A millennium's worth of lives lost in Iraq

Michael J. Furey's heart-wrenching and insightful commentary, "Better ways to spend war dollars" (May 19) suggests in question form why we are in Iraq, and states that "the costs of Bush's Iraq blunder in lost lives, injuries and expense are enormous and still growing."

Now, consider the enormity in centuries:

When Iraq was invaded, at his age then, Saddam Hussein had a remaining life expectancy of between 20 years and 25 years. The average life expectancy of our troops being killed: at least 50 years.

More than 2,000 American men and women having died means that more than 1,000 centuries of good men and women living a good life in America have been sacrificed to interrupt one-quarter century of the life of one bad man living in Iraq.

Send Webb's moxie into battle with Bush's proxy

In a recent column, Washington Post columnist Bob Herbert wrote that the Democratic Party was "in need of a moxie transplant."

Fortunately here in Virginia, we have the opportunity to do just that with the candidacy of Jim Webb for the U.S. Senate.

Webb is a stand-up guy who occasionally gets into trouble by calling it the way he sees it.

For example, in 2002, he wrote a very predictive piece in The Washington Post titled, "Heading for Trouble: Do We Really Want to Occupy Iraq for the Next 30 Years?"

In the article, he laid out what likely would happen if we invaded and, unfortunately, he was right on target. Webb took considerable heat for his stance while nearly all other Democrats stayed silent.

Political guru Larry Sabato called the Webb candidacy U.S. Sen. George Allen's "worst political nightmare." Allen's votes in the Senate closely follow the Bush party line.

Webb is well-qualified by experience and background to give Allen a terrific battle in the fall.

If the Democrats and all voters in Virginia want someone with "moxie" who is not afraid to tackle the two Georges and the mess in Washington, then Webb should be their choice.

A lady worthy of emulation

I was very annoyed by David McCarty's letter to the editor about the "lady" (May 17, "An icy reaction to skater's attire"). As a matter of fact, that lady is an icon to many young skaters such as me.

The lady is Michelle Kwan, and she has inspired many young kids to skate and to go very far with it.

The outfit is not skimpy. It is a figure-skating outfit, and there are younger girls who love to skate and wear outfits like it.

I went to the Champions on Ice show on May 15 at the Roanoke Civic Center. I met Kwan, and I think that McCarty really would offend her. She was not wearing it as a "sex card" nor to make men want to have "fun."

I am only 13 years old, and this offended me terribly because I have looked up to Kwan as a fantastic skater since I was 5 years old.

By the way, that "lady" is in fact a lady -- Michelle Kwan -- and if you don't know that, you need to get your facts straight.

Citizens deserve more than immigrants

If Joe Painter wants to "discuss immigration without name-calling" (May 18 letter to the editor), then why is he quick to use words such as xenophobic and bigotry?

He says no one wants to change the language and that "a column in Spanish is hardly a threat to our national interest."

Over the past few years, more companies have catered to people who speak that language. Wal-Mart has one aisle dedicated to Mexican food.

This is America -- a melting pot, yes, but an English-speaking nation. Why should our nation have to learn their language?

We're way too busy catering to their needs instead helping people who were born here.

Immigrants get way more breaks than true Americans.

Where are the breaks for the hard-working middle-class people? I work two jobs and barely make ends meet.

Where is my chance to start a business or to get such a big tax break?

The money I earn is spent in this country, not sent back to my homeland, because America is my homeland.

It's time our voices are heard. Our representatives need to know that we're tired of being looked over just because we're not immigrants.

Skin tones and native tongues fuel debate

I can't help but wonder if it were white, English-speaking Canadians sneaking illegally across the border looking for work instead of brown, Spanish-speaking Hispanics, would there be as much of an uproar about it?

Somehow I doubt it.

Take a closer look at the 'undesirables'

Pat C. Johns' letter to the editor (May 14, "Terrific asset is hard to access") concerning access to the city library expresses a valid point about lack of parking. However, I have a message.

Johns certainly expressed a high level of empathy toward the "undesirables that hang around the building who make patrons uneasy."

I hope the next time she looks at these people, she will see human beings rather than impediments to her library access.

She should visit the Rescue Mission and get acquainted with these people she calls undesirables.

Johns will find that they are human beings, and she might even get to know and like these men and women.

A note of praise for band members

With all the disheartening news recently about our local teenage community, I would like to share some positive teen news.

Blacksburg High School took 150 band and choir members to Chicago to participate in a festival April 19-23.

Both the band and choir members received a superior rating for their performances.

The band received an honorary award given to only one of the schools for their conduct and participation.

As a chaperone, I was told by a hotel security guard how well the students behaved in the hotel.

Only the parents of these students know of these accomplishments. I would like all of Southwest Virginia to know this.