May 31, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 10445 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS ABORTION-RIGHTS AND dren, however, does not seem to be the con­ ing" family doctor where the secret would RESPONSIBILITIES cern of the anti-abortionists. be hidden forever. For as long as history has To the people who say, "I object to paying been written, we know that women who do for all these women to have abortions", we not want their pregnancies have aborted HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK can point to how much more it costs society ... too often having to face the problem OF CALIFORNIA to deal with unwanted children who wind alone and paying the price with their own IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES up "in the system" as people burned out on lives. That is an environment we cannot drugs or in prison. or as emotionally recreate for American women. Wednesday, May 31, 1989 handicapped people, unloved and unwanted We would need to see the social stigma Mr. ST ARK. Mr. Speaker, today I would like as children, who spend their whole lives taken out of the act of giving a child for to bring to the attention of my colleagues an trying to figure out why they can't ever adoption; we need to educate "children who article written by a constituent of mine, Ms. "make it" with jobs, relationships, parent­ are having children" before they get preg­ Carol B. Layton. Ms. Layton is the issues ing, etc. Another economic factor is that a nant; we need to have programs that help young woman who becomes a parent and provide nurturing care for children born to management chair for the Bay Valley District has no education, training or personal sup­ mothers who didn't find motherhood the Chapter of Business and Professional Women port system (family> almost always becomes emotionally rewarding fantasy they had en­ in Alameda, CA. Ms. Layton's article is titled a person who has no alternative but to turn visioned and have abandoned or are serious­ "Abortion-Rights and Responsibilities" and is to the "system" for food, clothing, shelter, ly neglecting those children. We must see a thoughtful and well-written piece. I am sub­ and medical care. So, for those people who the children of this nation become a priori­ mitting a copy of the article and I encourage coldly look at the abortion issue simply as ty ... not just "our own children" ... but my colleagues to read it. an economic one, look again. If you think all children. And we must see the people of abortions cost you money, no abortion fund­ our nation put their time and resources on ABORTION-RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ing for this Nation's poor women will cost the line to make it happen. If this is to be a CBy Carol B. Layton> you many more dollars. "kinder and gentler" nation, let's start with The morally offended anti-abortion dem­ To the people who say that there is abso­ helping the people who are here to deal onstrations we are seeing all over the nation lutely no reason for an abortion, rape and with the realities of 1989. In 1989 we do not and in our local papers represent a strange incest included.... we challenge you to seem to be able to effectively deal with the paradox. When the community is trying to work with victims of rape and child abuse massive number of children who are tragic make life better for the children and par­ and then tell us that you can sentence an and frightened victims of society. Those ents who are already here, where are the innocent victim to not only incur the social child victims too often turn into victimizers people who want to mandate that every con­ stigma involved in an unmarried women at worst and dysfunctional adults at best. A ception result in the birth of a child? Where being pregnant, but experience on a daily "kinder and gentler" society must happen are they when work is needed on legislation basis the rapist's child growing within them. for the children who are today's reality. to help pregnant women have healthy preg­ When a victim of rape or incest finds out How can we talk about greatly increasing nancies and safe deliveries? (Are they just she is pregnant it is tragic enough without the number of needy children and adults as offended at the high rate of infant mor­ finding out that a politically persuasive when we cannot help the needy in our tality in Oakland.... and how are they group of people have ruled that she must Nation today? One gets the feeling that we helping those women who have chosen to carry that pregnancy. Anti-abortionists are shoveling sand against the tide of the carry their pregnancies to full term? Where have been quoted as saying that victims of self-serving instead of working with the are they when we work to promote safe rape and incest should either be "medically gifts of knowledge, faith and enlightenment adoption legislation? Where are they when responsible or bear the consequences (the gained in the evolution of the human race. we try to help victims of incest and rape child) whether or not the father (rapist> Abortion ... moral or immoral? I believe it who may be or are pregnant? Where are will participate in the raising of the child." is a choice that a person and their God must they when we work to have child support Do current child support laws have clauses answer together. As a People, we have no laws enforced so that children can eat and which would cover rapists paying to support right to legally mandate that married cou­ be clothed? For the children who are being their illegitimate offspring ... and are the ples have as many children as can be con­ neglected by parents incapable of caring for victims <mother and child) protected against ceived by them; and we have no right to le­ them for as many reasons as there are ne­ being subjected to the "father" for the gally force a woman to have a child she real­ glected children, where are they? eighteen years that child support should be izes that she cannot care for at this point in One of the first lessons taught to most of expected? That line of thinking is not com­ her life. For those who strongly believe that us is .... "with every right there is a re­ patible with human decency and, surely, not they are called to increase an awareness of sponsibility". It is the right of the anti-abor­ what we want to pass on to our daughters the sanctity of life, please look for ways to tion activists to stand up for their beliefs. If and sisters. help create a world where not going their actions, however, bring about changes There are people who say things such as through an abortion is an easier and more that affect human lives, are they ready to "I don't want to listen to the compassionate, acceptable choice. deal with their responsibility to help society bleeding-heart liberals. It is murder to have As Americans, we have the freedom to handle the human lives involved? Judging an abortion." It is meaningful to note that choose how we follow and practice our own from the critical needs in many social serv­ those are rarely the people who are volun­ religious beliefs. We have the right to ice volunteer programs, we think not. We teers working on programs which assist choose what we do with our bodies. We un­ can't help but wonder what their next mor­ women in delivering healthy babies, victims derstand that some vocal people feel they ally offensive target will be. Do they want of rape and incest, drug addiction, child and know the "true way". That is their own per­ us to go back to the environment when it spousal abuse. You see, they usually feel sonal business and they have the right to was <only a short time ago) illegal for non­ that's not their problem . they aren't a personally exercise their beliefs. As Ameri­ married people to cohabitate? In fact, not bleeding heart liberal, and they "take care cans, we have the right to choose what we long ago there were laws forbidding not of their own." believe and what we want to do with our only the purchase of contraceptives on the And lastly, for those who do not remem­ lives and our bodies. We have the right to part of unmarried people .. there were in­ ber what life was like when it was illegal for decide when and how many children we can credibly strong pressures on married people a woman to have a safe abortion, you should afford to have and properly care for. And against practicing any birth control at all. know that thousands and thousands of we have the responsibility to make sure that It's "immoral", you see. Under the same rea­ women died at the hands of unprofessional, every other American has that right equal­ soning that "if God had meant for us to fly, unclean, incompetent "quacks" who took ly. He would have given us wings" comes the advantage of the women who didn't have You cannot, and should not try to, legis­ reasoning that the only purpose of marriage the money or family who could send them late morality. If history is any indicator, is to produce children. .. as often as the away for a "vacation" to either have the whether Roe vs.