The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, August 19, 1994                TAG: 9408190020
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A20  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   32 lines

THREE CHEERS! NURSES: ON DUTY

On a day when major-league baseball players voted to strike because of a wage dispute, despite the protests of President Clinton and many fans, nurses in America's hospitals remain faithfully on duty, despite their earning only a fraction of what baseball players earn.

Unlike baseball players, who value their wallets more than their fans, the nurses consider patient care more important than anything else. They remain true to their Florence Nightingale oaths to serve their profession despite their meager financial rewards.

So let the strike go on. Roseanne Barr can sing ``The Star-Spangled Banner'' to an empty stadium, while the nurses continue to mend the wounded and heal the sick.

Who knows, maybe a baby born under the care of a loving nurse might grow up to be another Babe Ruth.

Or maybe some baseball player who is dreadfully hurt might be saved by a faithful nurse who is not on strike.

So let's play ball - football on Fox, that is; and three cheers to the nurses!

ROBERT B. ATKINSON

Virginia Beach, Aug. 12, 1994 by CNB