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Philadelphia Daily News (USA), July 20, 2004 EDITORIAL: WOMEN & CHILDREN
LAST; BUSH BLOCK OF U.N. FUND A MORTAL ERROR
WHAT ARE A few million deaths of women and children in poor countries when there's a conservative base in the United States to shore up? If that sounds harsh, so is the Bush administration's blocking - for the third straight year - money appropriated by Congress for the United Nations Population Fund, known as UNFPA. The Fund provides health and family planning assistance in 141 countries. Over three years, the decision will cost the organization $89 million, but the administration hasn't stopped there: It has quietly threatened American contributions to the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) if they cooperate with UNFPA. The Bush administration continues to repeat the demonstrably false assertion made by a fringe anti-abortion group two years ago that the Fund facilitates China's coerced abortion and sterilization policies. An investigation by the U.S. State Department in 2002, and others by the British parliament and a group of multifaith religious leaders, has found no proof of the allegation. Two years have passed without any more proof. The loss of funds - about 10 percent of UNFPA's budget - has meant an estimated 3.5 million unwanted pregnancies in other countries that haven't been prevented, not to mention 8,100 deaths of mothers in childbirth, and 133,000 infant deaths, and 1.4 million abortions. Of course, the families of these victims can't vote in U.S. elections. Defeating George W. Bush - and electing John F. Kerry president - will end the reign of extremists over American aid to women and children. And that will begin to salvage our now-tarnished reputation as a generous and compassionate nation. HOW YOU CAN HELP: Voter turnout can make the difference in delivering Pennsylvania's 21 electoral votes to Kerry. So make sure you are registered - and urge others to register and then vote. Pick up a registration form in a state store, library or post office or log on to www.dos.state.pa.us/voting and print out the form you fill out by hand. Sign it and mail it in. The deadline is Oct. 4, but do it now.
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