2008.05.30
Discuss Friday's editorials
Update Roanoke athletes to 2.0 version
City schools shouldn't hesitate to raise academic requirements for student athletes. Dumbed-down standards aren't doing them any favors.
Last fall, just before the Patrick Henry High School football team played its first home game ever in its own stadium on its own campus, members of the 1973 state championship team gathered in the new auditorium to pay tribute to their coach, the late Merrill Gainer.
Guns 'n parks? Make any rule easy to obey
Gun-rights advocates are pushing to allow concealed firearms in national parks.
The Interior Department in Washington is considering changing a rule that forbids people to carry concealed firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne proposes to let visitors carry them if they're allowed on similar state lands.
National parks frequently cross state borders, though. So where there is clarity, the change would sow confusion. That's not a good idea.
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"City schools shouldn't hesitate to raise academic requirements for student athletes"
Shouldn't this be true for ALL extra curricular activities?
Comment by Henry — May 30, 2008 @ 8:56 am
Yes, it should.
Comment by c. trejbal — May 30, 2008 @ 9:06 am
I find it difficult to believe that adapting national park rules to be in-line with state rules would be more confusing to residents. More difficult to believe is that the editorial board would say this, when they have supported confusing, patchwork laws previously. Just a couple of examples:
1. Option for city councils to ban guns in meetings ("Guns and council meetings don't mix" May 18, 2008)
2. Arbitrary local bans at festivals (or any "public safety" reason, whatever that means) ("Gun shy in Norfolk" July 26, 2007)
This, especially the ambiguous language used in the second editorial, is why I believe members of the editorial board are more against carry in certain (sometimes all) places.
Consistency sometimes makes things easier, but consistency of a bad law is not always a good thing. Would the editorial board agree to consistency in abortion bans and gay marriage bans?
Comment by Ed S. — June 1, 2008 @ 5:12 pm