4A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
FRIDAY,JAN.25,2002
FACEOFF
Abortion: America's great debate
With progress, the U.S. can end abortion as we now know it
I used to be pro-choice.
I watched the MTV specials on teenage sex and read John Irving. I listened to people who equated being anti-abortion with being anti-woman. Considering myself to be someone who supports women's rights, I accepted the pro-choice mantras.
I also tried to swallow the line that men had no right to an opinion on the subject since they do not actually have children or abortions. I equated pro-filers with fundamentalist Christians and the Fred Phelps crowd.
Yet I realized that, whenever I found myself debating the subject, I somehow ended up angering the pro-choicers and moving closer and closer to the pro-lifers. The unfortunate truth about the abortion debate is that it is an issue that defies compromise and that is oversimplified by both sides
Let's begin with the eternal debate centered on this question of when life begins. The Pope says it begins as soon as intercourse gets all those little particles moving around in a woman's body. But for Hillary Rodham-Clinton, a child could be living happily in the womb with the basic ability to survive, wet have its brain sucked out because it is still a fetus.
The sad truth is that no absolute answer to this question exists.
Yet one truth is clear. Even if a fetus is not a person, it is certainly a future person. And it is equally clear that a fetus is, to some degree, alive. Abortion is the act of terminating this life process.
Bradley E. Freedman opinion@kansan.com
is the act that he did. Roe v. Wade was a misguided attempt to legalize abortion under the right-to-privacy laws. Roe v. Wade helped create a society where abortion is often viewed as commonplace, and abortion rights have only been expanded since 1973.
The contradiction of Roe v. Wade is that while concentrating on the woman's humanity, it reduces the fetus to a mere biological process.
Women should have every right to do what they wish with their own bodies. Abortion, quite simply, affects the child as well.
There is a solution. First, Roe v. Wade must be discarded. The next step is to further restrict abortions after the first trimester, except where the mother's life or health would be in danger. During this interim period, first-trimester abortions would remain legal until such time as the "morning-after pill" can be made available to women.
COMMENTARY
For both sides of the abortion debate, the "morning-after pill" is the best thing to happen in the past 50 years. If taken within 72 hours of intercourse, it allows a woman to stop the process of conception in its earliest stages. This type of birth control must be the wave of the future if the abortion debate is ever to be resolved.
The final stage of the plan would be twofold. Abortion as we know them would be made illegal (except in the case of rape). The "morning-after pill" would be widely available and covered by health care and insurance companies.
While this may anger the true believers on both sides, it is a worthy compromise. It still allows girls and women to control the decision of when to have a child, but it also requires them to be responsible and make the choice in the earliest stages of conception — before the first heartbeat, before the
hands form, before the fetus becomes viable
The question of when life begins has been turned into pure semantics by both sides, but especially the abortion-rights crowd.
The truth is that the beginning of life is a mystery that probably has no answer in nature. It is unreasonable to expect humans to find a solution to a question with no answer.
Even 29 years after Roe v. Wade, we still must fight for our rights
I'm not going to change anybody's mind about abortion. I wouldn't even want to try. Albeit, it is an old and tired debate. So why even talk about it?
Conservative Kansas complies with restrictions set forth by the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits public funding for abortion except in the cases of life endangerment, rape or incest.
I'll tell you why. Our fundamental right to choose is being threatened. Right now retirements on the Supreme Court are expected, and President George W.Bush — who has made it clear that he thinks abortion is wrong — will nominate incoming justices.
Anti-choice advocates in the Kansas Legislature propose bills almost annually that would chip away at a woman's right to choose. And all this while 95 percent of Kansas counties still remain without an abortion provider. But nobody can blame doctors for not providing abortions when most abortion providers receive threats regularly and often have to
COMMENTARY
Brooke Hesler
bhesler@kansan.com
pay armed guards to watch over their practices.
We are taking for granted the right to decide what happens to our bodies. On this week — the 29th anniversary of the historic Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade — supporters of choice must not remain silent, or else those rights might not be around tomorrow.
I'm not trying to sway anybody when it comes to this complex issue. We should respect the views of others, even if they believe abortion is killing a baby. I would only ask that those people respect my views, too. If they believe abortion is wrong, then fine. They never have to have an abortion, but they shouldn't try to inflict their views on me and my body.
Neither should the primarily well-to-do middle-aged white men who serve in our government. Besides, making abortion illegal wouldn't stop abortion. It would just increase unsafe back-alley abortions.
After Roe v. Wade, the number of deaths from abortion declined more than fivefold, according to the Centers for Disease Control. If anti-abortion proponents value life, perhaps they should consider those figures before making blanket statements when it comes to making abortion illegal.
In a perfect world every baby would be wanted. Unfortunately, that will never happen. People should be responsible and understand the repercussions of their actions when they choose to engage in sex, but people err. It isn't me who has to be pregnant for nine months or raise a child, and it isn't me who should tell anybody else that's what they should do.
Life is about choices and mistakes. I know I've made many, but they were mine to make, no one else's. I wouldn't want a government that didn't allow me to decide what's best for my own body and my own life.
Make sure you know where your elected officials stand on important issues like abortion, and vote in every election. Write these people, and let them know what you think.
Young people are often quick to speak their views on everything from the war in Afghanistan to increased tuition, but we can't stop there. We must make sure the people who represent us are also representative of our views.
My grandmother marched in support of abortion rights. She wanted to make sure that the right to choose was there for her granddaughters. I hope it will be there for mine.
Hesler is an Overland Park junior in journalism. She is associate opinion editor.
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EDITORIAL
Tiller's offer of free abortions insults women, trivializes issue
To celebrate the 29th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade court decision to legalize abortion, Dr. George Tiller had an interesting form of commemoration on Jan. 19.To show his strong support of the decision, Tiller decided to provide free abortions.
Dr. Tiller defends his decision stating, "This is an alert. It is a wakeup call," and, "We are sort of a huddled mass here together, a few of us arrayed against a vast enemy. We are armed with our attitude and our conviction that men and women are reproductively equal."
What does it say about society's moral compass, regardless on which side of the issue you stand, when abortions are handed out like baseball bats on opening day? Tiller is using free abortions to gain attention, be it for business or to have a few minutes of fame.
trivializing an extremely serious decision. The hangers and sidewalk chalk on campus serve as stark reminders of the sentiment that surrounds the abortion debate. It is an issue on which humans will likely never come to a consensus. Abortion is a serious topic that should be treated for what it is — a life-altering decision.
What's more, considering that the world seems so split on this emotional issue, it's hard to tieure his "huddléd mass against a vast enemy" claim.
Might he just be manipulating women's freedom of choice for his own gain by trivializing an extremely serious decision?
Thirty-two women signed up for Tiller's free abortions. By setting time limits on the period that the free administration of abortions would be offered, Tiller could be pressuring women into making knee-jerk decisions instead of one that should be carefully pondered.
He is completely downplaying the most emotional, heart-wrenching decision a woman might ever face. His decision to place abortions on the same playing field as baseball bats shows nothing but utter disregard for the women he claims to be caring for.
should be carefully provided. If Tiller truly believes that women should be provided with free abortions, he should provide this service year-round. He is clearly not doing this for the women, but for himself.
Every woman has the constitutional right to have an abortion, but this profound decision is one that shouldn't be taken lightly. Tiller's actions are making a mockery of the women who came to utilize his services and his profession.
Jessica Smith for the editorial board.
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Can anyone explain to me why the guy I like called me over break two times to tell me how much he missed me and then tried to hook up with my best friend when we got back?
When I walked up to campus today, I saw all the pro-choice statements written on the ground, and I thought, 'well, that's cool.' You know, just because I don't necessarily believe in it doesn't mean people shouldn't have the choice. But then I saw things that said "my box, my choice," and that just seemed a little vulgar and inappropriate to me.
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To all the boys who have screwed me and my friends over, what goes around comes around, so enjoy the ride.
Little hint — guys don't break up with girls who are better than you.
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r get on the bus after sociology. These sorority girls were complaining about the guy giving sign language in the class. That is so wrong. I don't like you girls anymore.
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r get on the bus after sociology. These sorority girls were complaining about the guy giving sign language in the class. That is so wrong. I don't like you girls anymore.
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