ISNT IT TIME

LAST FALL during the heat of the presidential campaign, I read with cu riosity about wedge issues. In California, there were two such issues: legal and illegal immigrants; and Proposition 209, the so-called anti -affirmative action measure. The newspaper columnists speculated about the motivation for either Bill Clinton or Bob Dole to associate thems elves with wedge issues at a state level. To the columnists, it seemed an. act of desperation. No matter which side they supported, they los t votes. My curiosity about the phrase grew partly because of its appl icability to the discipline of nursing. What is a wedge issue? It is a simple, impressionistic issue that appeals to attitudes and feelings rather than thoughts. It is the presentation of an issue to create an emotional reaction rather than. thoughtful deliberation. Anyone who ha s served as a delegate or voting member at a convention can probably r ecall a resolution that produced long lines at the microphones with pe ople making very emotional statements and no one changing opinions. To pics such as abortion, family planning, gun control, and the role of g overnment in health care have served as wedge issues among nurses.