Letters to the Editor continued

Project Developer Wants No Community Input

Editor, Times-Dispatch

Neighbors in the Chimborazo Historic District have made numerous attempts to work with the developer to address community concerns so that the project could move forward with community support. There are ways to construct this development to the scale of 33 units that minimize the impact of the development on the existing residents.

The developer has been completely unwilling to modify her designs to address the community's primary concerns regarding the impact of traffic and parking associated with the development. For example, at a presentation before the Church Hill Association, the developer's representatives started the meeting by stating that the site plan was not negotiable and that nothing the members said would make a difference.

Kristen Hughes. Richmond.

Thanks to Loophole, Felons Might Buy Guns

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

There are approximately 5,000 gun shows in the United States each year, and in 35 states, including Virginia, anyone -- even a felon -- can buy a gun without a background check from private, unlicensed dealers.

More than 87 percent of Americans support closing the gun show loophole. Also, 83 percent of gun owners are in favor of closing the loophole on background checks.

Prior to 2004, there was a 10-year federal ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines (larger than 10 rounds). This ban was allowed to lapse in 2004. It needs to be reinstated now. The Virginia Tech gunman easily bought a high-capacity ammunition magazine, which had been covered by the federal ban, and used it in his deadly shooting spree.

Federal legislation called the Tiahrt Amendment, which prohibits the sharing of crime gun trace data between police departments and law enforcement, also needs to be overturned. Every police station in the nation wants the law overturned.

I was somewhat surprised to learn that private sellers are wandering around gun shows holding up hand-written signs reading, "For Sale: Rifles, shotguns, and assault rifles. Cash and carry -- no questions asked." They could well be selling guns to a felon or terrorist.

Please contact your representative in the General Assembly and tell him to close the loophole this year. I am not against hunters, recreational shooters, guns for private protection, or gun collectors. I am against people hunters.

Jim Severt. Martinsville.

GOP Should Tell The Whole Truth

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Once Republicans realized they no longer needed Southern electoral votes to win the White House, they felt free to abandon African-Americans to their fate at the hands of the Democratic solid South. Republican presidents from Rutherford B. Hayes to Benjamin Harrison (1876-1892) failed to effectively enforce federally protected civil and political rights in the South -- in large part because Republicans in Congress refused to provide the necessary resources. These same Republicans in the early 1890s repealed the Enforcement Acts of 1870-71 (what Dene called the Civil Rights Act of 1870), agreeing that by this time the laws were "dead letters."

Moreover, it was a Supreme Court of mostly Republicans that in 1883 ruled the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional, came up with the "separate but equal" doctrine in 1896 that upheld "Jim Crow" segregation laws, and gave the green light to Southern states to use devices such as the poll tax, literacy tests, and the white primary to disenfranchise black voters.

Republicans in the North did support Civil Rights Era legislation, but more telling is the fact that Republicans have consistently opposed extension of such laws as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ever since. With President Barack Obama in the White House, the loss of several Southern states, and a Democratic Congress, Southern Republicans apparently now seek to re-establish their credibility by rewriting their past and blaming the "educational establishment" for not telling the whole truth.

Robert M. Goldman. Midlothian.

Accurate Sex-Ed Is a Must

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Recent evaluations of 11 abstinence-only programs showed they have no lasting, positive effect on people's sexual behavior. Instead, when teens do engage in sexual activity, they often engage in risky behavior because they were taught that contraception is ineffective. We as parents need to know our children are getting medically accurate and thorough sex education information that is available through the Family Life Education programs. This information could be potentially lifesaving and will help teens make responsible decisions regarding their health.

Please contact your delegates by telephone, e-mail, or hand-written note and ask them to support House Bill 1980, Parents' Right to Know. None of us wants our family to be faced with an unintended pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection.

Edie Halstead. Glen Allen.

Blame Lies With Institutions, Not Families

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

"First, do no harm!" The health care industry executives and the politicians in their pockets are becoming extremely wealthy while American citizens are going bankrupt from medical expenses. It's time to turn this train around!

I know firsthand, albeit on a lesser scale, the turmoil, frustration, and challenges of a vaccine-damaged child. And I've read of the mind-boggling financial impossibilities and heartbreaking challenges faced by families affected by autism. My rage is really aimed at Big Pharma's products, doctors' philosophies, and the government's policies -- and the frustration that they are not held accountable for creating this financial quagmire.

Ruth J. Mills. Chesterfield.