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The Whetstone • October 22,2001 • Page 3 V, nimim 0> r-r (D Matt oi^AL News Is Our Country Hurting Itself? WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ “At a time when our national security should be at an all-time high, it is alarming to realize that some federal regulations have the potential to seriously damage this country’s ability to protect itself,” says Fred L. Smith, president of the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Smith is referring to regulations that make it easier for terrorists to obtain information about things like chemical plant operations and “risk management plans” under current “right to know” laws. In addition, our military readiness is in jeopardy because of extreme environmental- i.sts who arc making endangered species laws, which hinder or halt any type of environmental dis turbance, a priority over properly training recruits at military bases across the country. Smith says both of these regulations, enacted during earlier, peaceful times, must today be re-examined in order to support our country and our troops. “It’s dangerous to do otherwise, and 1 think the Americaji public would support re-examining these regula tions during these most troubling times,” he adds. Angela Logomasini, Director of Risk and Environmental Policy for CEI, says amendments to the 1990 Clean Air Act required thousands of industrial facilities to file “risk management plans” with the EPA, including “worst case scenarios,” in case of a catastrophic accidental chemical release. Despite objec tions from the FBI and CIA, pres sure from “public interest groups” led to the posting of much of this information on Internet sites, including the EPA’s. Since Septem ber 11th, the infonnation has been removed from the EPA website, but Logomasini says many “reading rooms” throughout the country still have this information readily avail able-information that could “inad vertently assist our foes.” Sean Paige, a journalist and former CEI Warren Brookes Fellow, this month reports in American Enterprise magazine the alamiing news that military training sites across the country are “hunkered down, besieged by government reg ulators, national environmental organizations, and civilian citizen groups seeking to stop or severely restrict exercises they say are disturbing the peace, threatening endangered species, or polluting the air, land and sea.” Top military offi cials have taken their concerns to Congress, claiming “military read iness will tumble unless the new obstacles to training are cleared away.” For more information about CEI, visit our website at www.cei.org. Prcsidcni Bush leads his National Security Council in the Situation Room of the White House Friday morning, Oct. 12, 2001. Contraception Pills and Family Planning WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ The Center for Reproductive Law and Policy: Despite the poten tial of emergency contraception pills to secure long-desired public health goals, anti-family planning Rep. Melissa Hart (R-Pa.) is threat ening to introduce legislation that would ban the pills at school-based health clinics. Hart’s bill would pull federal funding from any school district in which a health center offered emergency contraception pills to its students. “Young women seeking emer gency contraception pills are responsibly taking action to prevent pregnancy. Representative Hart’s proposal to limit their access to health care by blackmailing school districts violates their rights and runs contrary to the national goal of reducing teenage pregnancy and abortion,” said Bonnie Scott Jones, a staff attorney with the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy (CRLP), which petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make emergency con traception pills available over the counter. Medical and public health experts agree that emergency con traception is safer than a.spirin and effective in preventing pregnancy after unprotected sex. Emergency contraceptive pills contain the same hormones as ordinary birth control pills, which are used by millions of women in America today. Improved access to emergency contraception pills would cut abortion rate in the U.S. by half and prevent an estimated three million unwanted pregnancies annually. The leading medical and women’s health groups support making the pills available over the counter. The FDA has not made a deci sion to either grant or deny CRLP’s petition to make emergency con traception pills available over the counter. Over 70 associations work ing for access to health care, including the American Public Health Association, joined CRLP’s Citizen’s Petition. The American College of Obstetricians and Gyne cologists and the American Med ical Association also have stated their support for moving emergency contraception pills over the coun ter. Increased access to emergency contraception pills is supported around the world: England, British Columbia, France and South Africa permit access through a pharmacist without a prescription. Find out more at http:// www.crlp.org/ and http://www.not- 2-late.com/ Editor's Note: Please pray about and seri ously consider this issue in light of its impli cations on life. The Whetstone invites your comments at whetstone@montreat.edu ott (^xo advjay 20% off all products, including styling products as well as services Owner: flpriC Tweed 104 (Broadway, Suite 6 (BfacH^CMountain, TN~C 28711 (Pftone 828-669-8886
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