Friday, April 24, 1998

Folic acid benefits

In regard to the April 15 editorial, "Take your vitamins," the March of Dimes praises the Institute of Medicine for its thorough review of the evidence regarding the use of the B vitamin folic acid to prevent certain birth defects and for its helpful recommendations on folic acid to women of childbearing age.

The March of Dimes strongly supports the IOM's recommendation that all women capable of having a baby should consume 400 micrograms of synthetic folic acid daily, beginning before pregnancy, to prevent serious birth defects of the brain and spine known as neural tube birth defects. The report makes it clear that the only reliable way to achieve this amount of folic acid each day is to eat foods fortified with synthetic folic acid and/or take a multivitamin supplement, in addition to eating a balanced diet.

After strong lobbying by the March of Dimes Public Affairs Office, the Food and Drug Administration has required the addition of 140 micrograms of folic acid per 100 grams of grain to cereal, breads, pastas and other foods labeled enriched as of January 1998.

Even with this important information, only 30 percent of American women take a daily multivitamin containing folic acid before pregnancy. This information was collected last year in a survey done by the March of Dimes.

Take your vitamins and prevent neural tube birth defects.

LISA MARQUETTE

Big Country March of Dimes

One world order

Is it too late for our country? History warns that most democracies do not last more than 250 years.

The news media, as they call themselves, say our leader has the biggest approval rating of anyone. Since they announced him a winner before all the polls closed, I guess they should defend him. However, they did not ask me or any of my friends in their poll.

Bill Clinton, as was George Bush, is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a member of C.F.R., a group that would destroy the United States' sovereignty and turn us over to a one-world government, the likes of which would make George Orwell's 1984 seem like a picnic.

The one-world government run by the United Nations referred to by Bush and sometimes by Clinton as the "New World Order" is real and is coming.

All of the moral hoopla concerning the White House is just a way to demoralize America by destroying the American dream while they destroy the country. I am truly sorry, but like the child in the fairy tale of the king's new clothes, the king is naked.

KURT CLARK

Abilene

Sirens are useless

As an amateur radio operator active for years with the National Weather Service Skywarn program who provided backup communications at several tornado hits, I would like to address the issue of warning sirens.

Sirens are almost useless for warning as they may not be heard with gust front winds that often occur prior to the tornado, and they may not even work due to lightning strikes prior to the tornado. When they are heard, many deaths have occurred as people have left untouched buildings only to drive into the path of the tornado.

What sirens do is lull the citizens into a false sense of security as trust is placed in something that often does not work.

Over and over again, what has proven to save lives is a citizen taking responsibility for his own safety by having a plan, paying attention to radio and TV reports and owning a weather radio with tone alarm.

I congratulate the city of Abilene for not wasting tax dollars by investing in obsolete siren systems and urge our city officials to continue with their correct procedure for storm warnings.

RON ASHMORE

Abilene