Letters to the Editor continued

Let's Make Driving Safe and Healthy, Too

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Given that, I propose we make smoking all tobacco products illegal. Such bans have worked well in the case of forcing people to give up smoking marijuana and partaking of other designated unhealthy substances.

Next, implement a statewide 5-miles-per-hour speed limit on all roads. That should eliminate all deaths and injuries caused by automobile accidents, thus providing great benefit to the state's effort to solve the national health care challenges.

I'm sure there are many other steps Kaine and his allies can take to ensure the good health and future productivity of all.

Susan Long. Midlothian.

Constitution Guarantees Free Exercise of Religions

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Second, the Constitution's First Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech." The administrative order was prohibiting the free exercise of religion and was abridging freedom of speech. So, the 66 delegates who voted for it were simply re-establishing constitutional principles.

Then, Vogel states that at the end of prayer, Christians slip in "in the name of Jesus, amen." For most Christians, this is done as a sincere request to the One who intercedes to God on our behalf. We understand that not everyone is Christian, but that does not give the right to non-Christians, or anyone else, to restrict who we pray to at any function.

Terry Buckwalter. Chester.

Charter School Will Benefit All RPS Students

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

The Board of the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts (PHSSA) shares her concern. From the application stage through our present activities to open the school in 2010, we have been conscientious about the ways the school can serve the larger community. Our diversity and community outreach committees are working hard to create an application pool of students from across the city. These plans include making applications available to all Richmond city parents and helping parents fill out applications. We are also working to resolve the transportation issue.

The PHSSA board is excited about our partnership with the Richmond Public Schools. We want our city's schools to be an asset, enticing families to move into the city. The partnership will benefit both parties as well as all students in the city school system. Because of their size and independent governing board, charter schools have the flexibility to try out new ideas that the larger partnering system often can't, such as the progressive quarter calendar, uniforms, and instructional models.

Throughout the process of writing the charter school application, the members of the Patrick Henry Initiative were mindful that not all students could attend; however, we wanted the school to have a positive impact on the entire city. Therefore, our application includes plans to host field trips for students and teachers from Richmond elementary schools to our outdoor classroom. There, the students will reinforce SOL content instruction designed by the teachers at PHSSA.

While not all students can attend charter schools, there are ample reasons to believe all may benefit from a charter school such as PHSSA.

Deb Butterworth, President,

Deeds Deserves Praise For Redistricting Bills

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

The present system gives the dominant political party, Republican or Democrat, the power to establish the boundaries, which historically have been drawn to protect incumbent legislators -- with the result that elections are often not contested.

If one assumes the Democratic Party may be dominant after the next Census, Deeds' proposal might be against his own interest, particularly if he is elected governor. Many organizations, including the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the League of Conservation Voters, and the League of Women Voters have applauded Deeds' bills, which continue to gain additional support in the General Assembly, but which have failed to advance. This year a small number of GOP legislators have killed these bills in Assembly subcommittees.

If we want to maintain Virginia's long history of good government and of encouraging new leaders to engage in the political process, we should get behind the nonpartisan redistricting proposals. In the interim, we should all applaud Deeds for his tenacity in bringing these proposals forward.

Leigh B. Middleditch Jr. Charlottesville.

Planned Parenthood Needs State Funds

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider. Its mission is to ensure that individuals and families have the freedom, information, and ability to make their own informed reproductive choices. It is less expensive for a female to receive a shot that helps to protect her against cervical cancer (about $360) than it is for the state to later treat that same female if she develops cervical cancer (about $13,000) because preventive medicine was not available to her.

In this economic crisis does Virginia really need to be imposing personal ideologies on the health care of its citizens?

Abida Torres. Henrico.

Where's the Incentive To Do What's Right?

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

I make sound financial decisions for me and my family and what do I get? The privilege of paying for everyone else's mistakes.

Fritz Brandt. Bon Air.