Earthquake

Another large earthquake struck off Sumatra in the Andaman Sea today. The U.S. Geological Survey called it a major quake with a magnitude of 8.2. Although the quake was an aftershock from last December's magnitude 9.0 quake, it was a "very serious earthquake in its own right."

Police in Indonesia said hundreds of people may have been killed in collapsed buildings. Tremors were felt throughout peninsular Malaysia's west coast, causing thousands of residents to flee high-rise apartment buildings and hotels.

The earthquake occurred at 11:09 p.m. local time at a depth of nearly 19 miles and approximately 125 miles west-northwest of Sibolga, Sumatra, close to where the last December's tremblor struck. That undersea earthquake, the world's biggest in 40 years,and the huge tsunami it sent charging across the Indian Ocean at the speed of a passenger jet, killed more than 174,000 people and left another 106,000 missing. More than 1.5 million people were left homeless in 11 countries.

A spokesman for the USGS said that today's earthquake might also cause tsunamis. "Certainly evacuations should be occurring. I hope they are," the spokesman said.

Thousands panicked in countries across the Indian Ocean as tsunami warnings were posted. Malaysia urged residents along parts of its west coast to evacuate to higher areas. Sirens rang in the eastern Sri Lankan town of Trincomalee. India and Thailand also immediately issued tsunami warnings in coastal areas. Officials in Thailand later called their warning off, as the only tsunami reported within four hours of the earthquake was a tiny one, less than 4 inches, at the Cocos Islands.

Meanwhile, on the fundamentalist front, the Washington Post reports under the headline "Pharmacists' Rights at Front Of New Debate" that some pharmacists across the country are refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control and morning-after pills, saying that dispensing the medications violates their personal moral or religious beliefs.

This brings up rather disturbing questions as to where this might lead. Would they give medications to people suffering from venereal disease or other symptoms indicative of a "lifestyle" of which they don't approve? Will they dispense drugs for AIDS? What about life-saving antibiotics to people whose religious views conflict with theirs?

Will our medical system become hostage to a group from whom we have to seek approval before we can complete our treatment?