European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 05, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday september 5, 1994 commentary the stars and stripes Page 13 no the e c i i i c a c Cess Law on july 29 in Pensacola fla., a fanatic one Paul Hill murdered or. Joh Bayard Britton and his bodyguard Jim Barrett. Hill thus violated the recently adopted Freedom of Access to clinic entrances act of 1994.britton headed an abortion clinic. Hill regards abortionists As murderers. Killing an abortionist in his View is justifiable homicide. The Case presents no problems of identity or Evi Dence. A dozen witnesses saw Hill lift a 12-gauge Shotgun and press the trigger. But identifying a killer is one thing convicting him is an James  other. On aug. 12 a Federal grand jury indicted Hill under terms of the hew Federal Law. He has pleaded not guilty and will go to trial in . District court on oct. 3. Meanwhile he has been arraigned on two charges of murder under state Law. The Federal act authorizes life imprison ment for killing any person who pro Vides reproductive health  Flor Ida Law authorizes a death sentence. If it is not already too late to cancel the Federal trial attorney general Janet Reno should Call off her  of its ideological aspects this Case is a routine homicide not distinguishable at Law from any of the 25,000 other murders that will occur across the nation this year. The City of Pensacola is perfectly Capa ble of trying the accused. Why  and judges inter Venev -. In recent years Congress has fallen into a bad habit of pre Empting state and local jurisdiction in criminal cases. The process began i suppose following the Lindbergh kidnapping of 1932. The trend has continued apace Ever since. Dozens of criminal offences most of them involving drugs or firearms now May be tried in Federal courts. Hill also discharged under Federal Law with using a Shotgun in a crime of violence. Another recent Federal Law prohibits Possession of a firearm in or near schoolhouse. Granted that schoolhouse violence is a serious problem Why is it Federal problem at Bottom it s a state  most recent intrusion upon state obligations the Freedom of Access to clinic entrances act is a bad piece of business. It takes from the states another chunk of their criminal jurisdiction it rests upon a tortured Reading of the Constitution and it May be wrongly invoked to suppress legitimate free speech., the Constitution puts limits upon the. Powers of Congress lira lame Effort to rationalize this Access to clinics Law its sponsors cite the Powers granted to con Gress under the Commerce clause and the 14th  reasoning goes this Way clinics Purchase medical supplies from other states. Patients May drive to Pensacola fla., from Mobile Ala. Clinic employees May live just across the Alabama  anti abortion operation Rescue is a kind of nationwide conspiracy beyond the resources of local Law enforcement. Clearly said the Senate committee abortion services affect interstate com Merce. On this sadly familiar stretching everything under Moon or Sun affects interstate Commerce. Under the 14th amendment no state May deprive a person of Liberty without due process of Law. When Abor Tion demonstrators Block Access to a clinic they Are hampering the Liberty of woman seeking to obtain an abortion True the 14th amendment applies Only to state action not to private actions Bueno matter local police Are overwhelmed by the protesters. Willy Nilly the fed must take command. The act makes it a criminal offence punishable by a Fine of $10,000 and six months in prison for any person to interfere with any person obtaining or providing reproductive health services. The term interfere with Means to re strict a person s Freedom of  very Well. Under this sweeping statute if an anti abortion protester kneels quietly in prayer on a Public Side walk leading to a clinic the protester is a criminal. Yes the act contains a disclaimer. It is not to apply to peaceful demonstrations but one woman s quiet prayers another s disorderly conduct. A further objection is that the act manifestly applies Only to those opposed to abortion. Pro Choice pickets Are  the homely phrase this is dirty Pool. I Don t much care what happens to Paulhill but icare deeply about what Hap pens to federalism and free speech this Law is a Bummer.  c Universal press Syndicate let s a every August 26th, in homage to my fore Moth ers i celebrate the anniversary of the passage of women s suffrage by dispensing those honors known far an wide As the equal rites awards. This is a highly competitive event won by those who have done their be Stover the past 12 months to set Back the Progress of  past year was particularly challenging for our one woman jury so Many contestants so few , what do you say about a year during which the big advances for women were postmenopausal pregnancies and wonderbra How do you assess a year when a second woman got on the supreme court but the first lady remained a target for every sleaze thrower _ but enough of this wallowing m the past. On to the main event. The envelopes please. The patriarch of the year award goes to Bob Young the Houston oilers very offensive line coach. Young trashed player David Williams for missing a game merely to see his son born. It s like world War ii quoth Young when Guys were going to War and something would come up but they had to  Young who was clearly awol of his senses gets an adult sized pacifier to keep in his Mouth til the next fld Day. The sleeping with the enemy prize belongs Tonone other than Marta Fitzgerald the aerobics instructor who just became the third wife of Rush Unbaugh in a service conducted by Clarence Thomas. Before the honeymoon is Over we Rush her a Pillow slip made of a hair shirt and our profound Hope that All Rush needs is the love of a Good Fem nazi us  Blind Justice award always suspenseful goes to judge Doug Meyer of Tennessee who released a rape suspect who once heard voices telling him to rape. The suspect does t need a guardian said the judge he needs a  we Send judge Meyer a question Ellen Goodman would you have said Jeffrey Dahmer needed a Good meal and while we Are talking about Blind Justice Theattle of the sexes award must be Given in joint custody to who else Lorena and Jonn Bobbitt who Are both alas Back on the streets. A special citation goes to the myriad joke writers who escalated hostility through humor. We Send them Sharp instruments for their Dull wit Cut now the a rated electronics badge is awarded this year tothe video game called Crystal quest. When the player guide the spaceship through the Gate the computer makes the sound of a woman having an orgasm. We Send the manufacturers who Are clearly living in another world into orbit. And while we Are on the subject of sex and sex ism our annual raging hormonal imbalance award belongs to Donald c. Winston a former teacher from Maine who was fired for sexual harassment. Winston claimed that he was being discriminated against As a disabled person. His disability he s a sex addict. Resend him admission to a 12-step program and a Home testing kit for testosterone poisoning. In previous years the dubious Equality award has gone to the woman who Laboured hardest for the most questionable equal status. But this year by popular de Mand it goes to a Man Rome sculptor Angelo Cam Erino who is doing boffo Biz Selling male chastity belts. As for the double Standard bearer this year our award winners came on foot. The prize goes to the makers of Tal Kables the talking sneakers. Hit a Button and the boy s sneaker says  hit a Button and the girl s sneaker says i love  we Send them a first edition copy of you just Don t understand. The stand by your Man kit a Doormat and a com plete set of Tammy Wynette to shirts go this year to Amy Christian Serton Vernpn Conn. After her boy Friend kidnapped her two Little girls arid dangled on out of the car window during a police Chase Amy said it s like if your father did something to you. You would still love  the Apple pie and no mom award a la Model am afraid goes to the state of California which prevented Zoe Lofgren and every other female Candi Date from listing motherhood As her Job on the ballot. We Nave a Petit Point suitable for framing with a new state motto every Mother is a working Mother. Of course no equal rites awards ceremony would be Complete without presenting the gilded backlash personally stroke by stroke. In the International category the award winners Are the islamic fundamentalists in Bangladesh who put a Reward on the head of feminist writer Taulima Nasrin who is now in Sweden. But in the National category this backlash belongs Toa burgeoning men s movement called Promise keepers that is fighting the feminizing of the american  the writer of the seven promises tells men i m not suggesting that you ask for your role Back i m urging that you take it  Back to where Bangladesh now for a new prize the Deadbeat dad Hall of Fame. James e. Brindamour wins this Honor. Our prize papa fled the state of Rhode Island to avoid child sup port charges. But did he return you bet. He came Back to claim his 15-year-old daughter s estate after he sudden death. Come to think of it he deserves All the prizes. C Boston Globe