To the Editor:
It is especially timely that certain Republican candidates for Congress have spoken and clearly stated what their true opinions are regarding rape specifically and women's health issues in general. The words they speak, as scientifically inaccurate, insensitive and seemingly irrational as they are, raise a deeper issue in terms of the society in which we live. The deeper issue is that if we allow people like these to be in positions of power and leave it to them to create policy based on their beliefs, our pluralistic and tolerant society will move backwards. We need to think carefully about these candidates and what they really stand for. We need to elect representatives who will promote sensitivity towards women, work hard for fair and equal treatment of them, and reject turning back the clock to a time when women had few rights and were not treated equally. To quote Mao Zedong, "Women hold up half the sky." I believe the people in the various states throughout the country, Virginia included, will make the correct decisions when they vote in two weeks. We will be able to celebrate another step towards equality for women.
Robert Cox
McLean