Mailer highlighted issues
Published: October 28, 2009
From the beginning, I knew that this campaign would be an uphill battle. Rob Bell has money to burn, and voters have very little information about how he votes in Richmond. What I never expected was that I would be attacked for even trying to call attention to Mr. Bell’s voting record.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have such high expectations for The Daily Progress, which, after all, endorsed Jim Gilmore last year for U.S. Senate over Mark Warner.
The mailer I sent out used an attention-grabbing image to demonstrate the fact that Rob says one thing to constituents at home and votes another way in Richmond. The intent of the mail piece was to point out that, in spite of the thousands of letters that Rob mails to constituents, very few voters are actually aware of how he votes in Richmond. All they see is that he’s a nice guy, not knowing whether he’s working for our community in the General Assembly. I simply attempted to point out Rob’s voting record so we can have a real debate on the issues.
The mailer points out that “Mr. Bell voted to prevent rape victims from getting emergency contraception the emergency room.” The recent Daily Progress editorial (“Neff mailer is indefensible,” Oct. 23) tried to make it seem like that’s not really what he did, but even The Progress admitted that his vote to allow doctors and pharmacists to deny emergency contraceptives could under certain circumstances “further victimize rape victims by preventing them from getting a morning-after pill at the emergency room.”
The editorial went on to justify the vote by saying that “some people believe that ending a pregnancy at any stage, even if barely begun, is morally wrong.” While The Daily Progress may not agree, I believe the rights of rape victims trump the rights of pharmacists.
I feel compelled to address The Progress’s suggestion that we “debate the issues.” I have tried to get Rob Bell to debate the issues with me and he has refused, which was discussed in a lengthy article in this very paper (“Neff ‘having a devil of a time’ engaging Bell,” Sept. 25).
Cynthia Neff
Albemarle County
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Reader Reactions
Cynthia, your biggest mistake was assuming that the voters in this distric are stupid. We do know how Rob Bell votes in Richmond, and thats why he has become in our view the man for the job!
Another way to look at your “further victimize rape victims” which is of course is a ridiculus assertion, is that this bill would have forced pharmacists, who believe that abortion is murder, to commit what was in their eyes just that…murder. That is what that bill was all about. Being the intelligent individual I am sure you think you are, you knew that. YES, Ms. neff, your mailer, and your above letter attempting to justfy it are indefensible, because we see what kind of moral fiber you are made of. Why cant the democratic party find people to run with honor, and a sense of decency.
As far as debating, I dont think Rob Bell is obligated to debate every liberal nut case who decides to run against him. He has the election, why bother with a debate?
Actually the bill you are talking about was an attempt by your liberal pals to force pharmacists to sell abortion pills to woman (who use them as an “oops” birth control method) although it was against their religious beliefs to do so. Now you are twisting it using an extream view because you just cant find anything better to put Rob Bell down with. No Christain pharmacist is going deny a rape victim the morning after pill.. And even if this happened, she would simply have to go to the next pharmacy because there plenty of you liberals to go around, who give the inconvenience of an irrisponsible woman’s mistake priority over that of a human life. Why dont you come out and tell the whole story MS Neff. Tell us who you really are, rather than trying to smear your opponate with exaggerations.
You have a strange way of appologizing…hang it up lady, your goose is cooked.
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