Don’t abdicate on abortion principles
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
6. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
7. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
8. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible
9. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
10. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Don’t abdicate on abortion principles
Suppose a Muslim candidate for governor campaigned to institute Sharia law. Further suppose that he was elected and proceeded to act on his promise. I expect most people would agree that the courts should, and would, intervene to prevent such action.
No person’s religious beliefs should ever be imposed upon society as a whole.
Yet one of the candidates for governor of Virginia is attempting to do precisely that — impose his anti-abortion beliefs on society as a whole.
The only difference between him and this hypothetical Muslim is that more people agree with him.
Many who oppose this candidate agree that abortion is bad, but argue that the better way to address the issue is through improved family planning and stronger support for those single mothers who opt to keep their child. Presumably, such humanitarian actions would interfere with his tax-cutting ambitions, however. But if one is to be “pro-life,” that phrase must embody more that simply banning abortions — it must also be supportive of the child that was not aborted.
If we yield on the principle today, when the issue is abortion, we have no defense tomorrow should the issue become Sharia law.
PETE HAMILTON
BUENA VISTA
Deen not alone in use of N-word
The recent news about Paula Deen getting kicked off the Food Network is actually comical.
She does use way too much butter, flour and sugar, but is now accused of using the N-word. Well then, probably 99.8 percent of Americans are guilty as well.
It seems acceptable for one African-American person to call another the N-word, but is offensive if anyone else does.
My mother told me as a child that “sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you.” It is mean to call people names, but this race card deal has really gone too far.
MARY LEE SOWDER
ROCKY MOUNT
Humans elbowing out four-legged neighbors
Re: the article “Roanoke to continue with deer culling” (June 20 news story):
Mike Quesenberry said it best: “We, of course, continue to expand our neighborhood into their environment.”
The wildlife in our area continue to be overrun by humans’ need to spread out and keep up with the Joneses.
I suggest those who believe deer are a nuisance think about what our world would be like without wildlife. If you don’t want them eating your flowers, don’t live in their neighborhood.
Better yet, Google deer-resistant plants and you will find pages of beautiful flowers that will allow humans and deer to coexist.
KAREN ST.CLAIR
HARDY
Society can find harmony on gun issues
An issue like gun control creates a great deal of fear. It is worth pointing out, however, that a heightened state of fear is what leads to violence in the first place.
Violent criminals and mentally ill individuals are suffering from fear and paranoia; under this pressure, they often see killing as a “solution.” These solutions are outside the law and belong on the battlefield, not in day-to-day living.
Expanded background checks are a cooperative effort to reduce the incidence of violence by frightened people.
People fear that their rights would be taken away by these checks, that they would be inconvenienced.
But that is the price of peaceful living.
Every time we stop at a stoplight, we are inconvenienced because we want to keep going on our way. But we negate our own rights for a moment so that the other guy has a chance to proceed.
We are so used to this that even when the electricity fails and the red lights are out, we still behave courteously at intersections.
We can bring this same sanity to our use of guns.
SUSAN ZORN
Member, Organizing for Action
ROANOKE
Cuccinelli was not doing donors’ bidding
Re: “Cuccinelli ruling hobbled efforts to speed gas royalties” (June 23 news story): I would say this is another attempt to defame a candidate based on who made campaign contributions.
As pointed out, Cuccinelli tried to help the landowners get their royalties, and his efforts were vigorously opposed by the gas companies. Clearly this is not behavior beholding to a campaign contributor.
In logic, your presentation of the facts is called a strawman argument. Cuccinelli pursues the best interest of landowners and of Virginians.
ZACH THOMPSON
NARROWS
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
6. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
7. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
8. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible
9. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
10. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area
THE ROANOKE TIMES
