Dornan’s Aide
Legislative assistants are carefully selected by members of Congress to represent them in their absence. Thus, I should not have been surprised when, on April 10 in Washington, I and 10 others met with Rep. Robert K. Dornan’s assistant to register our pro-choice views.
Jerry Gideon’s very casual dress (jeans, tennis shoes, lumberjack-type shirt) and body language (leg thrown over the arm of his club chair) belied his venom. He did not listen to our ideas, frequently interrupted, loudly pontificated and even attacked one of our ideas as “a crock of bull.”
We were stunned by his rudeness. He said women can always say “no” if they don’t want to become pregnant and they get what they deserve. He also mentioned the concept of fining and punishing both the doctor and the woman involved in an abortion: They both are criminals and should be treated as such.
CAROL D. GENTRY
Manhattan Beach
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