Subject: Defense Appropriation Bill

From: Mary Ann Murphy <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 09:51:56 -0400

Dear Friends,

Here is an issue that needs our attention.

Please  let us know of any letters or messages you send or calls that you
make in response to this action alert. It helps us know if these alerts are
worth the effort.

Last week, June 15th, the House of Representatives passed the Defense
Appropriations Bill and sent it to the Senate. The bill contains at least two
offensive provisions. It reinstates a provision that prohibits abortions at
military hospitals and it requires the military to immediately discharge
anyone who tests HIV positive. The HIV provision was included at the request
of Representative Dornan, Republican of California. It was included even
though top military figures at the Pentagon indicated that it is not
necessary to discharge HIV positive service people as long as they are able to
perform the duties assigned to them in the military.

Please write to your U.S. Senators urging them to make sure that these
two objectionable features are eliminated from any Defense Appropriations
Bill. All Senators can be reached at the address shown in the
following sample letter.

The following is a sample message that you may use. We encourage you to
personalize it to increase its effectiveness. The material in parentheses
indicate ways in which you could personalize it and are not meant to be used,
as written, in your message.

                                          SAMPLE LETTER

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
The United States Senate
Washington DC 20510

Dear Senator Feinstein,

The House of Representative recently passed a Defense Appropriations Bill
that includes two very objectionable features. I am writing to ask that you
do all in your power to assure that these features are not a part of any
Defense Appropriations Bill passed by the Senate.

The House bill reinstates a policy that no abortions may be performed in a
military hospital. It also requires that all service personnel found to be
HIV positive be immediately dismissed from the military. I object strongly
to both of these features of the bill.

If a service woman becomes pregnant she usually has two choices, terminate
the pregnancy or leave the service. I see no reason that her career shod be
destroyed because she has become pregnant. Women in private industry have the
right to an abortion, women in the military should have the same right and
the military, as her medical provider, should provide that medical service.
(Here you might speak of any relevant experience that you have had.)

Members of our military service get exceptionally low pay. Often they cannot
afford children. The wives of military personnel who become pregnant should
have the option of abortion to avoid the tragedy of poverty for her whole
family. Again, the miliary, as her routine provider of health care, should
provide that service.

Even the uniformed leaders of our armed forces say there is no reason to
immediately discharge any service person found to be HIV positive. It might
be reasonable to move such people out of an active combat role, but obviously
there are many clerical and other non-combat jobs that HIV positive people
could perform. Our service men and women  have served our country, often at
great peril and sacrifice to themselves. We should not throw them away at one
of the most difficult points in their lives. That act of ingratitude would be
a great dishonor to our nation.

Please assure that these two features are removed from any Defense
Appropriations Bill  passed by the Senate.

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

Please do let us know of any letters or messages you send or calls that you
make in response to this action alert.

Love,

Boyce Hinman
LAMBDA LETTERS