Opinion
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Monday, September 28, 1998
Perspective
Regardless of the decision, people have right of choice
Every minute of every day, somewhere in the world someone is making a decision with which, were I to know of it, I would disagree legal, everyday decisions such as whether to have another drink or whether to charge something you can't afford. Among the choices
made by someone every day is whether to have an abortion. For many of those women who do choose to have an abortion, I might not feel that they made the best decision, and if it had been up to me, I might have chosen differently. However, it's not up to me, nor should it be. Whether it's buying something you don't need and can't afford or deciding what to do about an unplanned pregnancy, the decision is properly in the hands of the person or people whose lives will be directly affected by the situation. I have not
Meredith Toenjes
opinion@kansan.com
lived their lives and am not the person who has to live with
the consequences of his or her decision.
However, there are many people who feel that their decisions are what's best for everyone, and they often try to get laws passed in an attempt to get others to conform to their world view.
By naming their organization "Genocide Awareness Project" they are trying to tie abortion to occurrences that many people who would not normally be drawn to rightwing Christian rhetoric already abor. First of all, by no stretch of the imagination can the word genocide be properly applied to abortion as is practiced in this country. Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary defines genocide as, "The use of deliberate, systematic measures (as killing, bodily or mental injury, unlivable conditions, prevention of births) calculated to bring about the extermination of a racial, political, or cultural group or to destroy the language, religion, or culture of a group." The right to safe and legal abortions and the exercise of that right in this country is an individual choice made by pregnant women for individual reasons and is in no way systematic or deliberate as relates to "calculated extermination." Also, there is, to my knowledge, absolutely no "racial, political, or cultural group" whose existence is threatened because of access to safe and legal abortions. As a matter of fact, an excess of children is almost certainly a bigger problem than abortions. Although I don't for a moment suggest that abortion is a preferred solution to overpopulation, (I'm much more an advocate for prevention of pregnancy via abstinence and/or birth control), the fact remains that abortion does in no way threaten any particular group.
One such group has come to KU and although I do not deny that they have a right to speak, I find it abhorrent that they've used that right to lie, distort, and play on people's emotions by using photographs to draw totally inaccurate parallels. In short, their entire message is one of fabricated comparisons and inaccurate propaganda, starting with their name.
Therefore, the label genocide as well as the comparison to lynchings and the Holocaust is absolutely incorrect and an insult to everything that those groups suffered. Should abortion be made once again illegal as this group wishes, women will most likely still seek abortions and possibly die from illegal abortions. In many cases, the same people who wish to restrict or eliminate access to safe and legal abortions are also against sex education in schools that teaches anything about birth control, programs to help disseminate information on birth control and free or discounted birth control. What they're truly saying is that everyone should live according to their morals and view of the world and that, if you should fail to live that way, tough, suffer sinner. Very few anti-abortion activists have or intend to adopt crack babies, AIDS babies, disabled babies or minority babies. The same groups who call for abortion to be made illegal also often support the death penalty and oppose welfare
Also, should these babies grow up to be gay people or doctors who perform abortions, then some "right-to-lifers" may no longer protect their right to live. Although I cannot say that the members and supporters of the "Genocide Awareness Project" hold any of those other views, the existence of many of those views among anti-abortionists are neither secret nor uncommon. Even though most antibortionists don't bomb family-planning clinics or shoot doctors who perform abortions, by eroding the legal right to choose, they are, in essence, condemning thousands of women to pain, suffering, and even death from back-alley abortions. Wanting abortions to cease does not make it so. Frankly, the world and the people in it are not as I'd wish it to be, nor is it as the anti-abortionists would have it. The difference between my view and theirs is that I accept that there are some things that are not in my power to change, and they don't care as long as they get their way.
Teenagers is a Kansas City, Kan., senior majoring in psychology and history.
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Theater, film department should keep full-time faculty
Editorials
As enrollment in the department of theater and film is slowly increasing, the staff is rapidly decreasing. Three full-time faculty members have announced they will be retiring during the next few years, leaving a large gap to be filled. Although the professors will be missed, the students in the department are particularly concerned with the school's attempt to replace an already limited faculty. There has not been much attention from the University because the situation is still fairly new, but the students within the school are eager to be a part of the change. The focus of replacing the professors is not just to retain staff numbers but to maintain a full-time, long-term staff. Because the enrollment in the department of theater and film is growing, this is a transitional phase that requires replacing these full-time faculty members with more full-time faculty members instead of a part-time staff. Within a major like theater, which requires a great deal of personal attention between teacher and student, faculty members that are willing to make a full-time commitments are necessary. Gina Grad, the department's student curriculum representative, thought that by not
Several faculty members are leaving the department.
Feedback
Display offends those for abortion
For KU supposedly being such a diverse and tolerant campus, there sure are a lot of angry people wandering around.
replacing the professors with full-time staff, the entire department is affected negatively. "Not to take anything away from part-time teachers or GTAs, but the department needs people who can make long-term goals and commitments." Because being a theater major requires so much time on campus while working on plays, musicals and other productions, students need a full-time staff to assist through years of working with the same productions and crews. The goal of the department is to convince the University that replacing these professors with more full-time professors will help this department — which is growing in size and reputation — to make the transition smoothly.
Most ubiquitous, of course, is the controversy surrounding the infamous abortion display and the violent attacks against it. Being pro-life, I can certainly understand and applaud a peaceful pro-life demonstration (please read further before you send the lynch mob) however, I'm also against child pornography. That doesn't mean I want to see pictures of it on my way to the library. So what do I? Obviously, the answer is to drive my car through the offensive display.
Cathy Pierce for the editorial board
Jarrod Fobes Lincoln junior
Then there is the Black Student Union, which claims that the use of lynching photographs in the display are racist. Well, I think that the very use of the terms Black (always capital B) and white (always little w) are racist. Let's face it, we're all pretty much different shades of brown, and I can't understand why the black lynching photographs should be more or less offensive than the Jewish Holocaust photographs, or the abortion photographs. Until we start seeing all humanity as our brothers and sisters, I'm afraid we're in for some rough times.
Finally, there is First Nation, who recently expressed it's anger at various sports mascots such as the Redskins and the Chiefs. Well, while we're at it, we better get rid of the Boston Celtics and Notre Dame's Fighting Irish. Nobody thinks that a little leprechaun-looking guy bouncing around with his dukes up is stereotyping? Once again, I must be too thick to see the difference.
Don't get me wrong, I love diversity. I think people should do everything possible to preserve their cultures (though I'm curious as to how well a "White Student Union" would be received). But there's no reason everything has to be a racial issue, and there's no reason that everyone who sees things differently has to be your enemy. There comes a time when we have to stop splitting hairs and screaming and fighting and just try to accept the brotherhood all humanity (I'm not trying to exclude women, but I don't think "sibling-hood" is a real word) because no one has ever changed their mind by being punched, pushed or screamed at. So whatever anyone believes, we better find some sort of common ground, and we better do it soon, because we sure aren't a lot getting done this way.
Many issues must be left to individual
In his Sept. 24 column, Caleb Stegall made several convincing arguments for the humanity of a human fetus. However, I would like to suggest that this is irrelevant to the discussion about legal abortions. It is an issue of compelling good behavior, not preventing bad behavior. Let us consider a hypothetical situation. Suppose a woman needed a marrow transplant or she would die of cancer. Let us further suppose that I am the only matching donor. If she does not get my marrow transplant, she will die. Can the state compel me to save her life? Undoubtedly, the right thing to do would be for me to donate my bone marrow, but I think that most of us would agree that requiring me to donate marrow goes beyond the state's legitimate power. If a method of abortion could remove the fetus intact, then abortion would be the removal of the mother's life support. Choosing not to support the fetus may not be right, but can the state compel her to do the right thing.
Heather Wood Lawrence graduate student
Groups shouldn't censor one another
As a pro-choice feminist, I am sickened. I am sickened to see people who presume to speak for me try to deny others freedom of speech.
About the Center for Bioethical Reform's graphic anti-abortion display, Sarah Page, the president of the Pro-Choice Coalition, said, "This message is not welcome at the University, nor will it be tolerated." The coalition, KU Hillel, Black Student Union, Delta Force and Ecumenical Christian Ministries "recognized the right to free speech but thought the anti-abortion display went too far," the Kansan reported.
It frightens me that groups who themselves have suffered censorship should believe that they may determine when free speech has gone too far. Insensitive, offensive speech such as the anti-abortion display is the only speech that needs protecting. This truth holds whether the speaker is Sarah Page, or an anti-abortion zealot or a pro-choice feminist like myself.
Rachel Robson Baldwin City senior
Abortion protesters should be thanked
I would like to say "thank you" to all of those that have been involved with the anti-abortion posters on campus this week. Not only have they opened the eyes of all that have viewed, but they have also made some valid comparisons. Though many people think that it is wrong to bring up the Holocaust and lynchings that took place during the battle against slavery, but they depict the same type of unwanted mass murders. Granted, the pictures that were on display were very graphic and to some physically sickening. But they served their purpose, and that was to show that abortion is murder.
I am all about people having the right to make their own
choices about their bodies but when it puts another life in jeopardy that is another story. Abortion is the taking of a life whether it is in the first trimester or the third, a life is lost. Whenever I hear abortion being discussed, I think of a sign — I see "Choose life. Your mother did."
Once again I would like to thank those out there trying to save the live of innocent babies.
Shawn Beatty
Ottawa sophomore
University students need to be offended
I want to commend the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform as well as its University sponsors for bring the reality of genocide to the University community. This display invited discussion on a controversial topic which we, as a society ignore. The graphic depictions shocked and offended many people. We at the University need to be offended. We only want what is comfortable, not necessary. This type of display reminded us that the University is not a place to forget about the disturbing issues.
I hope the protests will continue discussions about issues in our society which may be troubling to us. We have reached a point in our society where every idea that we must deal with and reach an agreement that will allow us to successfully live together.
I encourage the University of Kansas to expose student and faculty to "offensive" displays like this. We need reasonable discussions in order to find acceptable ways of dealing with today's problems. Changes need to be made, and there is no better place to start those changes than the University of Kansas.
Troy Thompson Kincaid junior
Skalla criticism unwarranted
As one who has been involved in the difficulties attendant to the phasing in of the smart card, I was disappointed to read the highly critical comments directed at Nicole Skalla in a recent Kansan editorial. I know that Skalla has worked very diligently to ensure that student rights and interests are kept in the forefront as we try to resolve the problems posed by the breakdown of many readers fist installed on the buses. The University was assured by the vendor that the smart card application had been tested on an operating bus system and that it worked. Obviously, it did not work here, and the result was great inconvenience to users of KU on Wheels.
Given what I have observed of Skalla's efforts and good intentions during this difficult period, I believe the editorial was unwarranted.
David Shulenburger
Provost