Friday, October 8,1982
Page 4
Daily Nebraskan
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Anti-abortion bills lose backing
Twenty months ago, on a sunny January day in Wash
ington, thousands of elated anti-abortion forces gathered
tor a post-inaugural celebration. The marchers, standing
on the muddy Ellipse behind the White House, were
quick to claim the spoils of the 1980 election victory.
One after another, I heard their leaders introduce
new senators and congressmen with the proud posses
sive phrase, "Here's another of 'our new men." By
noon, the Human Life Amendment had been introduced
Ellen Goodman
in Congress. Before the day ended, anti-abortion leaders
had become the first special-interest group to have an
audience with the president.
It seemed almost inevitable then that a major piece
of anti-abortion legislation - a right-to-life amendment
or statue or something - would be won by people who'
put up such a display of momentum, such an impression
of political power.
But last Friday, the 97th Congress prepared to recess
for another election without passing a single major piece
of anti-abortion legislation. More than a dozen bills were
introduced.
Somewhere along the way, the momentum of the
anti-abortion movement lost its pace and the flexed
political muscle lost its tone.
Nor did the president come through as expected. On
the Ellipse that day, someone held a poster declaring,
"Reagan, you counted on us to win, now we're counting
on you to win." But the president, for all his verbal
support, never made abortion a priority.
From the inaugural address to the current campaign
speeches, the economy has been the main theme in
Washington because it has been the main theme out
side of Washington. More than one adviser reminded
the president that people who are out of work don't
want to hear about school prayer and abortion.
But what finally kept the anti-abortion forces at
bay all these months was basic stuff - public opinion
and political organizing.
Despite all the claims by anti-abortionists in 1930,
every poll has shown that two-thirds of the Americans
are against banning abortions. As Nanette Falkenberg,
the head of the National Abortion Rights Action League
says, 'That was always working in our favor. But the
pro-choice people had gotten lazy. What happened in
the last two years is that our side really did get organi
zed." A coalition of groups - NARAL, Planned Parent
hood, the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights, the
American Civil Liberties Union - developed a more
sophisticated strategy in and outside the Congress. This
session, for the first time, members of Congress were as
likely to be lobbied by one side as the other, as likely
to find campaign help from one side as the other, as
likely to hear from abortion-rights voters as from anti
abortion voters.
"What hearing from these thousands of constitu
tents did," says Falkenberg, "was reinforce the idea
that maybe there is something to those public-opinion
polls that tell me they don't wa.it this issue legislated."
Gradually, some members of Congress became less
skittish about supporting abortion rights, others went
from quiet to public support.
Continued on Page 5
Reagan hurts Republican candidates
On his first big campaign trip to the Midwest, Presi
dent Reagan has done much to seal the fate of a number
of Republican candidates.
His pronouncements early this week in Ohio, an
industrial state with one of the highest unemployment
W Matthew Millea
rates, showed just how much damage he is doing to his
party and to his own credibility.
A report in the Oct. 5 Wall Street Journal began
with "President Reagan sharply attacked the movement
for a nuclear arms freeze, saying it is being manipulated
'by some who want the weakening of America. '
A word to the wise, Mr. President. It is now much too
late to suggest that the overwehlming majority of Ameri
cans supporting the nuclear freeze are unpatriotic. Your
intimidations of some sinister conspiracy to undermine
the "nation's strength" (whatever that is) are a bit in
sulting to our collective intelligence, sir. We are not so
easily manipulated, either by those nasty folks you con
jure forth or by you, Oh Great Prevaricator.
The Wall Street Journal article continued: "He alleged
that inflation spawned during the Carter administration
caused today's high jobless rate. That's why inflation
must be the main target, so that we can reduce unemploy
ment, he said."
Perhaps you've forgotten sir, but the budgets you've
proposed have called for' record deficits, considerably
larger than any during the Carter administration. I realize
that you studied economics when Keynes was still in
grammar school, but any of our Economics 211 stu
dents here at UNL would be happy to explain the inflation-unemployment
trade-off to you if you'd just
ask. We're eager to help.
One more thing. People worry a lot less about the
high cost of living when they have a job. Even the Wall
Street Journal figured that out. "With unemployment
so high, Republicans can't afford to appear to be fighting
inflation at the expense of jobs," the paper said.
"To drive home his concern for the working person,
the President also visited Accu-Ray Corp., a maker of
industrial automation systems, where he mingled with
employees and got himself photographed in the com
pany's cafeteria line," the Journal article continued.
Your blatant disrespect for the public's intelligence
aside, Mr. Reagan, do you think a robot factory was
the best place to show your conce..i for the working
dass, sir?
"But when workers asked him about specific actions
his administration is taking to promote exports and create
jobs, he seemed to be unfamiliar with the details," the
article said. "Instead, he assailed the public service job
creation bill proposed by congressional Democrats, and
said he would vote it if it crossed his desk."
Touche! You should have mentioned the new $22,000
machine guns the Army is buying. And about that cam
paign trip to Nebraska, sir, we'd just love to have you . . .
Poisoned Tylenol
incidents provoke
unnecessary panic
The Tylenol terror is spreading.
First, the poisoned painkillers seemed to be contained
in the Chicago area. Six people died in Chicago suburbs
and one in the city itself after swallowing cyanide-spiked
Extra-Strength Tylenol capusles late last week.
On the same day the Chicago deaths were made public,
an Oroville, Calif., man went into convulsions after swal
lowing a capsule laced with strychnine. Authorities say
there is no link between the California poisoned pills and
those in Chicago.
In Wichita, Kan., a woman was found dead Tuesday
with an empty bottle of Extra-Strength Tylenol in her
purse.
Also Tuesday, a Tennessee truck driver was found dead
in his rig. Three regular-strength Tylenol capsules,
wrapped in foil, were in the seat beside him.
And Wednesday, Philadelphia, Penn., police linked
poisoned Tylenol with a death five months ago. Extra
Strength Tylenol found at the dead man's apartment
contained cyanide, the police uncovered.
Although authoirities have not linked the deaths in
Wichita, Tennessee and Philadelphia and the incident in
California with the seven Chicago-area deaths, it seems
that now, any death remotely attached to Tylenol use is
being reported as a "possible connection." The situation
is provoking unnecessary fear and reaction.
Yes, in a potentially life-threatening situation, the
public needs as much information as available. They need
to know what lot numbers and varieties of the McNei!
Consumer Products Co. medicine are killing unaware
consumers.
The media have done a good job staying on the story.
And officials of Johnson & Johnson, the parent company
of McNeil, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
have been completely frank about the situation allowing
media members to do their jobs.
Johnson & Johnson deserves special commendation: It
stands to lose the most, in dollars and cents, from the
onslaught of TV, radio and newspaper coverage.
The company is losing profits from sales (Extra
Strength Tylenol sells better than the other leading
brands combined) and will continue to feel the effect
of decreased purchasing until the public's confidence
is restored.
And as the company loses on sales, it may lose millions
more in the courtroom. The fathers of a Chicago husband
and wife who died after taking capsules have filed $10
million damage suits against McNeil, Johnson & Johnson
and the Jewel Food Stores Co. (where the couple pur
chased Tylenol).
Additionally, early surveys show that sales of all over-the-counter
painkillers are dropping.
In the coming days, as investigators track the madman
they believe contaminated the capsules, other "peri
pheral" stories will emerge.
If these stories have no substantiated connection to the
Tylenol case, they should not be presented as possible
links. Publicizing interesting tidbits that are very question
able connections only spreads the terror. That hurts both
producers and consumers.
Huskers dare Lions:
We'll be waiting. . .
It arrived a little late. In fact, it arrived a full
week and three days after the Nebraska Cornhuskcrs
lost 27-24 to the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Now, normally the Daily Nebraskan ignores
anonymous letters. This one, postmarked "State
College, Pa." wasn't exactly anonymous, but it
wasn't exactly signed by a single author, either.
Read for yourself:
"Dear Daily Farmer,
West Virginia smashes Oklahoma. Penn State
beats Nebraska. Big Eight Football!? When you
farmers finish spreading your manure, maybe,
just maybe, us Easterners will teach you how
football is played.
, Penn State"
It was sent to "Student Newspaper," and posted
with a stamp picturing New Jersey's state bird
(the gold finch) and state flower (the violet). No
return address, of course.
Stale1"' Ur ,eUCr t0 Studcnt NcwsPaPCf. Penn
"Dear Daily City Slicker:
We already know about Eastern football. After
all, we ve been keeping track of Penn State's
national championships, and we haven't lost count
yet!
The Huskers will be waiting for you New Year's
night in Miami. We dare you to bring your team,
but not your refs.
University of Nebraska
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