October 20, 1989 OPINIONS The Manitou Messenger/page 5 ABORTION: Whose life hangs in the balance?

Pro-choice: a woman's issue Pro-life: fetal rights in obtaining its moral status. It is a matically become responsible for the of being a victim of rape or incest is question of a fetus's voiceless claim consequences of their actions. care. Because many poor women to existence versus a boisterous Sex is, admittedly, risky business must postpone their abortions due horrifying. To apply this law to the life a victim is to rape her again. Paul mother's claim to abortion. when it comes to pregnancy, and to lack of finances, they have either When arguing about abortion we one of two things may happen: the endured more hazardous legal abor­ Brown of the American Life Alliance went so far as to say that there tend to forget how we get fetuses in women may become pregnant or she tions, or have died in. desperation as the first place. After all, you have to may not. If she does not become a result of self-induced, illegal abor­ should be no abortions even in cases of incest because "those children have a fetus before you can "choose" pregnant, then the couple need only tions. to abort it. Besides the standard pro- worry about the action itself, since it Representatives Jim Oberstar, Ar- were conceived in love within the family." Where is the reality in this life argument mentioned above, an­ is presumably unaccompanied by any lan Strangland, Gerry Sikorski, Vin other argument exists which may be long-term con-sequences. Weber, Bruce Vento, and Tim Penny statement? Paul Brown has obviously not been a victim of incest or any even more powerful. However, if the woman does all voted that there should not be Ironically, it has to do with become pregnant, then the couple funding of abortions for poor other type of assault, nor does he know what it is to be a woman. choices, actions, consequences, and becomes morally responsible for the women even when it is necessary to responsibility. As human beings we consequences of their action, save their lives. How can we, with Should the Supreme Court have by Christine J. F.rlckson the ability to decide what religious consider ourselves free agents, that namely, the conception of a human any sense of conscience, support is, we believe that we have the right being. This new living orgartism, these representatives? It is not sur­ convictions a woman can follow? On July 3, 1989, the Supreme The majority of churches in the by Eric A. Bartsch to choose our actions. which is at the very least a potential Court, in an effort to protect fetal prising that the above mentioned are Concomitantly we take responsibility human being, did not will itself into all male representatives. Is it at all United States have a pro-choice posi­ rights over the rights of women, de­ tion. These include the United Normally when we think of the for the consequences of our actions. existence-it was willed into existence ethical that men should have the stroyed the foundation of privacy Methodist Church, United Church of abortion issue we concentrate on Thus if I bump into you and by its mother and father. right to design bills to decide what a which was the basis for abortion Christ, Lutheran Church in America, the empirical question of the viabil­ cause you to drop your papers, I will Now it seems to me, at the vciy rights and other personal freedoms. woman can do with her own body? ity of the fetus outside of the feel responsible for causing the least, that the mother and father, Women must have the right to Presbyterian Church, Episcopalian Abortions is the termination of Church, the American Baptist mother's womb. Pro-life advocates papers to scatter along the ground. since they are responsible for the ex­ pregnancy before the fetus is viable- plan their own families. Without re­ argue that the fetus, even if not an Similarly, if I drive my car into the istence of the new zygote, have a productive rights, it is impossible for Church, the Christian Church, Reor­ before it can live outside the ganized Church of Jesus Christ of actual person, is a potential person, back of yours while you are stopped moral duty to preserve it; that is, they woman's body. The court gave states women to rise out of poverty. Only and thereby deserves the same re­ at a red light, I will not escape the Latter Day Saints, and the American cannot morally interfere with its the power to declare that life begins 46% of divorced mothers are spect and rights that are accorded to responsibility of paying for the con­ natural development and coming to at conception, even though there is awarded child support. Only half of Jewish Congress. It is unconstitu­ actual human beings. sequent damage. tional for the government to decide term as an actual human baby. no proven biological moment of these women receive that support on The fetus, they argue, is a Whatever we may do, if we will to To abort the child is a refusal to life's beginning. a regular basis. Who will provide for one's beliefs and practice of religion. living organism, and since it is an do it we become morally responsible It is truly an oppressive and un­ accept responsibility for the States may now prohibit abor­ these children and the thousands of organism with human potentiality it both for the action and the consequences of actions chosen tions at public clinics or hospitals, "unwanted" children? Studies have healthy situation for women to live would be inconsistent to deny it the consequence. That is part of what it under laws of illegal abortion. Until freely and is thereby immoral. To and ban the use of public funding proven that "unwanted" children rights we extend to other human is to be a free, rational human being. wit, the abortion of a human fetus is for abortions, and restrict publicly have a much higher rate of delin­ men are able to feel what it is to have beings. How we act and what we say is an unwanted pregnancy, or to be­ a denial of its right to exist, a right funded employees from counseling, quency and criminal activity, less mo­ Pro-choice advocates, on the tempered by our personal sense of originally extended by the actions of referring, or speaking about abor­ tivation toward education, and more come pregnant as a result of rape or other hand, argue that since a morality and our conscience, among incest, they have no right to decide its parents. We cannot ethically tion to women. The availability of frequently required public welfare human fetus is not an actual human, other things. grant rights to unborn children safe and legal abortions for women assistance. 450,000 children wait to laws affecting women's bodies or but only a potential human, it In most situations we do not have lives. Without the availability of safe through our willful sexual acts only has been jeopardized. One must be adopted each year. These babies should not receive the same types of the power to reverse the to take them away again for trivial question the reasoning behind this are not white, nor are they medically and legal abortions, thousands of rights we as actual human beings consequences of our actions without women will continue to die. reasons such as convenience or potential legal upset. Is it to protect perfect. How many of the anti-choice enjoy. Hence any claim of right by denying the rights of some other economic circumstance. This seems fetal rights, or is it another ploy to legislators would be willing to pro­ As compassionate, feeling human the mother supersedes any claim of moral agent. Thus if I damage the beings, we must act on a Pro-choice blatantly unfair to the little creature control women? vide for the life of an "unwanted" right by the fetus. As far as the pro- back end of your car by my reckless brought into existence by direct The Pro-choice stance is crucial child? stance immediately. How can we choice people are concerned, a hu­ driving, I will not be able to make support legislation which dictates to human action. to the survival of women. "Anti- When birth control fails due to man fetus is not alive in the "human" the damage go away without paying a When you take a step back and choice" is "anti-women." Each year ineffectiveness, should the woman women their sexual lives, religious sense, whatever that might be. price. 1 am responsible for the convictions, financial status, and really think about it, the mother's under illegal abortion laws, 200,000 be forced to carry the pregnancy to These are the types of arguments damage because I chose to drive right to choose is a right common women die from illegal abortions. term? The most recent data concern­ available medical attention? Until we are accustomed to hearing when recklessly, instead of, let's say, men and women are respected as both to the pro-life and pro-choice This figure does not include those ing the effectiveness of contracep­ the abortion issue is debated. Unfor­ attentively. If I were to drive away, movements. The former demands women who are mutilated or made tives reports the rate of failure as: equals according to law, the nation's tunately, this debate tends to become leaving you shaking your fist in the health and economy can only get responsible choice, the latter em­ sterile. One woman dies of an illegal pill 1-4%, HJD 1-5%, diaphragms 3- bogged down by the question of fe­ air, I would be denying you your ploys choice as a moral scapegoat. abortion somewhere in the world 17%, condoms 3-10%, withdrawal 20- worse. tus viability outside the mother's right to have your car repaired by "When you make abortions legal, In the world of the abortion every three minutes. So what exactly 25%, foam 3-22%, rhythm 3-21%, and womb, implying that the rights of the me. The consequence of my reckless rights activist everything is permitted does the term "pro-life" stand for? Is the sponge 9-15%. the nation's health improves. When fetus should, if it has rights at all, be­ driving would be a repair bill. My re­ you make abortions illegal, the na­ as long as you can choose your way it not equivalent to "pro-death" con­ Under the proposed Human Life gin when its existence outside the fusing to pay your bill would be im­ out of it. At the very least, the "pro- cerning the lives of women? If so, Amendment, the IUD and some tion's health gets worse." womb becomes an actual possibility. moral, since I would be evading the "In 1979, we almost eliminated choice" activist abuses the concept of then it is in all fairness that I assert forms of birth control would be out­ 1 believe that this empirical responsibility for my original action. choice in a dishonest and irrespon­ that the abortion issue is a complete lawed as "weapons of murder." Ten all cases of women dying due to ille­ approach to the moral status of the Now think about why people gal abortions. Have we not learned sible way. At worst, the whole "pro- power issue. million American women who now fetus is philosophically flawed need abortions in the first place. Ex­ choice" movement denigrates our use the IUD and pills would become our lesson?" Are we going to allow the avail­ because it leaves the moral status of cluding those women who become moral conception of ourselves as au­ criminals guilty of murder. This same -Quotations from the U.S. Health ability of safe and legal abortions to the fetus undecided. Essentially the pregnant by rape or incest, women tonomous human choosers. remain a privilege of the elite? The amendment also allows no exception Department empirical argument grants the pro- become pregnant through an act of July 3rd ruling affects poor and rural for abortion, not even on cases of choice people their claim that a fetus their wills, namely, they choose to women and women of color who rape or incest. Christine J. Erickson is a junior is not morally "alive" until it is bom. participate in sexual intercourse, Eric Bartsch is a senior philosophy English/Women's Studies/African frequently use the public hospital Our government has no right to The real issue lies with the type of whether it be with or without birth andpolicital science major. Diaspora major. emergency rooms for primary health decide this action. The physical act moral status the fetus has in the first control. By freely engaging in sex place, and how a fetus comes about both the male and the female auto­ Abortion pill will escalate a'war on the unborn'

tubing and syringes, and all manner there. The ever-progressive French tribute the drug is the People's Re­ a single fact remains; a life, potential have had this marvel on the market or actual, is terminated. And would expunge, with the fetus, con­ of contraptions. Not to mention the public. This is not only due to the science. Thus, it seems to me, is the now symbolic coat hanger. for more than twelve months under specter of lost revenue as a result ot whereas this will always be the case, the trade name of Mifepristone or the never ending pursuit for the per­ good for the "perfect" abortificant. Now we hear that certain femi­ the massive pro-life boycott which We want to contrive a means of foil­ nist groups are urging their female RU-486. Not to be denied the fruits would ensue, but also because of the fect abortificant will always be fruit­ compatriots to prepare for the com­ of modernity, a coalition of feminists financial liability which any company less. ing the inexorable drive which in­ ing dark age by taking classes in self- and pro-choice advocates have urged would be exposed to as a result ol Perhaps one day, someone says, duces male and female to couple and induced abortions. Some proce­ the Food and Drug Administration to lawsuits. First-generation birth con­ almighty science will concoct the reproduce. Or rather, we want to dures are even being packaged and hasten testing of the pharmaceutical trol methods have created a virtual "perfect" abortificant. The mar­ contrive a means that allows us to mass produced- ready in case of so that the women of America may industry of litigation which today in­ velous tablet would be smaller than a dispose of the product of the erst­ "emergency". The tragedy of such share in this panacea. Surprisingly, volves tens of billions of dollars. children's Tylenol and shall contain while coupling without having to home remedies is that, in many none other than William F. Buckley, The shortcomings of RU-486 are every color of the rainbow. It would feel the remorse which necessarily cases, they are effective only in injur­ Jr., godfather of American conser­ many. In some studies it has been take some twenty minutes to dissolve accompanies such disposal. The ing the mother and maiming the fe­ vatism, shares the aspiration for FDA shown to be only 50 percent effec­ on the pallet during which time the prospect of remaking the reproduc­ tus, which will go through life bear­ approval of the drug believing that, tive. The abortion, should it occur, recipient will experience something tive process in our own image is the ing the scars of such botched at­ while abortion should be illegal, the lasts as long as 72 hours and has akin to a protracted and increasingly fatuous conceit of modem hu­ tempts. safest means (for women) of acquir­ been accompanied by up to a month gratifying orgasm. Karma and total mankind. Like Babel we are bent on Most rational feminists and pro- ing abortion should be made avail­ of bleeding (occasionally requiring knowledge of the universe follow constructing a world unto ourselves, by Gary Matthew Miller choice advocates recognize this fact able until such time as abortion is no transfusions). Most women have re­ soon thereafter. Finally, a sublime a world without consequence, with­ and council against such methods. longer legal. Unfortunately, this is quired prescribed analgesics to ease narcotic would coat the cerebrum out conscience, and with no charity So now that the reactionary Court is one instance in which Mr. Buckley the ensuing pain. "Burning" sensa­ with a guilt-relieving paste, the ef­ for the least among us. has taken an unexamined position. tions and nausea are almost univer- fects of which would last an unauali- No Mercy For What We Are Doing poised to "turn back the clock", the No Thought To Even What We Have Done We Don't Need To Feel The Sorrow No Remorse For The Helpless One Metallica Perhaps one day. . .almighty science will concoct the "perfect" abortificant.

Before the Supreme Court made terminating a pregnancy legal during , - , . , all nine months of gestation, women pro-choice movement has thrown its The Chinese government which sal symptoms. fied lifetime. who felt compelled to have an abor- allegiance to almighty science. Re- has sought every means available to Is my argument thus in favor of Even a extraordinary invention tion often resorted to all manners of searchers in France, it seems, found wa8e war on the unborn, has been continued legalized abortions? such as this would leave humankind Gary Matthew Miller is a senior do-it-yourself solutions. These 'hat certain anti-progesterone a mon8 the first to recognize the l Hardly. Because for all the terrible spiritually impoverished. Because al­ political science major from remedies, as indicative of society's steroids have proved effective in de- which are incumbent on though it would make the passing of Spooner. Wisconsin. KU 3 symptoms undergone by women as a spiritual decline as ever there was, stroying the uterine wall, thus starv- C - - pharmaceutical corn- result of taking this new abortificant, the zygote physically unexacting, it included cocaine overdoses, fishtank ing out the tiny zygote imbedded Panles are no more inclined to dis­

Letters from page 4 Steffey recorrected The Lutheran Church: A hardline approach talked, has nothing whatsoever to do It is not our desire to continue with funding for this school year. Mr. this back and forth letter-writing. Editor's note; The newly merged family, the stage of development of Bergstrom was involved with funding factors responsibly considered, an Once again, though, we must point Evangelical Lutheran Church in The 1978 LCA Convention Min­ the fetus, the economic and psycho­ for last school year and only last induced abortion may be a tragic op­ out errors in Mr. Steffey's letter in America is in the process of drafting utes on the Subject of Abortion logical stability of the home, the laws school year. tion; last week's Messenger. Mr. Steffey be­ a statement on abortion. The ELCA This statement opposes: of the land, and the consequences Thus, Mr. Steffey is incorrect in f. rejects the practice in which for society as a whole," and gins his letter by stating that our let­ stating that we should have inter­ currently supports both resolutions a. Abortion on demand- "Earnest abortion is used for convenient or b. Use of abortion as an altema ter contained "accusations, threats, viewed Mr. Bergstrom instead of as its postion on the issue. consideration should be given to the selfish reasons. tive form of contraception- "the fetus and purported lies." However, he Melissa French, this year's Senator-at- life and total health of the mother, g. recognizes that guilt is a com­ is the organic beginning of human fails to comment on any threats or Large and chair of small group fund­ A Statement of Judgment and her responsibilities to others in her lies, and rightly so, as our letter con­ mon consequence of abortion and life..." ing. The student group involved with Conviction applies to all involved- fathers, tained no threats or lies. A Resolution adopted by the this year's small group funding and mothers, doctors, counselors, and Our "accusation" of "lies and mis­ who makes decisions for the College Tenth General Convention of The the society in which abortion is so leading statements" does hold, and American Lutheran Church which Republican funding for this year, in­ readil)ftolerated; Mr. Steffey again must understand deed was under no pressure. "expresses its corporate voice on an h. believes that because abortion THINb6 TO J, the facts. Therefore, without any issue as it contributes to a public de­ Thim^ Tb WE're Mr. Steffey comments no further has not only lega and medical, but Irvl mind (RgEPINMlND fancy rhetoric, we will point out the upon any of our other so-called bate on that issue" of abortion. also theological, ethical, psychologi­ NOT flaw of the single aspect Mr. Steffey The American Lutheran Church: "threats, and purported lies," as there cal, economic, and social implica­ does articulate in his letter concern­ a. affirms that human life from eeoowes AM are none, and were never any. tions, it is therefore too important a SAflMOi am ing our letter of the previous week conception, created in the image of OPT 1 OKI CO Once again we hope that this let­ decision to be left soley to one per­ CfTW (TT-) Mr. Steffey claims that because of God, is always sacred; ter has clarified any confusion or son; Tou his pamphlets against Reconciled in b. understands that an induced misunderstanding. This letter is not a i. regards civil law as a significant I. dWTiieNce Christ (which were distributed in the abortion ends a unique human life; COMMOM debating of any issue, it is simply a factor in shaping the judgments of SH«lp, late spring, 1989) the "student group c. advocates responsible exercise STMSE presentation of the facts. Mr. Steffey citizens concerning that which is in charge of funding was under sig­ may wish to continue his escapades of sexual and procreative acts so as pressure to cut off funding moral or immoral, good or evil, in nificant inaccuracies, misleading state­ to prevent the temptation to turn to as 'punishment.'" In Mr. Steffey's of the social order; this church de­ FWiTiice ments, and sensationalisms, but the abortion; previous letter he states that this d. deplores the alarming increase plores the abscence of any legal pro­ ...gor facts are simple and clear. tection for human life from the time Z. WE pressure was "to cut off funding to of induced abortions since the 1973 SEA of conception to birth; WE'pE the College Republicans this year." Supreme Court decision and views Therefore, Mike Bergstrom, to whom Peter J. Goodln '90 this as an irresponsible abuse of k. declarfes that life is not only Ncal N. Peterson '90 under sin but also under grace and Not Mr. Steffey believes we should have God's gift of life and a sign of the sin­ PONT fulness of humanity and the broken- urges pastors, medical personnel, and parishioners to exercise their isim WUNH ness of our social order; ^ AND PAW<, c. acknowledges that there may priestly and healing roles under Ycu Christ. ' AcqptrNTS be circumstances when, all pertinent SHoULPti' CAUSE eifber. " PEopiE