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For Friday: State Republicans have found a way to divert attention from bad-driver fees. It's an illegal immigration proposal that would prohibit public colleges and universities from accepting illegal immigrants. There is no basis for the proposal, no statistics to speak of showing that illegal immigrants are taking slots away from applicants who are here legally. The proposal is a political ploy that plays on the fears of an impatient, angered public.

For Friday: State Republicans have found a way to divert attention from bad-driver fees. It's an illegal immigration proposal that would prohibit public colleges and universities from accepting illegal immigrants. There is no basis for the proposal, no statistics to speak of showing that illegal immigrants are taking slots away from applicants who are here legally. The proposal is a political ploy that plays on the fears of an impatient, angered public.

For Friday: State Republicans have found a way to divert attention from bad-driver fees. It's an illegal immigration proposal that would prohibit public colleges and universities from accepting illegal immigrants. There is no basis for the proposal, no statistics to speak of showing that illegal immigrants are taking slots away from applicants who are here legally. The proposal is a political ploy that plays on the fears of an impatient, angered public.

Poverty by the numbers
News of a decline in poverty sounds good, but the government's latest figures show too few economic gains for ordinary Americans.
Behind the overall decline in the nation's poverty rate from 2005 to 2006 are mainly grim numbers for middle- and working-class Americans. Grimmest of all in a U.S. Census report released this week is the downward trend of the percentage of Americans with health care insurance -- damning evidence that voters need to push universal coverage to the top of the domestic agenda.
Read more.

Bad rap, but right call
Pulling rapper Nas from the Tech concert lineup would prejudge an artist who may do the right thing.
The gun-toting, shoot-'em-up lyrics that have permeated rapper Nas' songs help fuel the image of hip-hop music as a violent, gangsta genre. So one can understand why the artist's scheduled appearance at "A Concert for Virginia Tech" would anger family members of victims of the April 16 shooting rampage. Music that has the power to conjure relatively fresh, traumatic memories has no place at such an event.
Read more.

Poverty by the numbers
News of a decline in poverty sounds good, but the government's latest figures show too few economic gains for ordinary Americans.
Behind the overall decline in the nation's poverty rate from 2005 to 2006 are mainly grim numbers for middle- and working-class Americans. Grimmest of all in a U.S. Census report released this week is the downward trend of the percentage of Americans with health care insurance -- damning evidence that voters need to push universal coverage to the top of the domestic agenda.
Read more.

Bad rap, but right call
Pulling rapper Nas from the Tech concert lineup would prejudge an artist who may do the right thing.
The gun-toting, shoot-'em-up lyrics that have permeated rapper Nas' songs help fuel the image of hip-hop music as a violent, gangsta genre. So one can understand why the artist's scheduled appearance at "A Concert for Virginia Tech" would anger family members of victims of the April 16 shooting rampage. Music that has the power to conjure relatively fresh, traumatic memories has no place at such an event.
Read more.

Poverty by the numbers
News of a decline in poverty sounds good, but the government's latest figures show too few economic gains for ordinary Americans.
Behind the overall decline in the nation's poverty rate from 2005 to 2006 are mainly grim numbers for middle- and working-class Americans. Grimmest of all in a U.S. Census report released this week is the downward trend of the percentage of Americans with health care insurance -- damning evidence that voters need to push universal coverage to the top of the domestic agenda.
Read more.

Bad rap, but right call
Pulling rapper Nas from the Tech concert lineup would prejudge an artist who may do the right thing.
The gun-toting, shoot-'em-up lyrics that have permeated rapper Nas' songs help fuel the image of hip-hop music as a violent, gangsta genre. So one can understand why the artist's scheduled appearance at "A Concert for Virginia Tech" would anger family members of victims of the April 16 shooting rampage. Music that has the power to conjure relatively fresh, traumatic memories has no place at such an event.
Read more.

Vick's path to redemption
Linda Whitlock
Whitlock, a Roanoke Times columnist, is an adjunct English professor who lives in Salem.
Michael Vick had it all -- a dream career, money, fame, esteem. Now he's close to losing it. The NFL has suspended him. Nike's cut ties with him. The Falcons can't wait to recoup some of his signing bonus then dump him. And, more than likely, a judge will soon sentence him to a year or more in jail. For Vick, it was a quick rise to the top and an even quicker plunge to the bottom.
Read more.

Nation built upon Judeo-Christian foundation
Tom Taylor
Taylor lives in Roanoke.
The current debate in the letters and opinion pages as to whether America is a "Christian country" and whether Judeo-Christian principles should influence our government cannot be conducted in an historical vacuum.
Read more.

Thursday's letters can be read here.

Vick's path to redemption
Linda Whitlock
Whitlock, a Roanoke Times columnist, is an adjunct English professor who lives in Salem.
Michael Vick had it all -- a dream career, money, fame, esteem. Now he's close to losing it. The NFL has suspended him. Nike's cut ties with him. The Falcons can't wait to recoup some of his signing bonus then dump him. And, more than likely, a judge will soon sentence him to a year or more in jail. For Vick, it was a quick rise to the top and an even quicker plunge to the bottom.
Read more.

Nation built upon Judeo-Christian foundation
Tom Taylor
Taylor lives in Roanoke.
The current debate in the letters and opinion pages as to whether America is a "Christian country" and whether Judeo-Christian principles should influence our government cannot be conducted in an historical vacuum.
Read more.

Thursday's letters can be read here.

Vick's path to redemption
Linda Whitlock
Whitlock, a Roanoke Times columnist, is an adjunct English professor who lives in Salem.
Michael Vick had it all -- a dream career, money, fame, esteem. Now he's close to losing it. The NFL has suspended him. Nike's cut ties with him. The Falcons can't wait to recoup some of his signing bonus then dump him. And, more than likely, a judge will soon sentence him to a year or more in jail. For Vick, it was a quick rise to the top and an even quicker plunge to the bottom.
Read more.

Nation built upon Judeo-Christian foundation
Tom Taylor
Taylor lives in Roanoke.
The current debate in the letters and opinion pages as to whether America is a "Christian country" and whether Judeo-Christian principles should influence our government cannot be conducted in an historical vacuum.
Read more.

Thursday's letters can be read here.

The good people at Slate have put together a video reenactment of Idaho Sen. Larry Craig's bathroom rendezvous based on the police report. You can watch it here.

Warning: I've never been able to get Slate Video to work properly with Firefox, so start up Internet Explorer or use an IE tab.