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FMq* 2 NORTHWEST HERALD Section B Friday, August 16,1985 Advice Donald Kaul Donald Kaul is a syndicated columnist for Tribune Media Services Reliving V-J Day, happiest of times I remember V-J Day as the happiest day of my life. Not happiest in an intensely personal way. of course, but'in the*sense of being swept up in a swirl of collective ioyousness. in which even inanimate objects seemed to smile, there was nothing to compare to Aug. 15, 1945. I was 10 years old at the time, living on the oear-northwest side of Detroit, and my parents took me downtown for the celebration. It was stupifying. Hundreds of thousands of people choked the streets, laughing, singing, crying, kissing, drinking, hugging, cheering; cele­ brating the end of a war that had involved us like no other since the war between the states. We did not mourn Japanese losses on that day. We did not regret the atom bombs we dropped on Japan the week before. We rejoiced in them. We were glad the damn war was over; overwhelmingly, uncompromisingly, unashamedly glad. I don't understand people who now say we shouldn't have dropped those bombs on Japan. What do they think World War II was, beanbags? Why not use them? Because they were such terrible weapons? You've got to be kidding. The Second World War was a conflict of virtually unparalleled savagery. Moreover, its special genius lay in focusing its ferocity on the weak and helpless to a degree that made the Mongol hordes of the 13th century seem like Good Humor men. That was true of both sides. The atom bomb was a technological breakthrough but its use constituted no further debasement of our moral position. That position had already been debased far beyond the ability of even the atom bomb to add or subtract to it. The Germans started the process in 1937, when their "volunteers" in the Spanish Civil War bombed the small Basque town of Guernica. The Luftwaffe, practicing for World War II, flew in on a market day when most of the 7,000 citizens of the village were in the streets. The first wave of planes bombed the town and machine-gunned the fleeing people. The next wave dropped incendiary bombs on the rubble, setting it afire. The world expressed shock and outrage that a supposedly civilized nation would do such a thing. Eloquent voices were raised in condemnation of such bestiality. Editorials were written. According to the best reports available, 1,654 people were killed on that April morning in 1937; another 889 were injured. Matching Germany bomb for bomb, atrocity for atrocity, Japan was waging its war of conquest against China and much of the rest of the Par East at that time. The bombing of Nanking was one of the first great "terror bombings." The technique was perfected by Hitler in his Blitzkrieg tactics and when the development of the rocket provided him with the opportuni­ ty to extend the principle of killing civilians at random, he took it. Forty thousand Englishmen died in the bombing of Britain. But if the deliberate slaughter of non-combatants was an Axis invention, it was the United States and Britain -- the good guys^ who perfected it and used it to its most terrible effect. ifhe culmination came in 1945, as the war swept to a close. On Feb. 13, British and American planes raided Dresden, a beautiful town in Germany of no great military importance. The American novelist, Kurt Vonnegut, who was a prisoner of war in Dresden at the time, survived the raid in an underground meat locker to write; "There were no particular targets for the bombs. The hope was that they would create a lot of kindling and drive firemen underground. "And then hundreds of thousands of tiny incendiaries were scat­ tered over the kindling, like seeds on freshly turned loam. More bombs were dropped to keep firemen in their holes, and all the little fires grew, joined one another, became one apocalyptic flame. Hey presto: fire storm. It was the largest massacre in European history, by the way. And so what?" So what indeed; 135,000 people died and we cheered their dying. It was total war. Three-and-a-half weeks later we conducted the first of the fire bombing raids on Tokyo. A quarter million buildings de­ stroyed, a million people made homeless, 83,793 dead and 40,918 wounded. It was the first of several such raids. They were hailed as great victories for us; which they were, of course. Thus, when we were given the great gift of the atom bomb to use, what was there to make us shrink from it? Nothing. We dropped the bomb on Hiroshima and 100,000 Japanese died; more than Tokyo, not so many as Dresden. They died, if a distinction must be made, more efficiently. This week we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the end of that awful war, awful with or without the atom bomb. Yes, it was the happiest day of my life and 1 pray I shall know no other like it. DEARABBY By Abigail Van Buren Compassion needed to dine with disabled DEAR ABBY; I've never written before but now I need your thoughts on a subject that real­ ly bothers me. I don't know how to put this delicately, but what is your opinion of people who take persons who are unable to eat nor­ mally to high-class restaurants? I mean people who have had strokes, can't eat without drool­ ing and make a terrible mess. A co-worker told me that he and his wife went to a lovely restaurant for a relaxing evening, only to be seated right next to a family that in­ cluded a woman who had to be fed. He said there appeared to be more food coming out than going in and it looked like she was vomiting. He said it was revolting, and it spoil­ ed his appetite. This kind of stuff doesn't bother me because I'm a nurse, but I can understand how some people might not be able to tolerate it. If people want to take someone out who can't eat normally, out of consideration to the other diners, why don't they request an out-of-the- way table? SEES BOTH SIDES DEAR SEES: Most people with special needs do request an out-of-the-way table, but It's not always possible to accommodate tbem. Those who cannot eat normally desperately need to get out and dine in a lovely restaurant, and their friends and families deserve commenda­ tion for taking them. If one happens to en­ counter a "revolting" sight, he need only turn his head and avoid looking in that direction again. I, too, can see both sides--but my plea is for more compassion and understanding on the part of the "other diners." DEAR ABBY: I am a 55-year-old male. In my youth, I hitchhiked great distances--even coast to coast. I was given rides by many kind and interesting people. Only in one situation did I have any concern for my personal safety, and that came to nothing. In recent years I have not picked up hit­ chhikers, but when my wife passes on (she is terminally ill) I plan to travel extensively by car. Long stretches of highway driving will be lonely, and ,1 would gladly give rides to strangers for companionship if I could substan­ tially reduce the risk of robbery or worse. Abby, is it safe to pick up hitchhikers? And what measures can a driver take to reduce the risk if he does give someone a ride? TACOMA READER DEAR READER: No, it is NOT "safe." For 100 percent protection, pick up nobody. I would offer a would-be hitchhiker the same advice. Sorry, but we're living in crazy times. • * * DEAR ABBY: To avoid "surprising" a bride with an engagement ring she may not like, I submit the following idea. It was used by my husband many years ago when he went to buy me a wrist watch but didn't have the slightest idea about my taste: He bought a cheap toy watch, took it to a fine local jeweler and asked him to place it in one of their lovely boxes together with a handwritten certificate stating: "Redeemable for a real watch of your choice with all my love. Happy Birthday!" I was a romantic (and sensible) solution to a possible problem. The same idea would work for an engagement ring. MOTHER HUBBARD IN TEXAS Many women victims of crumbling bones By Debbie Creemers Scripps Howard News Service No matter how many times per­ sistent mothers admonish young­ sters to stand up straight, many women become stooped later in life, victims of deteriorating bones. They may lose eight or more inch­ es of height -- all from the upper part of their bodies -- as collapsing vertebrae cause the upper spine to curve out in a painful, disfiguring hump. The disorder that robs 20 million Americans of strong bones is called osteoporosis, a word that literally means "porous bones." It affects about 25 percent of women after menopause, and up to 50 percent of women whose ovaries were removed earlier without hor­ mone replacement therapy. The disorder isn't limited to wom­ en, but because they lose bone much sooner than men, and because their bones are about 30 percent less massive than men's to begin with, women are about eight times more likely to suffer from it. Osteoporosis causes much more than an unsightly hump. The bones that osteoporosis weak­ ens become so brittle that everyday occurrences such as lifting a bag of groceries or receiving an enthusias­ tic hug can crush vertebrae and crack bones. It is the underlying cause of 1.3 million fractures a year, including 200,000 broken hips and thighs. For the elderly, a broken hip can be permanently disabling, if not deadly. About 15 percent of the vic­ tims die shortly after their injury. Nearly 30 percent die within a year from complications of being confined to a hospital or nursing home bed such as pneumonia, uri­ nary infections and Mood clots. And more than 50 percent never regain their former mobility and may spend the rest of their lives in a nursing home. Despite the seriousness of osteo­ porosis, it was dismissed until re­ cently as "an inevitable part of ag­ ing," said Dr. Starr Ford, an endocrinologist' with The1-Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. "In the past, there was a feeling of hopelessness about the treatment of osteoporosis," Ford said. "Now there's increasing awareness of the AIDS No. 1 killer In NYC NEW YORK (UPI) - Acquired immune deficiency syndrome was the No. 1 killer of New York City men between the ages of 30 and 39 last year, a city public health statis­ tician reported. The report, published in today's Daily News, AIDS also is the second leading cause of death for women between 30 and 34 years old in New York City. AIDS also was one of the top five causes of death for New York City men between the ages of 20 and 50, said Alan Kristal, director of New York City's Office of Epidemiologic Surveillance and Statistics. Kristal, told a conference spon­ sored by the National Center for Health Statistics in Washington Wednesday that: "Aids is rapidly becoming the No. 1 cause of death of all young males in New York City." Although fewer women than men have died from AIDS, which de­ stroys the body's immune system, Kristal said: "AIDS will soon be­ come a women's health issue." fact that these problems are both treatable and preventable." And detectable. Until recently, one of the most difficult problems doctors faced was detecting osteoporosis before the disorder had claimed large amounts of bone. X-rays of the spine -- which loses calcium the fastest after meno­ pause -- didn't detect bone loss until S) to 50 percent had deteriorated, Ford said. "They weren't sensitive enough to detect bone loss early enough to do any good," he said. Now there are two tests which precisely measure the amount of bone. One employs a CAT-scanner to measure bone density, the other uses gamma radiation to measure the mineral content of the hip and spine. Once doctors confirm that bone is being lost, they often prescribe cal­ cium supplements andlowrdosesof normones. „ , ̂ •,«? * one of two female sex produced by the ovaries from adolescence until menopause, is crucial in preserving bone in women. But, once started, the hor­ mone can't be discontinued, and other studies have shown estrogen substantially increases the risk oi cancer of the lining of the utehis. Far preferable to estrogen thera­ py, many doctors believe, is a large dose of prevention. Too many women reject milk and other dairy products as fattening. As a result, women fall far short of the Food and Drug Administration's Recommended Daily Allowance for calcium. The RDA for adults was recently raised from 800 to 1000 milligrams, but most women don't even con­ sume that much during adoles­ cence, when the RDA is 1,200 milli­ grams. From 12 to 18, female consumption of calcium plummets from 800 milligrams to 550 milli­ grams. It continues to drop through adulthood to less than 500 milli­ grams by age 45, when it levels off. Too many women also fail to ex­ ercise as they get older. The impor­ tance of weight-bearing exercise such as walking, biking and aero­ bics was demonstrated in space when Skylab astronauts who were extremely active nonetheless suf­ fered bone losses comparable to bed-ridden people. Besides being female, risk factors for osteoporosis include: -- Family history. -- Heavy use of a)co})pl, tobacco or caffeine. Smoking speeds up menopause by about five years. -- Corticosteroids such as corti­ sone, prednisolone and dexametha- sone that are taken for long periods oftime. . -- Light skin color. -- Small bone structure. Petite women have less bone to lose. -- Low weight. Ford said thin women are at great risk. *' -- Early menopause. -- A high-protein diet, which in-J creases the amount of calcium ex*; creted by the body. 2 Pregnancy program zeros in on teens fey Patricia McCormack IJnited Press International I NEW YORK - Armed with new tvidence that American women are Widely misinformed about birth control, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has launched its first information cam­ paign ever to help women prevent unplanned pregnancies. -..•We're talking about an estimat­ ed 3.3 million unintended pregnan cies in the United States." says Dr. Luella Klein, board member and immediate past president of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology < ACOG). - "We should have a national policy of making contaceptives easily available to all females who want to prevent unintended pregnancy." Klein said in an interview "To reach more, women, especially teenagers. ACOG has begun a pub­ lic information program. People can call a hotline. 1-800-INTENDS. to; order a free pamphlet - "The Facts: What you need to know afoul contraceptives to make the right choice." We're very much interested in preventing the first pregnancy for gij-ls in school especially." Klein says of the first public information program ever funded by ACOG. •To prepare for the campaign. ACOG comissioned a poll by the Gallup organization to find out what the public knows and thinks about c o n t r a c e p t i o n a n d t e e n a g e sexuality. J'This poll showed that American women overestimated by large margins the risks of almost all forms of contraception," Klein said. "Three quarters of all women felt that there were substantial risks with the birth control pill, including the risk of cancer," she said. "Actu­ ally, the modern birth control pro­ t e c t s a g a i n s t m a n y f o r m s o f cancer." "Only 16 percent of women cor­ rectly said that the risks of dying from childbirth are higher than the risks of dying from birth control pills," Klein said. "We also found that knowledge of the effectiveness of contraception was poor and people generally un­ derestimated the effectiveness by wide margins." Klein says the pollsters also learned that 9 out of every 10 Amer­ icans felt that sex education should be taught in schools. More than 8 out of 10 women wanted it taught before high school and 34 percent favored teaching it in elementary school "Obviously. Americans, and most particularly American women. ar6 asking for help. . to help avoid pregnancies for their daughters," Klein said. Klein says birth control educa­ tion, through programs such the ACOG hotline, and more readily available contraceptives could stem the rising U.S. abortion rate. "Unintended pregnancy preven­ tion is abortion prevention." she said. "We don't need 1.5 million abortions each year in the United States. What we need is to prevent them." Klein, who is also head of the Infant and Maternal Department at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlan­ ta, Ga., maintains that Reagan Ad­ ministration assistance for family planning and the Planned Parent­ hood Federation of America pro­ grams are not far-reaching enough to prevent 3.3 million unintended pregnancies annually. "We need to reach more people, especially sexually active teen­ agers, with the facts on how to prevent unintended pregnancies." she said. "The American College of Obste­ tricians and Gynecologists felt that public confusion was a serious enough problem to authorize this . . . p r o g r a m o n u n i n t e n d e d pregnancy." Klein said the ACOG information program tries to encourage respoog people. "It does not encourage them to have sex," she said, "but warns them that if they do, they should at least have access to good, solid in­ formation so that they can make their own responsible decisions about their sexuality and the use of contraception to avoid the disas­ trous personal consequences of un­ intended and often unwanted pregnancies." The No. l fact for teenagers in "The Facts" pamphlet tells kids they can postpone sex and that "the fact is that not everyone is doing i t " 3 "Thirty-six million women face the problem of preventing an unin­ tended pregnancy each year," Klein said." The average sexually active woman would face 14 births or 31 abortions during her reproductive years if couples did not use contraceptives." • Compute* design • Advanced materials • Long wearing, fuel economy • Easy handling WE'VE GOT THE TIRES TO MAKEY0URCARSAND TRUCKS PERFORM. 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