Barkley Thompson's poignant account of a night spent at the Roanoke Rescue Mission ("The night I was homeless," Sept. 30 commentary) reminded me of two favorite lines from literature:

"And whoever walks a furlong without sympathy walks to his own funeral drest in his shroud." -- Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself."

"Nobody's a bum all his life." -- William Kennedy, "Ironweed."

As memorable as those lines are, it is the deeds of conscientious folks like Thompson who confirm for me that grace in words without grace in action can take us only so far in our efforts to heal suffering and promote understanding. Thank you, kind sir, for providing us with both.

TOM McGOHEY
NEWBERN

Vote for a future for small businesses

My wife and I have owned and operated a small, family-owned manufacturing business for 40 years. Prior to the recession, our company put food on the tables of 25 families, never had a layoff or a workweek reduction and shared profits with employees.

For four years, we have watched elected federal officials, led by the president, fail to make required decisions on the economy. Increased regulations have decimated small businesses such as ours.

I beg those of you who work, used to work or want to work for a living to vote. Vote for the candidates with business experience. We do not need any more professional politicians whose primary concern is re-election and who know zip about producing a product, meeting a payroll or worrying about their employees.

We do not need any more government employees on our income-tax-generated payroll, working for federal agencies that, without proper oversight, have produced costly, unneeded regulations to ensure their personal job security.

Another four years like the last is unacceptable. Vote like your future and the future of your children and grandchildren depend on it.

For in reality, they do.

BILL CORBITT
VINTON

Goodlatte is part of the problem

Judging from the Point/Counter-point debate between Andrew Schmookler and Rep. Bob Goodlatte, it's easy to see why the approval rating of Congress is at a lowly 13 percent.

Goodlatte and his Republican colleagues have no substantive ideas for improving the economy beyond giving tax breaks to the rich, thereby furthering the concentration of wealth, leaving the rest of us with less to spend. This is no way to end the recession.

Schmookler will help make the Congress be what it should be, a Congress that will warrant more than a 13 percent approval rating. Schmookler remembers when the Republican Party would work with the Democrats for the good of the country. This was before the Republican Party took the Grover Norquist pledge and before Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell dismissed his duty to his country and worked to sabotage every program the president proposed, irrespective of the effect it would have on the country.

This is the message Schmookler is conveying to the people of the 6th District, and why he deserves your vote.

RUDY J. VIETMEIER
ROANOKE

Obama put thought into honest responses

Rather than dissecting each phrase of the Oct. 3 presidential debate, I suggest it is possible to get an accurate picture of each man by thinking of how he spoke.

One man showed he thought he was above the rules -- time limits and formats didn't apply to him. He spewed prepared speeches on his own talking points. (It was clear his comments were prepared in advance. They weren't responsive to the questions or his opponent.) He repeatedly interrupted, spoke overtime and demanded to answer despite the program's format. He was disrespectful to the elderly newsman/moderator. In short, he was a bully.

The other man gave thoughtful answers, took notes so as to answer his opponent and looked to the moderator to call time so he could respond to the memorized fusillade of words. He answered the questions asked. He was consistent and truthful.

I don't want a president who thinks the rules don't apply to him (I'm old enough to remember Richard Nixon) or who has to memorize speeches because he has changed his position so often. I want a president who understands no one is above the rules, who listens, is analytical and truthful. President Obama has my vote.

KAREN FINCH
BLACKSBURG

Throw out Obama to restore America

I was born in the 1940s, when love of God and country was high. I suppose we all took freedom for granted. Now our freedoms are being taken away, one by one.

I never thought that most of the items you buy would say "Made in China." Or thought of marriage being anything but a sacred vow between a man and a woman. Or the president of this great land would approve of abortion.

Don't say this is the new morality. It's just old sin.

Wake up, America. Can we survive another four years?

This year, your vote is more important than ever before. Please forget party lines, prejudices or other loyalties. Vote for the one who has remained true to America, who has business experience and perhaps can pull us out of this mess.

God bless America.

NANCY BROYLES BOWSER
ROANOKE

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