Digitization made possible by the State of Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, approved by voters in 2008.
April 12, 1973 - Unknown speaker says when this committee votes in support of this we will be supporting the majority Minnesota sentiment (60 percent oppose Supreme Court ruling according to one poll). Speaker quotes Justice Byron White who finds in his minority opinion nothing in the Constitution to support the decision. Speaker says all we do in supporting the resolution is to say that a human fetus is human life and its destruction is act of violence against man and humanity. Speaker says abortion is a personal decision, but it reflects convenience, materialism and selfishness on the part of those that partake in it or support it.
April 12, 1973 - Speaker talks about two hypothetical legal scenarios possible if this amendment were to become law. One: a driver who by negligence causes an accident resulting in death of a fetus can face criminal charges. Two: a pregnant woman who engages in drug, alcohol, tobacco or chemical behavior spontaneously aborts , and can be held responsible for death of her child. Speaker says if a woman wants an abortion she will have one. If she doesn?t know where to go for a legal abortion she will go to an incompetent person or she will try it herself. The risk to her life is great. Abortion is a medical problem requiring adequate medical treatment. The author of the resolution admitted that it would not put an end to abortions. If women go to a quack and lose their lives because of desperate needs that should be on your conscience not his.
April 12, 1973 - House Appropriations subcommittee hears from ten representatives of state service agencies. They say federal cuts would have catastrophic effect on the poor, retarded, sick, young, and old. Gene Daniels, speaking for the Pilot City neighborhood program, says cuts would destroy his program. Sister Giovanni, who runs a school for dropouts, is impatient with politicians. She says she despises seeing the poor and disadvantaged being used as a political football. She doesn?t know how to deal with political doubletalk. She says politicians are not doing enough, are ineffective. She asks how many bodies does she have to produce before legislators will listen to her. She wants less talk, and more action. One St. Paul DFLer is tired of being tarred with the brush of insensitivity because of the action of one man, President Nixon. He and others hope the district court order of today will help save federal community action programs across the nation.
April 12, 1973 - Speaker says regardless of what the law says, and whether abortion is legal or illegal, children will be battered and unloved, retarded children will fail to get the care they need, rapes will continue, and women with unwanted pregnancies will feel alone and desperate. Abortions will continue to be performed. Without a manifested concern in alternatives to abortion, the fight for the preservation of life is questionable. To avoid a hypocritical abandonment of those dealing with this issue viable alternative to abortion needs to be established. The House has not considered alternatives. Speaker says her decision today is not to vote at all and urges other members who share her frustration to do the same.
April 12, 1973 - Heart surgeon Dr. David Sachs talks about heart disease being a plague in society. Due to the American lifestyle most people are on self-destructive trips but don?t realize it. He says no one is to blame but yourself, you have to take responsibility for what?s happening to you, and people use diseases as excuses, covers and masks. Dr. Sachs has created a series of coloring books about medical conditions and the body. He talks about working over 40 years in the medical establishment as a heart surgeon and not feeling fulfilled. He says people need to believe in themselves. Everybody has to do their thing. When your body is in harmony and balance you are functioning right, if you?re jealous, competitive, unhappy no matter what you do your body is out of balance. People have a spiritual obligation to take care of themselves; bodies have an infinite capacity to rebound. He?s sick and tired of the spotlight being on illness, he wants to start talking about the body functioning well. Health insurance and care should be called disease insurance and disease care. He talks about people needing to start to change their lives. Sachs says what?s missing in our government is a leader. There?s confusion and distrust of authority, how can you trust the FDA? There?s lack of communication and believability; everything around us relates to health. Reporter unknown.
April 13, 1973 - Minneapolis is one of three cities in Minnesota participating in a grant-funded art enrichment program for schools emphasizing dance and movement. Mary Rae Josephson, State Coordinator for the Minnesota Artists in the Schools, the Dance Component Program, explains how the program works. Children can learn from moving. Minnesota is one of three states in the country that has the program operating in more than one city. Professional dance companies from all over the country come in and work with children. Students in dance class talk about how and why they dance, and what they like about it. Nat sound of teacher talking to students in a class.
April 13, 1973 - Tom Hayden talks about public anti-war interest. He says it?s possible to pacify students by ending the draft, or pacify Americans by waging a war of destruction against innocent people with Americans not caring because they aren?t dying there. Then, he says, what kind of country have we become and what prospect is there for any kind of change? If people can?t be brought to care about the slaughter of Cambodians then how are you going to move them emotionally or in their conscience about any smaller issues? Public interest about the war is declining or confused, we can?t shift away from the war and Indochina peace efforts to some other issue. It?s folly to turn away from war and think the Paris Agreement will be implemented without any further public pressure. He speaks at Moorhead.
April 16, 1973 - Proposed school aid formula bill would cost $14 million above Gov. Anderson?s budget recommendation. Senate counsel Rick Sands explains the bill, saying it would provide additional dollars to AFDC and transportation. Sen. Gerald Anderson talks about what this would mean for the taxpayers and thinks will bill have support on both sides. Bill on moratorium of construction of fission nuclear power plants in Minnesota for the next 6 years. Moratorium would not affect current operations at Monticello or Prairie Island; would not ban fusion. Harvard economist Henry Kendall testifies in favor of bill, talks about accidents that could happen in this kind of plant. He describes failure scenario, including reactor core melting in a matter of minutes into an intensely radioactive blob, and releasing quantities of radioactivity in an accident of unparalleled size and scale in this society. This kind of accident cannot be allowed to happen, not ever. Opponents stress growing shortage of fossil fuels and increased dependency on foreign product.
April 16, 1973 - American Jewish families support Russian Jewish families wanting to emigrate by sending them letters, clothing, and writing to officials on their behalf. After the families request visas they face more difficult living conditions. A local family has adopted a Russian Jewish family. They explain why and talk about their experiences. Reporter says it?s a 1973 modern version of the ancient festival of the Passover, the Freedom Festival.
April 20, 1973 - Migrant conference to be held. Discussion about how many might attend the conference, expectations. Interviewees talk about events that will take place at conference, a forum for migrants and response from legislators. Expect State Sen. Jerry Hughes from Education Committee, John Bowen from Maplewood. They hope 400 to 600 migrants would attend the conference, around ten percent of the 7,000 to 8,000 estimated to be working in the fields for American Crystal Sugar. For migrant workers taking a Sunday off to go to a conference is a considerable sacrifice in income. Most migrants work half a day Sunday, and go to church then work for the next five or six days. Reporter MFG.