Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 24, 1995 TAG: 9501240073
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
According to your news story (``Clinic bill edges forward''), Dels. Vic Thomas (D-Roanoke city) and Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) know this is true, and Dels. Chip Woodrum (D-Roanoke city) and Dick Cranwell (D-Vinton) aren't so wise. Woodrum's House Bill 1359, a bill protecting access to abortion clinics which passed the House by a 50-49 vote, will make a bad law and, consequently, bad public policy if passed by the state Senate.
The issue isn't whether violence at abortion clinics is justified or not, nor whether abortion itself is right or wrong. The issue is: What is the public policy imperative that requires Virginia to put the full power of the state behind privately owned and operated institutions, many of them for profit?
The prevention of violence? Then why do abortion clinics deserve special treatment? Where was the General Assembly in the '60s when, during the height of the civil-rights movement, black churches were being burned and bombed throughout the South?
The prevention of gun-inflicted wounds and death? Then why isn't legislation proposed to protect convenience store and gas-station employees? While I cannot claim mathematical precision, I have no doubt that more convenience-store and gas-station employees have suffered wounds or death by gunmen than have abortion clinic workers in Virginia.
Banks and other private, for-profit institutions hire private security guards and employ other security measures to protect their businesses and clients. Why should abortion clinics be any different? The answer: Because abortion is one of the favored enterprises of the ``politically correct,'' and there are campaign dollars behind catering to their interest.
If this bill ultimately becomes law, then every business sector in Virginia which considers itself at risk should insist on equal protection of the laws and demand that the General Assembly provide its businesses the same kind of protections that are to be given to the abortion business.
JAMES LOWE ROANOKE
Life science will bypass Virginia
QUALITY life-science education for our citizens will be gutted if Gov. Allen's budget proposals are passed. They would eliminate quality, productive programs in life sciences at Virginia Tech.
Through building on accomplishments in contemporary life sciences, we've established at Tech one of the strongest undergraduate programs in biochemistry in the country. Each year, I have visited with excited students and their families, and have encouraged them to invest their lives in a wonderful educational experience at Tech. Students graduating from our program have been among the best in the world! They become outstanding physicians, teachers, research scientists and veterinarians. As productive citizens, they have amplified my efforts to be a faithful servant of Virginia.
With this record of achievement, I reflect on my career as a member of the faculty that has made this institution work to educate, to discover and to honor our motto, ``That I may serve.'' Allen's proposed budget will reduce my department, which has built its teaching responsibilities on research efforts, from 26 to 13 faculty, along with a similar loss of support staff.
I don't know his reasons for believing that citizens no longer value my efforts or those of my colleagues. I don't know how he decides the value of services purchased by tax dollars. Each day, however, as new discoveries flourish, I do know this: The accomplishments in life sciences will pass by Virginia. Talented colleagues, staff and faculty will take their energies and ideas elsewhere. My ability to inspire students and to instill hope in their own promising futures will be impoverished. Virginia students yet to come will seek education elsewhere.
For these reasons, I mourn another loss of commitment to a commonwealth for Virginia's citizens.
JOHN L. HESS CHRISTIANSBURG
Tearing the state's GOP asunder
IT SADDENS me to see Virginia Republicans accuse U.S. Sen. John Warner of treason (Jan. 15 news article, ``GOP hits Warner's `treason'''). He was honest in his actions by not supporting Oliver North.
Mike Farris can't win an election, blames Warner, and is holding a grudge. (Not very Christian-like, by the way.)
Pat McSweeney's snubbing of Warner was intentional. McSweeney doesn't want party unity; he wants a party of his own. He's a classic example of a ``my way or the highway'' attitude. By not extending common courtesy to Warner, an elected official, McSweeney is only refueling the fire, and that's not unity.
As I recall, Gov. Allen tried to get McSweeney out so that he'd have a reasonable GOP leader to work with to try to build the Republican Party, not tear it apart as has been the case ever since McSweeney's election as state party chairman.
WAYNE HALL RADFORD
by CNB