Digital RSS feed from the Roanoke Times The Roanoke Times en_us Mon, 20 May 2013 17:29:22 http://www.roanoke.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.rss.XMLServer.cls ellen.mosely@roanoke.com “Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!” Reality mirrored fiction on May 14 at the Roanoke County Administration Center. The Roanoke County Republicans looked just as cartoonish as Bullwinkle when choosing their candidate to run in the general election for... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1940369-6/rocky-and-bullwinkle-moment-for-republicans.html commentary 31583915@rss.roanoke.com Mon, 20 May 2013 17:29:22 Earlier this year, the Guttmacher Institute issued a state-by-state comparison of abortion restrictions enacted since Roe v. Wade. Oklahoma leads all states with 22 restrictive laws. Oregon has the fewest with zero. Virginia now has 20 and may surpass all... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1934740-6/new-law-will-undermine-womens-health.html commentary 31564972@rss.roanoke.com Mon, 20 May 2013 17:29:22 As many of you know, I grew up in the wonderful little community of Fancy Gap. For those of you not familiar with my hometown, it is nestled atop the Blue Ridge Mountains in rural Carroll County not too far from the North Carolina border. Fortunately for ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1932264-6/lets-help-rural-students-get-in-the-college.html commentary 31556327@rss.roanoke.com Sun, 19 May 2013 17:29:21 As I was driving down the interstate recently, it occurred to me that perhaps the National Rifle Association is on to something. There I was, driving along in the right-hand lane, striving to remain within striking distance of the posted speed limit while... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1934655-6/perhaps-the-nra-is-on-to-something.html commentary 31564700@rss.roanoke.com Sun, 19 May 2013 17:29:21 Virginia is at a critical juncture in setting its new building code that would dramatically boost energy efficiency in the state. Saving energy saves money and offers a variety of benefits to our communities. Sadly, an organization is attempting to preven... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1934749-6/wrench-in-plans-to-boost-energy-efficiency-standards.html commentary 31565022@rss.roanoke.com Sun, 19 May 2013 17:29:21 Re: Ed Palm’s commentary, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition,” published on May 8: First, I would like to thank Palm for his service to our country, and congratulate him on his first grandchild. Although I am not quite sure what motivated Palm to p... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1931589-6/armed-and-safer.html commentary 31554146@rss.roanoke.com Sun, 19 May 2013 17:29:21 Dark clouds are forming over America’s public universities as the Wall Street mind-set spreads across more of our institutions. A decade of excessive spending based largely on unlimited student loans is looming dangerously over a major national asset. In ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1920660-6/students-cannot-afford-public-universities-excesses.html commentary 31518378@rss.roanoke.com Sun, 19 May 2013 17:29:21 It’s a good thing automobiles weren’t invented when the Constitution of the United States was being written. Our Founding Fathers may have felt compelled to add an amendment outlining the horseless carriage’s place in our society. It might have read, “Whi... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1895118-6/shoot-at-will-which-ones-will.html commentary 31435686@rss.roanoke.com Sat, 18 May 2013 17:29:20 Bob Crawford Crawford is an artist and writer  living in Roanoke County. Contrary to the claims central to much of the argument of the pro-gun lobby, the right to bear arms, as provided by the Constitution’s Second Amendment, is not absolute in the sens... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1934696-6/disconnect-on-gun-rights.html commentary 31564816@rss.roanoke.com Fri, 17 May 2013 17:29:19 A couple weeks ago, members of the Southwest Virginia Songwriters Association drew attention online for literally singing the praises of Rep. Bob Goodlatte for his work to prevent online piracy. Shortly afterward, as chairman of the House Judiciary Commit... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1923213-6/the-vast-virtual-mob-will-not-accept-attacks.html commentary 31526987@rss.roanoke.com Thu, 16 May 2013 17:29:18 To hear environmental leaders tell it, the way forward on energy policy is clear. The United States should be more aggressive in moving to phase out fossil fuels and nuclear power in electricity generation and use renewable sources instead. To do this, en... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1934259-6/coal-is-more-than-yesterdays-fuel.html commentary 31563552@rss.roanoke.com Thu, 16 May 2013 17:29:18 On May 3, I took a day off from work to travel to Richmond for Dominion Resources Inc.’s annual shareholders meeting. Dominion Resources owns Dominion Virginia Power, the commonwealth’s largest utility. I went to speak in favor of a shareholder resolution... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1917659-6/no-defense-for-mountaintop-removal.html commentary 31508673@rss.roanoke.com Thu, 16 May 2013 17:29:18 The clothing factory collapse in Bangladesh killing hundreds — another in a string of such tragedies in the past year — is a reminder of the high cost of our cheap clothes. Not only are the mostly female workers in these factories paid pitiful wages (in ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1897730-6/consumers-can-take-action.html commentary 31443469@rss.roanoke.com Thu, 16 May 2013 17:29:18 Looking on the recent terrorist attack that occurred in Boston, it’s clear that the lessons from the past continue to persist unabated in our intelligence organizations. After the terrorist attack of 9/11, then President George W. Bush sought enactment of... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1917715-6/a-failure-still-to-communicate-danger.html commentary 31508837@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Recent events in Washington, Moscow and Damascus suggest the U.S. is edging closer to limited intervention in Syria’s civil war. Israel’s bombing of facilities near Damascus, Secretary of State John Kerry’s talks with President Putin in Moscow and Preside... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1923136-6/syria-would-be-the-next-iraq.html commentary 31526754@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Mary Davye Devoy Devoy is a volunteer advocate for data-driven reform of Virginia’s sex offender registry and laws. For years, victims’ rights groups and advocates have been given free rein to repeatedly tell their stories, push through rarely questione... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1920613-6/victims-help-makebad-laws.html commentary 31518189@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 The Roanoke Times editorial board sure is funny conjuring up U.N. helicopters (“Forward, not far out, in Roanoke County,” May 5 editorial). For those not familiar, Roanoke County decided to join ICLEI in 2007. At the time, little was known about the futur... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1917702-6/evidence-iclei-is-taking-over-as-clear-as.html commentary 31508798@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Haya Ajjan Haya Ajjan is an assistant professor of management information systems at Elon University. My home country of Syria is being destroyed. Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad kill hundreds of people every day. Western nations have been rel... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1917584-6/dont-turn-away-from-evil-in-syria.html commentary 31508382@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Today’s Internet generates images of hip twenty-something programmers building websites, advertising the latest in pop culture in their dorm rooms or consumers getting in their last-minute bid for a product on eBay or Amazon. Broadband is also ushering in... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1917575-6/rural-businesses-need-a-robust-broadband-network.html commentary 31508354@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 I was shocked to hear of the pay increase proposed by Roanoke Mayor David Bowers and council members Bill Bestpitch, Sherman Lea and Anita Price. As a long-time guy who has worked in politics in Roanoke for more than 45 years, I see this is as an unbeliev... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1917355-6/an-abuse-of-power.html commentary 31507666@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 The Roanoke Time’s editorial “Classify economics as a foreign language” in the April 29 edition was filled with some important facts but also jumped to some very questionable conclusions concerning the benefits of efforts to introduce financial education ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1914895-6/personal-finance-needs-instruction.html commentary 31499548@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 I am a parent of two wonderful children, a sixth-grade boy at Ben Franklin Middle School and a fourth-grade girl at Windy Gap. Both are in the Gateway; my son just completed his evaluation for Advanced Placement courses with high marks, and my daughter sh... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1914761-6/there-is-a-chance-yet-to-correct-the.html commentary 31499094@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 On April 23, Franklin County supervisors voted 6-1 to disapprove a 2-cent real estate tax increase ($20 per year per $100,000 of assessed valuation) for their public schools. They did so despite being advised by the Franklin County School Board of the spe... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1914720-6/unless-supervisors-come-through-childrens-education-will-suffer.html commentary 31498965@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 The Roanoke Times article “Kids at work” (April  28) and editorial “Classify economics as a foreign language” (April 29) discuss methods of teaching middle-schoolers about finance in ways that will improve the decisions they make later in life. Wise budge... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1914705-6/budgeting-for-everyday-life.html commentary 31498915@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Having worked in the high-tech industry for the past 30 years, I have witnessed the importance of a sound education based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Collectively, these disciplines are known as STEM and the acronym has become the... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1914703-6/technology-is-not-the-domain-of-geeky-teenage.html commentary 31498909@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 The trial of Kermit Gosnell has shaken the conscience of our nation. The abortionist, currently awaiting judgment in a Philadelphia courtroom, is charged with the murder of four newborn infants, whom he allegedly killed with scissors after they’d been bor... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1914669-6/a-womans-safety-is-paramount.html commentary 31498768@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 I’m sure you’ve heard the hot topic in Martinsville. I am referring to the quilt that was presented to the city council by students from the Piedmont Governor’s School. I have listened to many opinions about the quilt. Again, I have listened because most ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1912100-6/some-suggest-black-people-get-over-history-all.html commentary 31490318@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 In the May 4 issue of The Roanoke Times, an Associated Press energy story claimed, “Technology has found so much oil and natural gas that worries about running out are no more” (“Oil technology leaps, clean energy lags”). Some simple mathematics shows tha... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1912091-6/we-are-too-running-low-on-fossil-fuels.html commentary 31490294@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Re: “Va. Tech adopts fees for 2013-14” (April 29 news story): The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors faced some hard decisions in dealing with the increasing cost of an education at Tech. I am not debating any of the issues, but do wish to express an opinion... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1911860-6/dont-price-students-out.html commentary 31489630@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Re: “Keep sexuality out of Scouting” (May 1 commentary): Jeff Powell makes me glad I have daughters and did not have to choose between Scouting or no-Scouting. I would never allow an impressionable child to join an organization that so blatantly discrimi... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1906237-6/teaching-prejudice.html commentary 31471222@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Washington Parish in Louisiana sure doesn’t look like the cutting edge of anything, much less a place at the front lines of racial reconciliation, but a milestone event in American history is happening in a poor rural community with about as many alligato... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1903414-6/some-things-we-dare-not-forget.html commentary 31461889@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 OK, let’s grant that climate-change deniers are right: Human beings are not responsible for climate change. Let’s accept that changes in world climate are a natural phenomenon that occurs regularly as time goes by. What about garbage? Garbage that is bury... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1903396-6/humans-are-trashing-the-earth.html commentary 31461850@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Re: Michael Saffle’s April  28 review, “ ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ blends music, comedy”: I take issue with Saffle’s use of the word “minions” to describe the musicians of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra. Minion is defined as “an obsequious follower; a syc... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1903298-6/no-doormats-we.html commentary 31461535@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 I write this letter from my heart today. I lost a friend to a mental illness yesterday. May is Mental Health Awareness month. Do you know someone who is mentally ill? If you do, encourage him or her to get help. So few people get help because of the stig... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1900714-6/reach-out-to-the-mentally-ill.html commentary 31453198@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 There’s no question that Roanoke is in the midst of an explosion of growth in our local food community. A renaissance is defined as a revival or rebirth, especially of culture and learning, and what has occurred over the past five years is nothing short o... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1898504-6/dont-snip-the-roots-of-local-food-movement.html commentary 31446103@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Since Franklin Roosevelt busted the curve, presidents have generally tried to avoid the 100-day measure of their effectiveness. But as President Obama’s second term reaches this milestone, his legislative yield is particularly paltry. Obama overplayed his... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1898294-6/risk-in-seeking-obstructionism.html commentary 31445368@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Ken Conklin Conklin, of Daleville, is a manager  in the technology industry. My resolution this year is to be a “better man.” I committed to this objective in January because I felt I had several basic areas I needed to work on, mainly on the chivalry f... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1898099-6/survey-says-im-a-better-man.html commentary 31444701@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 A few weeks ago, this newspaper reported the happy news that yard sale season is beginning and advised that you can read its classified ads to find them. So now here’s some advice for those of you who’ll be offering such sales. There are people out there ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1898090-6/this-help-was-no-bargain.html commentary 31444664@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Immigration reform, in some capacity, is on the horizon. People across Virginia have been challenging Congress to make this change for many years. We’ve written letters, called and held demonstrations in the streets that brought thousands of people out in... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1898076-6/goodlattes-bill-falls-short-of-reform.html commentary 31444606@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 From record-breaking summer temperatures to the derecho that cut power to Roanoke-area residents for days, last year’s headlines featured far too many dangerous and destructive weather events that have impacted Virginia communities’ health, safety, econom... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1898067-6/act-on-global-warming-to-prevent-extreme-weather.html commentary 31444569@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 For the last couple days, I’ve searched your fine newspaper for coverage of the quilt controversy in Martinsville but, alas, not one word on this controversial racial subject. (Most local TV stations covered this story.) So, please allow me, a resident of... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1897716-6/in-the-south-still-a-divide.html commentary 31443430@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 We often hear a song that brings us back to a distinct memory of when it was a hit on the radio. We celebrate birthdays, holidays and special events. In this case, years ago, I made the date “First of May” my own special holiday. It was 1984. I had just f... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1897707-6/dorothy-gillespie-and-the-first-of-may.html commentary 31443390@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 In an April 24 commentary, “The fuel standard is working,” Adam Monroe of Novozymes North America argued that the federal Renewable Fuel Standard is working well. In doing so, Monroe falsely credited “the mix of renewable fuel in our gasoline with lowerin... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1895187-6/is-the-renewable-fuel-standard-working.html commentary 31435901@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Re: “Nothing respectful or kind in anti-gay policy,” April 25: I would like to expound upon what I believe as both a leader and parent in Scouts. As a parent, I believe that your sexuality is your personal choice and has no place within the Scouts, no mat... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1895130-6/keep-sexuality-out-of-scouting.html commentary 31435736@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Chris Tuck Tuck is a member of the Montgomery County Board  of Supervisors. Another year, another tax increase in Montgomery County. Last week, four of my fellow supervisors decided to raise taxes yet again, despite growth in tax revenues of $2.8 milli... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1888583-6/tax-increase-was-the-wrong-budget-solution.html commentary 31415769@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 In our nation’s history, immigrants have never been totally welcome. This goes against the common belief that the Statue of Liberty guarding New York harbor has always welcomed all with the words engraved on its pedestal: “Give me your tired, your poor, y... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1888204-6/struggles-of-a-nation-of-immigrants.html commentary 31414503@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 In its April 11 editorial piece (“VDOT has a plan for Elm; so should you”), The Roanoke Times offered some suggestions to commuters preparing to face the ordeal of traffic jams, long delays and potential near-misses as the infamous Elm Avenue interchange ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1888196-6/smarter-ways-to-beat-elm-avenue-congestion.html commentary 31414467@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 One of the most maudlin themes of the Western melodrama is that of the callow young man who, intent on commanding respect, insists on wearing a gun. Johnny Cash’s 1958 hit “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town,” for instance, relates how one such would-be gunslin... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1888187-6/praise-the-lord-and-pass-the-ammunition.html commentary 31414441@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Nabeel Chohan Chohan is a student at Virginia Tech. He lives in Blacksburg. Are independent bookstores gaining popularity once again? Throughout the past year there has been some buzz among booklovers over the success stories coming out of many newly op... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1888184-6/a-passion-for-books-rekindled.html commentary 31414418@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Secretariat was born a few minutes after midnight one March 30 at The Meadow in Doswell in southeastern Virginia, far from Kentucky’s fabled bluegrass. This year, original owner Penny Chenery, jockey Ron Turcotte and others gathered there to celebrate his... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1888159-6/some-are-born-great.html commentary 31414326@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 As I watched the Blue Ridge Marathon April 20, five days after the Boston Marathon — sadly, also the Boston massacre — I talked with a spectator, the father of a daughter and son-in-law in the race. He said, you probably don’t agree with me, but I hope th... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1888153-6/boston-and-the-blue-ridge-marathon.html commentary 31414310@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 In elementary school, the teacher would demonstrate the magnetic field of a magnet by putting iron filings on a paper right over the magnet. Sure enough, the filings would get ordered according to the pattern of the magnetic field of the magnet. I often u... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1882346-6/follow-the-natural-rule-of-magnetism.html commentary 31396213@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 If these are the early stages, I shudder to think what’s on the path ahead. Two things brought that thought to mind. One is my own aging. Aches and pains, stiffer muscles, presbyopia, diminished energy. As I approach my 67th birthday, I can imagine the ki... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1879199-6/if-this-is-early-stages-of-climate-change.html commentary 31386078@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 The stigma around mental health issues is particularly illogical, because there’s no lifestyle link. With mental health disorders, no one eats too many bacon cheeseburgers and ends up with bipolar disorder, or has a two-pack-a-day smoking habit and develo... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1879191-6/time-to-retire-mental-health-stigma.html commentary 31386042@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 It is a mistake to advocate for gun control through attempts to convince gun supporters that some of the various proposals for gun control are so limited that they are reasonable restrictions. The National Rifle Association and many individual gun-rights ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1879162-6/seek-instead-change-that-makes-a-difference.html commentary 31385956@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Our most recent Cub Scout Pack meeting has left me in a state of shock, bewilderment and anger. We were entreated by our pack leader, through several texts and emails, to be sure to be at this meeting for an important discussion. Almost all of our core gr... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1876224-6/nothing-respectful-or-kind-in-anti-gay-policy.html commentary 31376937@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Betsy Biesenbach Biesenbach, of Roanoke, is a freelance writer, title examiner and author  of “Bits O’ Betsy Biesenbach.” On Jan. 19, this newspaper ran an Associated Press story, “Bill would require gun insurance.” It described proposed legislation fil... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1876148-6/put-faith-in-gun-insurance.html commentary 31376724@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 In May 2010, Gov. Bob McDonnell signed Executive Order 10 for a housing policy framework that called for a focus on addressing the needs of homeless Virginians, in addition to housing and services for those with very low incomes. The Roanoke Valley hailed... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1875890-6/goal-fewer-people-lack-homes-of-their-own.html commentary 31375931@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Thirty-six tons of trash and more than 500 tires; this is the recent haul collected by 1,400-plus volunteers at this year’s Clean Valley Day on April 13. While we are proud to have such dedicated volunteers who care enough about their environment and comm... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1870628-6/a-trash-can-is-never-that-far-away.html commentary 31360045@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Dear Sen. Kaine, Sen.  Warner, Rep. Goodlatte: I am a headless lawn ornament residing in Virginia. More specifically, I am a statue of St. Francis of Assissi who lost my head in a lawn-mowing accident. But I still stand for peace and my head remains nearb... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1870202-6/if-youve-got-a-head-use-it.html commentary 31358704@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Early in his administration, Gov. Bob McDonnell identified housing and homelessness as priorities for his administration. To address the issue of homelessness, the governor appointed senior economic advisor Bob Sledd to lead the effort with the strong sup... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1867858-6/when-forces-work-together-fewer-virginians-are-homeless.html commentary 31350736@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Once again, Robert F. Boyd (“There is no peace process,” April 13 commentary) has placed before the readership of The Roanoke Times a one-sided, simplistic view of Israel and its desire for peace. This particular piece, in which he refers to Jews grubbing... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1867423-6/a-case-of-anti-semitism.html commentary 31349419@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Re: “Overhaul the fuel standard,” April 18 editorial: The editors suggest that “by the measures most Americans care about, [the Renewable Fuel Standard] is failing.” But by those measures, we believe the RFS is working. Renewable fuel, which makes up near... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1867177-6/the-fuel-standard-is-working.html commentary 31348602@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 A couple of months ago, my family took a dream vacation to New Zealand, for my money the most appealing nation on Earth. The air is pristine, the water is clean, the vistas are amazing and the people are generous and friendly. We arrived in New Zealand sh... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1866930-6/yes-the-government-should-take-your-gun-away.html commentary 31347727@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 My son, Andrew, had just delivered a persuasive speech to his public speaking class at Virginia Western Community College encouraging his classmates to become runners. Hours later, the news media reported the explosions at the finish line of the Boston Ma... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1864042-6/i-will-run-for-them.html commentary 31338536@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 On April 14, The Roanoke Times published companion articles on the front page of the Sunday Business Ticker section entitled “A harsher workplace” and “When technology makes work harder,” written by Alana Semuels of the Los Angeles Times. The gist of the ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1863747-6/articles-unfairly-portray-employers-as-evil.html commentary 31337595@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 You know the feeling. You wake up filled with dread but, still groggy, you can’t put your finger on the reason. Possibilities flitter across the landscape of near-consciousness: An exam? A deadline? A speech? What day is it? Oh my God, Boston. For longer ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1861096-6/getting-a-grip-in-the-day-after.html commentary 31329079@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Stratton Wayne St.Clair St.Clair is a former chef, graphic artist, Coast Guard veteran and works part-time at the Salem VA. Re: Robert F. Boyd’s commentary of April 13, “There is no peace process”: A few years ago, I spent a couple of weeks in Israel. T... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1857886-6/peace-in-a-tortured-land.html commentary 31318247@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 I was quite shocked when I discovered that 138 Republicans, including Reps. Morgan Griffith and Bob Goodlatte, did not vote to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. They have cited concerns with the stipulation that allows Native American tribal gov... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1857816-6/we-need-the-law-to-protect-women.html commentary 31318029@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Clonnie Yearout Yearout, of Roanoke, is  a retired public employee. Many Americans are worried. We see time-honored traditions and cherished beliefs falling like dominoes, and we wonder what’s coming next. The American society that seemed so full of uni... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1857809-6/a-tale-of-two-belief-systems.html commentary 31318010@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Michelle Ferrier Ferrier is an associate professor at Elon University and vice president of Journalism That Matters,  a collaboration of journalists,  technologists, librarians and educators. The North Carolina General Assembly is considering the rollba... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1857483-6/investing-in-community-journalism.html commentary 31317059@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Rosemary Haskell Haskell is a professor of English  at Elon University. Our Blessed Margaret. Tina. That Woman. Maggie. Mrs. T. Thatcher, Thatcher, Milk Snatcher. The Lady Who Was Not For Turning. These are the terms used mainly by the British to descri... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1857481-6/thatcher-was-larger-than-life.html commentary 31317048@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 From Tom Paine’s “Common Sense” to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” to Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” American history is replete with examples of printed words accelerating social justice. Still, from Mathew Brady’s 1862 p... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1849085-6/central-park-five-graphically-told.html commentary 31291009@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 It was Mother’s Day 2009 when I witnessed the abuse of an elderly woman at a local restaurant. She looked to be in her late 80s or early 90s and needed help walking. Her daughter, son-in-law and their three teenaged children were taking her out for the an... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1847287-6/call-your-mother-today.html commentary 31285527@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Donald Nuechterlein Nuechterlein is a political  scientist, author and lecturer  who lives near Charlottesville. In January 1975, President Gerald Ford gave a State of the Union Address to Congress that is remarkable for candor: “Today,” he said, “I mus... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1846407-6/an-endto-politics-as-usual.html commentary 31282169@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Over the last few years, there has been debate occurring in cities all across the country on how to best fund arts and cultural organizations so vital to their quality of life, educational opportunities and economy. This debate has certainly been occurrin... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1845689-6/a-new-way-to-fund-arts-and-culture.html commentary 31280009@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Being a native Virginian with strong roots in Southwest Virginia, I read Jim Glanville’s Roanoke Times article a few months ago with great interest (“Western Virginia shaped America,” Sept. 13, 2012 commentary). He is right in saying that the western wedg... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1845638-6/no-place-quite-like-southwest-virginia.html commentary 31279808@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Members of Congress just can’t get it together. They first drove us off the fiscal cliff. They then set off a dirty bomb named “sequester” and are shutting down or curtailing government services. Who needs air traffic control towers, anyway? Other problem... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1845430-6/dont-overlook-american-resiliency.html commentary 31279162@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 The 2013 session of the Virginia General Assembly saw important gains for Virginia’s mental health system. The final budget included additional money for crisis assessment centers and children’s mental health services, doubled the appropriation for disc... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1845221-6/virginia-takes-a-step-backward-in-mental-health.html commentary 31278590@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Two words that have long been a part of rhetoric among citizens and journalists in the United States have finally faced serious opposition. The Associated Press has now deemed the term “illegal immigrant” improper and removed the term from its stylebook. ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1842404-6/what-do-we-call-immigrants-here-illegally.html commentary 31269545@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Of late, North Korea has visibly ratcheted up its bellicosity toward South Korea, Japan and the United States. It has unilaterally rescinded all of the treaties, commerce pacts and artistic exchange contracts in existence since 1953; revived construction ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1842299-6/take-north-koreas-threats-seriously.html commentary 31269243@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Taxpayers should be on guard. The term “economic development” can be code for government getting its hand into your wallet. An upcoming forum (May 8) to discuss the role of arts in economic development is being advertised and sponsored by The Roanoke Time... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1842284-6/dont-buy-phony-arts-claims.html commentary 31269204@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 The No Child Left Behind legislation has been a smashing success, especially so with the implementation of tests like the Standards of Learning (SOLs) in the nation’s school systems. I modestly propose that this kind of governmental oversight be extende... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1842257-6/standards-of-perfection.html commentary 31269133@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Winning the All-America City Award in 2012 was a thrilling and validating moment for residents of Roanoke, city employees and community leaders and businesses in our valley. Winning the award demonstrated how many wonderful and beneficial programs and in... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1839750-6/americas-winning-campaign-for-roanokes-children.html commentary 31261269@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Barbara Skinner and  Bill Stephenson Skinner is the mother of a Montgomery County Public School student. Stephenson is emeritus dean of engineering at Virginia Tech and former PTA co-president  of Blacksburg Middle School. Once again, the Montgomery Cou... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1839568-6/montgomery-schools-can-do-more-with-less.html commentary 31260752@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Sherri Blevins Blevins is a small business owner. Her children attend Montgomery County Schools. I am writing in hopes of promoting awareness of the safety concerns and threats to our children, teachers and staff at Falling Branch Elementary. Additiona... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1832986-6/the-park-and-ride-must-go.html commentary 31241987@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 We know Johns Hopkins University is devoted to diversity, because it says so. Its Diversity and Inclusion Statement, a classic of the genre, says the university is “committed to sharing values of diversity and inclusion . . . by recruiting and retaining a... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1839118-6/pro-choice-intolerance.html commentary 31233973@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Jane Van Ryan’s April 2 commentary, “A troubling result on uranium,” neglects some pertinent facts. Van Ryan claims Virginia Uranium has made a compelling case for lifting the ban on uranium mining. Not so. In actuality, a compelling case to keep the ban ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1830135-6/the-science-shows-challenges-on-uranium.html commentary 31233249@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. And, in an economy where small businesses create two-thirds of jobs, owners and employees deserve a health insurance market with fairer prices, better choices and greater certainty. Thanks to the Affo... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1826533-6/better-choices-for-businesses.html commentary 31222629@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Re: the proposed daily fees for the Franklin County Park Beach at Smith Mountain Lake: I strongly object to the collection of those fees. The last time the fee of $3.50 a day was imposed at the county park, I wrote to my supervisor (who was then Russ John... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1824329-6/beach-fee-burns-franklin-county-taxpayers.html commentary 31213600@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 In June of last year, I sat on a metal chair in the federal prison located in Lee County. Across from me sat Derek, whom I had prosecuted for drug crimes a decade earlier. Derek and I talked about his job skills and his résumé in a mock job interview, par... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1823726-6/believing-in-second-chances.html commentary 31213365@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 If Mitt Romney, in his own words, was “severely” conservative, there are no words to describe Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who loudly opposes abortion, gay rights, global warming scientists, health care reform and partially naked state symb... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1824327-6/anyone-else-want-to-be-governor.html commentary 31208549@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Runners from across the United States and several countries will flock to Roanoke for America’s toughest road race — the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon on April 20. Along with the recently opened River Rock climbing gym, expanded green­way system and n... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1839106-6/the-path-to-economic-prosperity-runs-through.html commentary 31208272@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Sex crimes are among  the most heinous Mary Devoy would have us believe that the sex offender registry doesn’t work because the list of offenders consists of primarily 18-year-olds who had consensual relations with their 16-year-old girlfriends; this ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1839123-6/sex-crimes-are-among-the-most-heinous.html commentary 31207571@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 I wish to continue the war of words regarding “musical snobbery.” Any suggestion that Conductor David Wiley has ever done less than he should is erroneous. Alan Weinstein states in his letter (“ ‘Music snob’ just doesn’t ring true,” April 1 Pick of the d... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1821681-6/give-the-maestro-his-due.html commentary 31207416@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 When I grew up, there was no television. As I recall, none of my school peers was a brooding time bomb. Normalcy, with minor exceptions, was the norm. You could walk the streets at night safely anywhere in my hometown. Although we played with cap guns, no... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1812468-6/tvs-evil-influence.html commentary 31178635@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 How long has the “peace process” involving Israel and the Palestinians been going on? It seems forever. After every presidential inauguration, the president tells us his intentions to restart the peace process. And just like clockwork, when the president ... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1809410-6/there-is-no-peace-process.html commentary 31168954@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 A great new movie, “Robot and Frank,” offers a humorous and not-so-distant future where personal robots take on roles like caregivers for elderly. A young friend is taking classes at James Madison University to learn robotics. At a party, we shared favori... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1803754-6/robots-and-the-speed-of-horse.html commentary 31150442@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 Robert M. Davis Davis is a graduate student with The Center for Public Administration and Policy at Virginia Tech. “There is no doubt that college has become too expensive, and it shows no signs of getting cheaper anytime soon,” according to Sen. Mike E... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1791035-6/high-cost-of-college-hits-poor-harder.html commentary 31111351@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17 The Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibits the sale of handguns to anyone under the age of 18, criminals, drug addicts and the mentally ill. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 was passed 12 years after the 1981 assassination attempt against Pres... http://www.roanoke.com//opinion/commentary/1672460-6/weapons-change-so-should-laws.html commentary 30755987@rss.roanoke.com Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:17