January  4, 2001

Texas Eagle Forum News & Notes

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ANTHRAX VACCINE.
Since it appears that the anthrax attacks have used the mail, our government, speaking through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), has given postal workers the option of getting or not getting the anthrax vaccine after showing them a video about it. The Leherer NewsHour on Jan. 10 reported that hardly any postal workers have accepted the opportunity to get the anthrax vaccine, and interviewed several CDC and other medical authorities who said frankly that they simply don't have enough information about the vaccine to even recommend that postal workers accept this vaccine option (must less require it). It is clear that the anthrax vaccine is experimental, and citizens just don't care to be experimented on. But where does this leave the thousands of members of the U.S. Armed Services who have been forced to get the anthrax vaccine (many of whom suffered bad side effects) and court martialed if they refused? Has our government been experimenting on our servicemen?

EAGLE LEADER MAKES NATIONAL NEWS OVER LAND WARS IN THE WEST.
Nevada Eagle Forum president Janine Hansen was featured in a Dec. 23 Associated Press article as a conservative activist rallying militant ranchers in Nevada's battle over the use of federal lands for livestock grazing. Some 87% of Nevada's 70 million acres of land is owned by the federal government, and for generations, ranchers were traditionally allowed to run their cattle on the lands that were unwanted for homesteading. Then, a wave of environmental legislation in the 70's began putting preservation and recreation ahead of the livelihoods of human inhabitants. Mrs. Hansen was described as a "longtime conservative activist who is aligned with the rangers and an organizer of the Nevada Committee for Full Statehood. Demonstrating at a recent rally in front of the federal courthouse in Reno, she said, "This is what the Revolutionary War was fought about, standing up against tyranny to defend life and liberty." The AP article was picked up by Fox News, and she appeared on a national radio program, the Allen Jones Show.

MS. MAGAZINE DOWNSIZES AGAIN.
An article by Lauren Sandler in The Nation is the source for the following information. A 30th birthday party for Ms. magazine was held in New York in early December, at which Gloria Steinem announced that the cash-starved magazine is moving to Los Angeles and merging with the L.A.-based Feminist Majority Foundation, run by former NOW president Eleanor Smeal. Sandler points out that Steinem is "well practiced at such announcements." She made one in 1987 when Ms. was bought by Fairfax Publishing and dropped its not-for-profit status; another in 1996, when it was bought by McDonald Communications; and again in 1998, when her own Liberty Media for Women took it over. Sandler cattily comments, " Not surprisingly, the people who turned out for the birthday celebration in Manhattan looked closer in age to Elizabeth Cady Stanton than Sara Jessica Parker. The contents of the giveaway bags were largely related to estrogen replacement." She further notes, "In the testimonials to its enduring power, Ms. was often referred to in the past tense." Washington Times "Inside Politics," 1-2-02

MORE SAD STATISTICS ON U.S. WOMEN.
Columnist Suzanne Fields marked New Year's Eve by musing over the holiday "fraught with anxiety," since it "forces the issue of togetherness." She expresses sympathy for young single professional women in their 20s and 30s, who have "reaped the greatest rewards from feminism - and suffered the greatest agitations that accompany success." She notes that according to Census figures, in the past 30 years the proportion of unmarried women between 20 and 24 has doubled, from 36% to 73%, and the number of single women between 30 and 34 has more than tripled, from 6% to 22%.

EXTREMIST FEMINIST COURT LITIGATION WINS AGAIN.
U.S. District Judge Richard A. Enslen in Kalamazoo ruled that the Michigan state high school athletic association violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, Title IX, and the Michigan civil rights law by having girls play basketball in the fall and volleyball in the winter, the opposite of the seasons used by boys sports and colleges and universities. The girls demanded the right to play in the same seasons as boys. Associated Press, 12-17-01

MAJORITY SAY CHANGES AFTER SEPT. 11 ARE FOR THE BETTER.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll taken December 18-19 found that 91% of those sampled believe the events of September 11 "changed this country in a lasting way," and 63% believe it is "a change for the better." Some 25% found it a change for the worse, and 4% had no opinion. The optimistic view prevailed across the board among men and women, young and old, Republicans and Democrats. Some of the positive comments were: "It drew the country together," "It's added pride to the country;" and that Americans "are thinking more about their values, they're turning to God again,,,I feel that we have such a sense of needing and wanting to support and care for each other." While 68% believe the war on terrorism will drain resources from other pressing national needs, 53% believe the effort is worth the expense. Washington Post, 1-1-02

POSTSCRIPT TO THE PASSAGE OF THE FEDERAL EDUCATION BILL.
National Review (12- 12-01) reports that during congressional negotiations on the bloated "No Child Left Behind" legislation, the standards for proficiency were actually weakened for the following reason: "The originally proposed standards would have exposed most of the schools in Texas and North Carolina as failures, and these are the very states that proponents of the bill upheld as exemplars of reform." 

BIG BROTHER IS LOOKING AT YOUR DIET.
Just as Rush Limbaugh warned when complaining about government interference with smokers' rights, the government is starting to look for ways to control what we eat. Surgeon General David Satcher has called for changes in policies by schools and the fast-food industry to address the nation's "obesity epidemic." Citing numerous health risks of being even 10 to 20 pounds overweight, the Surgeon General called for schools to provide daily physical education and healthier food options, and on communities to provide safe playgrounds, sidewalks and walking trails. He also called on industry to promote healthier foods, including "reasonable portion sizes." Carrying out the "It takes a village" line of thinking, Satcher is promoting the concept that "...the key is treating obesity not just as a personal responsibility but one shared by the community and industry." Washington Times, 12-14-01

CONGRESS QUIETLY OKs PAY RAISE.
Under cover of darkness, Members of Congress let their third pay increase in four years go through. Starting January 2002, their pay jumps $4,900 a year to $150,000. Congress's pay has risen from $98,400 in 1990, a 50% increase in 10 years.  Congress has fixed it so that the pay raises go through in the dead of night without a vote.  Associated Press, 12-24-01

WHAT HAPPENED TO GAIL NORTON?
When Gail Norton was nominated by George W. Bush to be Secretary of the Interior, conservatives cheered that she was a disciple of Ronald Reagan's Interior Secretary, and radical environmentalists screamed that she would rape the landscape and wild life. However, after a year in office, many property owners are screaming for her resignation. She gave almost no help to farmers in Oregon's Klamath Basin when their water supply was cut off to protect an obscure species of fish. Many lost their farms. Then she agreed in August to adding 22 new additions to the list of endangered species, leading critics to suggest that she made a deal with some of the most hated environmental groups in the West, behind closed doors. Human Events, 12-24-01

MUSICAL CHAIRS IN OHIO POLITICS.
Former Ohio Congressman John Kasich, now a consultant to Lehman Brothers, is reportedly eager to return to the political fray. Since Ohio Lt. Governor Maureen O'Connor (a Republican, as are all statewide officeholders), announced she will not seek another term with Gov. Bob Taft in 2002, Kasich enthusiasts are urging him to seek that slot. They say it would put him in a good position to move up when Taft must step down after two terms as governor. Human Events, 12-24-01

ANN FRAZIER, R.I.P.
We are saddened by the recent passing of Eagle Forum's North Carolina State President Ann Frazier, a great patriot and scholar, particularly in the field of education. She will be sorely missed. The funeral will be Jan. 12. Messages can be sent to her husband Richard Frazier, 220 Vincent Rd., Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870.

LISTEN TO PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY LIVE.
Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 12 noon (central time). Also accessible on the Internet. Visit our website: www.eagleforum.org and click on the Radio Live link. This week we'll talk with the author of Hollow Kids: Recapturing the Soul of A Generation Lost to the Self-Esteem Myth, Dr. Laura Smith. Can self-esteem have negative effects on a child's behavior. Join us at 1-800-736-3202.

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