xt7qz60bzw13 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7qz60bzw13/data/mets.xml The Kentucky Kernel Kentucky -- Lexington The Kentucky Kernel 1978-08-01 Earlier Titles: Idea of University of Kentucky, The State College Cadet newspapers  English   Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. The Kentucky Kernel  The Kentucky Kernel, August 01, 1978 text The Kentucky Kernel, August 01, 1978 1978 1978-08-01 2020 true xt7qz60bzw13 section xt7qz60bzw13 Vol. LXXI, No. I2
My, W I, I978

Team's
transfer
cancels

course

By GREGG FIELDS
Sports Editor

Rarely do UK students complain
about canceled classes. But
yesterday Patrick Naughton, a
political science junior, and ap-
proximately 10 other students git
upset when they discovered their
archery course (HPR 100-001) had
been canceled ‘\

it was canceled for the entire
semester because the UK Athletic
Association took over its space
recently and is remodeling it for the
wrestling team.

“i wouldn't say l’m terribly upset
about it. hit I didn’t even hear about
it until this morning,” said
Naughton. “Some of the others were
pretty upset."

Leon Garrett, chairman of the
Department of Health and Physical
Education and Recreation, said the
students weren't notified about it
earlier because he didn’t find out
about it until early this week. “i was
told either Monday or Tuesday,” he
said. “I’m not even sure about the
procedure they used
“We‘ve allowed the students to take
other courses," he added. When
asked if the takeover made him
mad, Garrett replied, “I’d rather
not corrnment on that.”

However, Peter Fitzgerald, of the
Office of Policy and Opinion
Analysis, who arbitrated the
takeover, said “if I was Garrett I’d
be mad. The planning was hit-on
miss. It sort of wwnt off and on all
summer.”

The reason for the takeover,
Fitzgerald said, is rooted in Title Ix,
thelegislation which todt effect this
summer and requires equal
facilities for women’s sports. “Title
IX caused greater demand for space
at Memorial Coliseum, specifically
for women’s basketball," he said.
“The school simply can‘t afford the
appearance, much less the sub-
stance, of discrimination against
women” in lucrative space for
athletics.

The archery class was to be held in
the balcony of Alumni Gymnasium
an Euclid Avenue. In order to ac-
comodate the wrestling team, the
space will be given a snow-sumo.
remodeling job, the money “coming
frogn the University,” Fitzgerald
sen .

Fitzgerald said that some alter-
native places for the class were
discmsed “but we didn’t actually
look for any."

Nevertheless. Fitzgerald thinks
the move was a wise one. "It makes
senseinthelongruntohavetlne
wrestling team the-e.” he says.

Pat Naughton and the other
students who were going to take

mer away from UK.

KENTUCKY

21‘

an independent student newspaper ‘

By TOM monks/x'em‘ei can

Rush is lots of frilly summer dresses, casual conversation.
meeting new people and greeting old friends after a sum-

Rush:

21 University of Kentucky

Lexington. Kentucky

Emotions as deep as lemonade rivers
throughout week of skits, invitations

By NELL FIELDS
Images Editor

Rush: an appropriate name for l9
parties to attend. 700 people to meet,
three bags of M&Ms to consume. 12
gallons of too-sweet lemonade to
drink. 27 different cookies to eat, 14
skits to watch, and 50 miles to walk ——
all in l0 days.

0

Upon arriving at UK. rushees meet
with their rush counselors, who act as
mediators between the sororities and
the rushees. Explicit rules of rush are
given at these meetings. All rushees
must wear name tags and are not

The first meeting of the Greek
system is Jersey Swap, held outside
Memorial Hall. The event was
Sunday. Aug. 20. long before most
students returned to UK.

At Jersey Swap. all the sorority
members wear their own jersey or
another sorority's, so no one really
knows who belongs to what house.
The rush groups are then divided
among the sororities and get to sing
that sorority‘s song. It is one of the
more informal moments during rush.

The real beginning of rush is marked
by Open House. which all rushees are
required to attend “to give everyone

 

hnaées

allowed to take anything. such as a
party favor. out of the houses. Rushees
are not allowed to speak to any
sorority member except at the parties.
and it is advised that the rushees bring
calling cards with them to give each
house.

Rush is actually a process of
elimination — who likes whom. A
sorority either eliminates a rushee, or
if the rushee gets the chance. she
eliminates the sorority.

Of the IS sororities on campus, all
participated in rush except Delta
Sigma Theta. an all-black sorority
with only four active members. Alpha
Kappa Alpha. the other all-black
sorority. with ten members. did have
formal rush.

“Images" is an in-depth
weekly feature about ac-
tivities and special events in
the UK community.

involved an equal chance." During
these 20-minute parties at each
sorority. the rushees talk to members.
hoping to impress them enough to be
asked back.

Based on the open houses. the
sororities send their guest list to a
computer run by the Panhellenic
Council. Invitations to future parties
are then returned to the rushees in
computer card form.

If a rushee is lucky. she will receive
all l4 computer invitations, but she is
only allowed to attend ten. These
parties are longer. and as the week
wears on. the guest lists become
smaller. Rushees can only attend six of
the next round of parties and of the
preference parties. three.

At the preference parties, the rushee
decides which sorority she wishes to

' join. But the actual matching process
' is in the hands of the computer.

m... ..M
DIANE MILAM/Kernel Staff

 

today'

state

TIIE LOUISVILLE AND NASHVILLE RAILROAD - mpondlng to local
premise — annoturced yesterday it was abandoning plans to build a coal
tranler station in the Latonia section of Covington.

The railroad said it was taking the action "because of its desire to be a
good nethtor" and after considering the pleas it has received from area
residernts.

Thecompany had won two judicial contests with the city, which refused to
issue braiding permits. Both Kenton Circuit Court and Court of Appeals ruled
the facility would not be a ntlssnce unthr industrial toning.

The eitiaens group ha been meeting since June in its attempt to block the
facility's corstnnetion. It complained the coal-filled trucks leaving the
station would be using local streets and would drive down property values.

STARTING TODAY. ALL KENTUCKY vehicle owners will have to show
not! they“ carry liability issuance, but they need not display a windrw
sticker for anothc so days.

The impact will be felt first by motorists who show up at driver license
stations for road tots, according to state police. Pines will be betwean $50
andtsoo for driven in violation of thelaw.

Manyof the estimated so parent or more of Kentucky drivers without
linens-once are raga-dad in the insurance irndustry as poor risks. They could
end in in an assigned risk pool whce rates are condderably higher than
average. .

Thine who try unarccutuliy to obtain liability nuisance should contact
the state Insurance Own-tenant, a state official said.

 

nafion

PRESIDENT CARTER REACHED OUT TO GOVERNORS and
businessmen yesterday seeking support for a compromise bill to phase out
federal price controls on natural gas by 1905.

However, an Associated Press survey showed less than uneotinird of the
Senate support the compromise President Carter claims is vital to the

success of his ernergy program.

Tine survey also revelaed opponents of the compromise appear to have the
upper hand. but that tine lead is only a slight one, with a large block of un-
decided senators clearly holding tinekey to the bill‘s fate.

world

ONE THOUSAND POLICE WERE thrown into the search yesterday for
the kidnappers of Mexican diplomat's son Hue Margain Charles, whose
body was found dunped in a field nor Mexico City, Police Chief Duraso

Moreno said.

Talking to reporters after the funeral for the u—yardd Margaln, son of
Mexico‘s ambassador to Washington. the police chhf said his men had
located an "automobile on which bloody prints were fomd along with a wig.
false mustache and blotlly handkercl'lef."

Police have ruled out earlier reports that Communist terrorists were
respondble for the abduction, a spokesman said.

weather

FINALLY — NICE WEATHER. Today will be clear and warming a little
with highs near 02. The fair weathc is to continue throt‘h the low

weekend.

 

 

Rushees list. in order of preference,
three sororities. The list is then run
through the computer to be matched
up with the sorority's bid list.

Panhellenic sets the quota of how

- many women each sorority can take.

This year‘s quota is 40. but sororities
may choose to take less. Computer
cards are matched up with the
respective sorority‘s bid list. If a
rushee’s first choiCe is within that
sorority‘s quota, then she makes it into
that particular group. If her first
choice does not match up. then the
same process is continued to her
second choice; then the third choice.

0
If the technical aspect of rush is
elaborate. the glamorous rush parties
are even more complex. Each event
has its own theme. but they all begin by
greeting the rushees with a song or

two. The parties are always a good
indication of what to expect from the
sorority.

At one house. rushees are treated to
a pins party and are given Shakey
Pins Parlor-style hats. Another house
performs an imitation USO show.
complete with Bob Hope and a special
appearance from Diana Ross and the
Supremes.

0

But not all skits are fun and games.
The Bandstand number performed by
the Alpha Gamma Deltas ended with a
serious note. One member sang “You
Light Up My Life" as slides of the
sorority‘s activities were shown on a
screen. to demonstrate “the serious
side of sisterhood.“ Such atmospheres
can leave lumps in throats. and several
girls left that party teary eyed.

The Alpha Kappa Alpha's hand out
green and pink pieces of paper at the
door. and towards the end of the party.
play the “who was listening to the
introduction game." Members make
statements about AKA and if the
statement is true. rushees hold up the
pink paper; if false. green. The winner

gets a round of applause.

Houses compete in trying to have
the most distinctive and unique
parties. One sorority staged
“Christmas in August." featuring
Santa Claus. elves. tin soldiers and
baby dolls singing Greek versio s of
Christmas carols. Other 1 imes
ranged from “Alice in Wonderland”to
“Fiddler on the Roof.”

0

If the sororities can‘t win the
rushees’ hearts, the food certainly hits
the stomach. Cakes. cookies and
candies are familiar snacks. and more
elaborate culinary art includes double-
decked linger sandwiches and lime
green punch served in silver mintjulep
cups.

As the parties progress to the
invitational rounds, sororites add
more to their menus. One house serves
bottles of Coke with popcorn. crackers
and beer cheese to go with a gangster-
speakeasy decor.

On the menu. Alpha Delta Pi goes
all out. At the first round of parties,

blueberry muffins dripping with butter
and ham and biscuits were served. At
the second round. individually made
cheese cake with cherry topping was
served.

But not all the rushees were lucky
enough to experience the goodies at
the invitational parties. One rushee,

Continued on page 6

Experience not like
Cape Cod vacation

By NELL FIELDS
Images Editor

As I sat in Memorial Hall watching
626 girls smile nervously at the
Panhellenic Council. I said to myself.
“You gave up the beautiful white
beaches of Cape Cod for this?"

lactually did it. And now that l have
survived one of the most trying weeks
of my life. I don‘t regret a thing. not
even the blisters on my feet.

Rush was an experience. something
that anyone with any doubts about the
Greek system should try. I nnade some
good friends and ate a lot of good
food. I even got to meet some fairly
peculiar people.

There were the brighter moments of
rush. the 394 pledgees will attest to
that. Rushees went wild when they
“got the ones that they wanted.” It was
on those joyous occasions that I made

toasts with my Miller Lite to the
sororities.

There were also the darker
moments. People were hurt. I had
friends that received three invitations
while I had more invitations than I
needed. I saw some cry like there was
no tomorrow.

Tomorrow came like it never fails to
do. but I know that it will taketime for
some of these girls to heal their
wounds. I know what it is like to have
my pride hurt. I still remember the
time I didn‘t get to be a safety patrol in
fifth grade; I was hurt. And I know
what it feels like to be cut from a
sorority.

Sorority members are really regular
people though. They have their share
of grief; they have to handle the fact
that rushees cut them. It is all pan of
the system. There is no right or wrong;
there is no good or bad.

I‘m chocking this one up for
experience.

 

     
  
   
   
   
   
 
    
   
   
  
  
  
   
 
   
  
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
    

      
  
     
   
  
  
  
 
 
   
     
    
    
   
  
    
    
   

 

  

. KENTUCKY

 

erne

editorials 8t comments

     

Steve Ialllnger
Editor in Chief/-
('harles Main

Editorial Editor

News Iz'tlilttr

Richard McDonald

Torn (‘lsrk Mary Ann Buchart Jamie Vaught
Jeanne Weltnet Debbie McDaniel Awu'iate Sports Editor
Assm'iate Editms Betsy Pearce '
F. Jenay Tate Walter 'l‘unls
David O‘Neil (‘opy hiliturs Arts Iz‘tlitor
Dim-tor of Photograplti'
Nell Fields /

Images Section

Gregg Fields
Sports Editor

(‘ary Willis
Assistant Am- Editor

 

 

Tale of two bills

’MagnanimOus excess’ marks tax credit plan

In an act of magnanimous excess, the U.S. Senate
approved earlier this month two budget-breaking
bills with the same purpose: bringing relief to
middle-class parents from the rising costs of sending
children to college. It's all in good form for a_
legislative body whose taste for luxury has grown
too great even for the House. Witness the latter‘s
recent veto of funds for the palatial new Senate
Office Building project.

But the approval of two college-cost relief bills is ,
particularly outrageous. President Carter has
indicated that he will veto one of the measures, the
now-famous tax-credit-for-tuition bill, if it wins
final approval. That would be an excellent step, as
the second measure would provide aid that is
targeted more closely to where the real needs are,
and is less expensive.

The first measure the Senate approved, which
Carter opposes, gives straight credits of up to $500
to help offset the cost of expenses. It represents $1.7
billion in lost treasury revenues. (The sole saving
grace of the Senate‘s action is that it refused to
extend the tax credit aid to private elementary and
secondary schools, a provision that would probably
be unconstitutional.) The other bill, supported by
the administration, expands current grant and loan

programs to the tune of $l.46 billion.

Why would the Senate vote for two bills that
obviously serve the same purpose, at double
expense? Probably because of the prevailing winds
that are behind efforts to reduce taxes for almost
anything. It’s not politically astute to vote against
any proposal for reducing taxes. even if the problem
has been attended to with other programs that are
better and less expensive. As a. recent Herb/ock
cartoon suggested, there may soon be tax credit
proposals for swimming pools and private
detectives.

Apparently, it will be left to President Carter to
bring reponsibility to tuition aid legislation. as the
House is likely to send along both bills.

Carter‘s plan would expand the Guaranteed
Student loan program and would enlarge the work-
study program that subsidizes 80 percent of the
wages for student part-time jobs, from $435 million

' to $600 million. It would cover about 280,000 new

students. Under the Carter plan, the ceiling income
for receiving federal Basic Educational Opportunity
Grants would also be raised, from $16,000 to
$25,000. Grants could rage from $250 to SL800 a
year.

By comparison. the tax-credit plan is

Television no substitute

Strike hurting flow

By JIMMY BRESLIN
‘ all over.“

New vonx The drifting

American Express computer.

out there walking the streets who are news.“
going to make fortunes by fooling
computers. You only have to put a guy.

 

indiscriminate and expensive. Funds are not aimed
at specific programs, or to the sector of the middle
class that has been hardest hit by rising college costs.
The Senate unreasonably refused to make the tax
credit bill more rational by failing to cut off the
handout to families with annual incomes of more
than $40,000. Even worse, the Senate did nothing to
aid families that are too poor to get any help at all
from the tax credit bill.

There‘s another damaging aspect of the tax credit
bill. one that would fuel inflation. What university
administration could resist raising tuition when S l .7
billion in government money is released to help
taxpayers afford college costs? Many colleges and
large state universities charge tuitions that barely
exceed the bill‘s $500 limit. If tuition tax credits are
enacted, we can expect tuition inflation well into
double digits to follow.

How urgent is the need for the tax credit ‘bill.
which gives generous, nonspecific tax relief to
parents with children in college? Perhaps the
situation isn‘t really a crisis, as a study by the
Congressional Budget Office concluded last spring.

According to the report, middle class families face
college costs that are proportionately similar to
thoSe they faced ten years ago. For families with

dependent children in college. the study found.
average income has increased 87 percent in the last
ten years. College costs, however. only increased 75
percent in the same period.

The report concluded that “there is no evidence to
indicate that the financial burden of sending
children to college has been increasing.” In addition.
it said that the bulk of benefits from tax credit
proposals would go to families with incomes greater
than than $25,000.

Although the tax credit bill approved by the
Senate has been pared down slightly from the
original proposals. that result would not change
significantly if it becomes law. The alternative. the
expansion of direct-aid programs, limits upper-
income families to a set percentage of the additional
grant and loan money.

Caught in the enthusiasm for tax relief, Congress
has ignored the facts: The well-to-do will profit the
most from tax credits for tuition, and that plan will
also cost more and fuel inflation by spurring tuition
hikes.

College students. their parents and the country
will benefit the most from the direct-aid proposal.

Let’s hope President Carter prevents the tax credit
legislation from being enacted.

of nation’s news

spike into one bank computer and it‘s

I love the idea. And I knew that
continues. At dinner somebody came anything I wanted to know had to‘be
over and began talking about a casein learned right here, during a minute or
federal court that involves two taxicab so of conversation.
drivers who figured out a way to break newspaper strike in New York. There
the coding used on American Express is nobody to call at the courthouse,
credit cards. The taxicab drivers were because there are no reporters working
able to produce credit cards that there. No newspaper would come into
would register as valid on the the restaurant later in the evening with
, a story that would bring you up to date

“They made a couple of hundred on the credit card case. And there
thousand dollars buying airlinetickets would be nothing about
on credit cards and peddling them television because local television
around.“the guy said."There‘s people stations cannot cover all the actual

it

“How did they do it?" | asked the

   
  
    
 
 
 
   
   
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
   
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
   
  
  
  
 
  
 
   
 
  
  
  
     
 
  
  
   
   
   
  
  
 
  

Letters

 

 

Volunteer

I would like to thank you for your
excellent story on the Yesline and the
service that we offer to the community.
I would. however. like to add that
anyone who is interested in becoming
a volunteer listener may call Joyce
Richardson at 277-6256 or Barbara
Mack at 276-2428 (evenings).

Joyce Rlehardson
Yesline Coordinator

He believes

Alright. where is he? We been
waiting all summer to find out if John
Cooke has recovered.

Just imagine the horror he must be
experiencing. Very few are ever forced
to examine the paradox of existence.
Very few are ever forced to doubt their
own being. Cooke has been given a
double dose: is he himself. or a figment
of his editor‘s imagination? Should the
implication that he might somehow be
less than real make his pen lose its
sting. or his guitar its zing?

ln desperation this summer. Cooke
joined a rock and roll band. Can he
find evidence of his own existence
playing guitar with Eunnama? What
of his solo career? Can rock and roll
save this heartle’ss lover. this writer
without words?

I hope you let him write again this
year. What‘s more. I hope Walter
Tuna— or whatever his name is— will
give some much deserved press to his

new band. I fear if we stop believing in
him. he will cease to be.

WI” I. (II) Dene
undecided sophomore

“By reading hot sheets." he said.
American Express sends out a booklet
containing pages of credit card
numbers that are no longer acceptable.
In the trade this is called a hot sheet.
“They kept going through the hot
sheets and by figuring out all the bad
numbers. they were able to come up
with a system to name the good
numbers.“ the guy said.

“What was the system?“ I asked
him.

“I don‘t know." the guy said. “Two
taxicab drivers who didn‘t get out of
high school figured a way to beat a
computer. You ought to go to court
and find out about it. The case is on
every day.“

Later on. somebody talked about a
fight between Puerto Ricans and
Italians in Brooklyn. This is the second
or third of these things to happen
around the city. but nobody knows
anything about it because it is the type
of thing a newspaper finds out about
first. Only then. after reading the story
in the newspaper. does a television
station go out and film it. With no
newspaper story. there is no television.

In the morning. there was a report
on hijackers who had boarded a TWA
plane at Kennedy Airport. With all the
bothersome security at the TWA
terminal. how did the hijackers slip
through?

If you begin to make calls to find out
about the hijackers, you wouldn‘t be
able to go to court and see how the two
cabdrivers beat the American Express
computer. Nor would there be tiome
to go into Brooklyn to find out about
the racial trouble. But what did it all
matter? Nobody would ever find out
much about any of the topics. Go to
the beach and enjoy the day.

But as the newspaper strike in New
York enters its third week. the absence
of a systematic flow of informatin
creates an uneasiness that spreads
beyond just those who work in the

 

business. The effect of this strike. and
the inability of the television industry
to even approach newspaper coverage,
has people troubled. There is a rumor,
perhaps a radio report, maybe they
heard somebody talking about it on
the subway, of racial violence. No one
knows the extent of it. And suddenly
people find that they feel better with
bad news that they know about than
with some vague suggestion that all is
not well someplace around them.

The three New York newspapers are
on strike because management wants
to end, all at once, 50 years of
featherbedding practices in the
pressroom.

Economics also keeps the television
channels from covering the news.
Television news is a structure geared to
defeat itself. In any given enterprise,
always look for the people making the
money. Television news, you find. has
a pay structure geared to tap-dancers.

The average news writer in a local
television station earns about $22,000
a year. The average on-camera
reporter. chosen for looks and
speaking ability first. earns at least
$30,000 a year. A news director in a
city the size of Chicago earns $35.000 a
year. The anchor man on the six
o'clock news show can make as much
as $l50.000 and $200.000 a year. and
he need not know the name of the
mayor or the location of city hall. as
long as he knows how to pronounce
the names and be a favorite among
women between the ages of IS and 39.
Television feels that these are the only
people who watch news shows at six
o‘clock at night. Therefore. the entire
news show is aimed at them.

A business tilted this way cannot
adequately do a news job. In New
York. the Daily News newspaper. now
on strike. keeps l00 reports about the
streets and has a news budget of
almost $22 million a year. The most
successful local channel. the ABC
station. has l7 reporters. another 20
news writers and producers inside and
a budget somewhere around $8
million.

Much of its news coverage is first
gotten by reading the Daily News.
With the paper on strike. the statin
reads nothing and its coverage at night
shows it. Things are happening and
nobody knows.

The New York strike isalso
changing the character of news around
the country. The orderly exposition of
news of the day in this nation is usually
decreed by the New York Times.
Nearly everybody in the news business
copies the Times. It is pompous. and
much of the Times reads like it was

written in an attic, but the paper is
unique in the world because it tries to
spend all its money covering the news.
The Times has more newsmen
working in its Washington bureau
than all three major television
networks combined. The three
network news shows often look alike
because coverage was determined by
the front page of the Times that
morning. Independent judgement
usually is not the business of television
news. They simply pick up the Times.

The Times serves the same function
for many other newspapers around the
nation. Any debate over the
importance of stories is settled by the
position of the stories in the Times.

Information about the paper‘s front
page normally is available throughout
the communications industry about 9
pm. at which time you learn that one
of the stories under discussion is worth
a one column head on page one and
the other should be placed on page 32.

With the Times not printing, this
order has become disorder. Televison
suddenly has presented a series of
scattered. often meaningless national
news shows. It all comes down to a
question of what news is. And always,
news is an occurance that causes a
writer or editor to tick. But in
television. the major news people are
the on-camera performers. and they
tick only when exposed to a camera.

not a news story.

In newspapers around thefiountry.
there simply are not enough people
being paid to read and debate all day.
as they do at the Times. over the order
of importance of things that happen in
the world on this day. So with the
Times Building in Manhattan gloomy
and silent. pickets strolling outside.
the significance of news is being
misinterpreted nightly around the
nation, and the people everywhere
suffer.

This is a strike that is changing the
news business in the country just as it is
damaging so many of the people who
work in the business in New York.

 

       
 
    
 

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Irma-am

 

The Kentucky Kernel welcomes contributions from the
UK community for publication on the editorial and
opinion pages.

Letters. opinions and commentaries must be typed and
triple-spaced. and must include the writer‘s signature.
address and phone number. UK students should include
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The Kernel may condense or reject contributions. and
frequent writers may be limited. Editors reserve the right
to edit for correct spelling, grammarand clarity. and may
delete libelous statements.

 

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opinion]

 

Pitchford trial 'an affront to all’

I’d like to start my column.
true to form, with a welcome
and an amusing anecdote.

Maybe next week.
Now, I’d like a few minues

to deal with what I see as two
more recent assaults on
women‘s rights that have
been waged by the legislature
and judiciary of this Com-
monwealth.

legislature was in the most
direct sense responsible for
the flight of Ms. Pitchford.

It is an indictment of the
pitiful health care facilities in
this state that Ms. Pitchford
did not have access to birth
control information, coun-
seling services or
economically affordable
abortion services; that she
was so alone, frightened and
without support from health

 

tom fitzgerald

 

Most of you are aware of
the case of Ms. Marla Pit-
chford, a young woman from
Scottsville. who is currently
facing a 10- to 20-year sen-
tence on charges she per-
formed an illegal abortion on
herself. This trial is believed
to be the first time a woman
has been prosecuted on such
charges, and represents an
attempt to harass and
frighten all women.

(Ed. Note: On Wednesday,
Ms. Pitchford was found
innocent by reason of in-
sanity.)

That such charges could
have been brought at all is an
affront to all people. The
personal tragedy of Ms.
Pitchford is being used as a
vehicle for political ambition,
by her indictment under a
statute whose main goal,
according to a
physicianilegislator involved
in its passage, was to
“protect the welfare of the
pregnant woman."

We have seen Frankfort's
concern for pregnant women.
By cutting off funds that
would provide access to a
safe. legal ab0rtirin for all
women in its last session. the

or social services that she
would be driven to place he
very life in serious danger.

Especially damnable were
the actions of her “fiance,”
Dwight Mundy, who turned
state’s witness against her in
the trial, in return for im-
munity from prosecution. It’s
the old story that the young
man “gets the girl pregnant,"
and skips (if merrily while
she suffers the trauma of
bearing a child which she is
neither emotionally or
financially capable of caring
for, possibly does not want;
or. if she has no financial
resources. procuring a safe,
legal abortion.

Quite probably, Ms. Pit-
chford would have wanted to
bear the child, but under the
constant pressure from
Mandy, she acquiesced to his
wishes that she obtain an
abortion. (After deserting his
fiance, he then turned state‘s
witness against her to aid in
the process of making her a
sacrificial lamb on the altar
of the warped morality of the
(‘ommon wealth.)

Already emotionally and
psychologically distraught by
her pregnancy, broken
engagement and abortion.
she was dragged into the
judicial forum as a warning
to all women that their bodies

. anatomical

are not in their control, but
under the control of those who
would deny them. on the one
hand, acces to safe ter-
mination of their pregnancy.
and on the other hand deny
them access to adequate birth
control.

The truly capable people in
this tragic situation are those
who would use the plight of
this troubled, frightened
woman as a vehicle for their
political ambitions; with no
concern for who becomes
fodder for their political
careers.

The otha point l‘d like to
mention regards the abortion
ordinance recently passed by
the Jefferson County Fiscal
Court. The ordin