
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, October 8, 1995                   TAG: 9510100040
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: G2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: FREDRICK M. WILLIAMS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

UNITED WAY NEEDS TO GROW UP

IN A SEPT. 23 editorial (``Leave United Way out of it''), your editorial writer accused the Roanoke Valley Chapter of the Virginia Society for Human Life of injecting abortion into the annual fund drive of the United Way of the Roanoke Valley. In fact, Planned Parenthood injected the issue when it opened an abortion mill in July. And United Way allowed itself to be pulled into the controversy when it retained Planned Parenthood as a partner agency.

But love `em or hate `em, you've got to hand it to Planned Parenthood. Once again it has shown itself to be a real trailblazing outfit. This time, they've taught us how pariah organizations can gain admission to the United Way. Just add a teen-pregnancy prevention program and, voila, instant legitimacy. This is just the ticket for the Ku Klux Klan to go mainstream. I can see it now. This year KKKontraceptive Services. Next year, a place at the table as a United Way partner agency.

But how do you handle the inevitable pickets and protests organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People? No problem. First, with folded hands and unctuous demeanor, preach the moral subjectivist sermon. (People have different views of racism and the United Way takes no position on the matter.) Then follow with the money- laundering argument. (Furthermore, not one penny of United Way money goes to pay for wood, kerosene, or even so much as a match for cross burnings.) After that, explain the Pontius Pilate option. (Even if money did go for those things, you can wash your hands of involvement with the KKK and still give to the United Way by using the Donor Choice option to direct your contribution to other agencies.)

Does everyone feel better now? If not, drag out the argument from social betterment. (Well, sure, they're racists. But just think of all the good those pills, foams and condoms will do. After all, teen pregnancy is such a serious problem that it's just plain wrong to let ourselves be distracted by anything else the nice folks working to prevent it might be doing.) Be sure to buttress this last argument with some not so subtle threats directed at those who can't see anything better about that sort of betterment. (By focusing on cross burnings and such, you're opposing teen pregnancy prevention, don't you see? And smart people like you surely wouldn't want to get a reputation for being indifferent to the problem of teen pregnancy. Understand?)

And if none of that works, do the offended have-you-no-shame number. (How dare you jeopardize United Way fund raising for dozens of charitable organizations by injecting racism into the annual campaign!)

United Way needs to grow up. The serious moral questions about the propriety of including abortionists in a charity appeal cannot be dismissed with transparently absurd arguments for the severability of abortion from Planned Parenthood's other programs.

Fredrick M. Williams, of Roanoke, is an engineer with an industrial-automation firm.

by CNB