http://citypaper.com/news/anti-terrorism-begins-at-home-1.1091855 - Anti-Terrorism Begins at Home

http://citypaper.com/news/anti-terrorism-begins-at-home-1.1091855">Viva House refuses to sign United Way "loyalty oath"

A local charity is refusing to certify that it does not use United Way funds to support terrorism, saying the request smacks of McCarthyism.

Brendan Walsh and Willa Bickham, who since 1968 have operated Viva House soup kitchen and food pantry on the city�s west side, say they were surprised to receive a letter in December from the United Way of Central Maryland asking them to sign and return an �Anti-Terrorism Compliance Measures� form or risk losing money that was pledged to them.

�It�s tantamount to signing a loyalty oath,� Walsh says.

For many years Viva House has gotten small amounts through United Way, the couple says. The most recent check, for $625, came in June. But never before has the United Way sent any correspondence like it did on Dec. 6.