Letters to the Editor for Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Student voting strikes a local nerve
I am fascinated by the current interest by Councilman Jeff Helgeson in moving the voting precinct from Heritage Elementary to a location closer to Liberty University. This interest is presumably being proposed by him to accommodate the recent conservative LU voting block that poured into the precinct last November. He has high hopes of using these students to assist him in filling up City Council with individuals that share his ideology.

Helgeson and LU Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. are probably concerned that these students will avoid voting in upcoming council elections because of the inconvenience of having to wait in line at the school. This is probably an accurate assessment. They voted in November principally to vote out a Democrat. Getting them there for a council election where political positioning is less of an issue will be tougher and their memory of the long lines will be fresh.

Apparently, it has been ruled acceptable for students to vote in communities where they are only temporary residents. While encouraging these young people to vote is an excellent idea, the right place for them to vote, in my opinion, is by absentee ballot in their hometowns.

It is unethical, I believe, for Councilman Helgeson to encourage this practice. I am certain that if this university were mainly composed of liberal-leaning students, his position would be quite different.
VINCENT HOVDA
Lynchburg

Vote at home, students
Regarding the latest request to create a separate polling place to accommodate Liberty University students, I believe a common-sense solution can be found for Liberty students, as well as other college students.

Not wishing to disenfranchise any voters, I would suggest that they take advantage of their right and responsibility to vote by requesting and submitting absentee ballots from their own home communities. They would be voting on issues that they are familiar with having grown up there and may very well be going back to when they graduate.

This would eliminate problems with shutting down classes and running buses to a crowded polling place; they would never even have to leave their campuses to vote.

Both of my children voted this way all four years they were away at college. It would never have occurred to them to vote anywhere other than their own home community.
PATRICIA BLOUNT
Lynchburg

The gift of sight
I would like to personally thank the Lynchburg community for the generous donations of prescription eyeglasses for the “Share the Sight” program during the month of December.

We proudly presented the 137 pair of eyeglasses collected to the Seven Hills Lions Club for distribution. These eyeglasses will now be distributed to individuals in need; without your generosity, they would not have the luxury of clear vision.
Dr. ELIZABETH M. DARBY
Optometrist
Lynchburg