Shedding no tears over sterilization

Shedding no tears over sterilization

Leonard Pitts wrote sympathetically of Christina Cordero, now 34, who, at 27, had five children and was in jail for car theft. Pitts wrote of the prison doctor who suggested Cordero, pregnant again, be sterilized. Finally, Cordero had the sterilization (“Forced sterilization still happening,” July 15 column).

I wrote Pitts regarding his disapproval of Cordero’s sterilization. His assistant replied: “Thanks for taking the time to write, and for sharing your thoughts . . . ” — a one-line slough off. When I complained about her response, she replied, “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

This is the true Leonard Pitts, who waxes mightily about his societal concerns, but allows his assistant to put out vacuous responses for him.

I asked him why he had not ended his column with expected praise of Cordero: Typically, that she had gone to college, earned a degree and was now an upright citizen. I asked if Pitts had contributed financially to Cordero’s children, and other questions.

Oh, yes. Cordero regretted having had the sterilization. “He made me feel like a bad mother if I didn’t do it. I wish I would have never had it done.”

Do you laugh, or do you cry?

RITA ROSS
FLOYD COUNTY

In defense of Head Start

I am appalled by the latest rant from Deborah Ring of Pulaski County, published in The Roanoke Times on Aug. 7 (“Head Start gets an F”). She claims the Head Start program has “damaged our society” because taxpayers are funding an “ineffective program,” which is pure rubbish.

How effective the program is depends upon whom you talk to, and if I wanted to know the facts about the program I surely would not consult her.

I suppose the government should do nothing to help the poor so that she does not have to pay any taxes. How selfish.

Ring cites $180 billion spent over 48 years (since 1965) to help disadvantaged children. Compare that figure with Richard Nixon’s “war on drugs,” which is now costing us $51 billion a year, yet levels of illegal drug use have not been reduced.

MIKE PULICE
ROANOKE

A locked door can be a tragic trap

Buried at the end of the Aug. 7 news story on the trial of Fort Hood gunman Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is the fact that some of the casualties were due to one door of a set of double doors being locked (“Fort Hood gunman tells jury he shot, killed 13 people”).

Which begs the question: Why are half of almost all sets of double doors locked?

I doubt anyone really knows the answer. But they can’t all be broken. And sooner or later, one was bound to contribute to a tragedy.

TOM HOFFMAN
PEARISBURG

Review of ‘Zealot’ was enlightening

Thanks to Jason Barr for his review of Reza Aslan’s “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth” (“Jesus was a radical,” Aug. 11 Books page). Among the many reviews of this best-selling book that I have read, his is among the best and most enlightening.

Barr so effectively portrays the author as a religious historian who has written a book that all who are interested in the life and times of Jesus should read. Don’t let the title confuse you. After all, a zealot is first and foremost a person who pursues a passion with zeal.

EARL McGUIRE
SALEM

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