So what are you doing next Sunday? For the first time since February, the correct answer is not "watching the NASCAR race." As everyone knows by now, Sunday is the March For Women's Lives. Folks, there is nothing better than having a totally black-and-white divisive issue rear its ugly head on our campus. The Eagle covered the debate on campus last issue. Unfortunately, the two editorials were decidedly "anti-choice." It saddens me that no one out there was willing to write an editorial about the importance of a women's right to choose. I have a humor column, so it's out of place for me to address the issue in a serious manner, but I would like to make some points to refute some of the contentions made in the previous Eagle.
First and foremost, pre-viability induced abortions and medicinally necessary induced abortions are legal. No matter how many people write anti-choice editorials, this isn't going to change. The Supreme Court does not have the majority or the guts to overturn an important constitutional right. Abortion is legal and it will be legal for a while. This march is not to convince anyone of the benefits of abortion. I assume the organizers know that everyone's mind is made up on the issue so there is little hope of anything drastic happening anytime soon.
No, the March For Women's Lives is to make sure that people have the opportunity to exercise their constitutional rights, whether you like it or not. It isn't just about abortion either.
It's about family planning. It's about making sure people have access to birth control, something AU has failed at miserably. It's not about the choice to have an abortion; rather, it's about having the choice to raise a family. Jason Richwine's sickening editorial mocked a single mother who chose to have her children by implying that she chose to separate her children from male role models. No, she got pregnant and chose to raise a family. Rather than being forced to have children that she could not take care of or children she simply did not want, she chose to be a mother of two. What Richwine doesn't seem to get is that single people have sex, and sex, even with birth control, can lead to children. Instead of praising her for not getting abortions, he mocks her for being promiscuous.
Richwine also mocks the people who are for abortion rights for the purposes of protecting rape and incest victims. Many avid anti-abortionists understand where this perspective comes from, but Richwine doesn't. He mocks the idea of abortion preventing rape and incest. Anyone who reaches the conclusions that Richwine shares with us really doesn't even deserve an opinion on the subject. Once again, let me clarify with a syllogism: sex can lead to pregnancy, rape and incest involve sex; ergo, rape and incest can lead to pregnancy. Forcing a victim of sexual violence to raise the child of the violator is horrifying.
Even the attack of the title of the March for Women's Lives has taken some hits. But, guess what - it's perfectly accurate. Abortion does not kill people. A fetus is a potential human being. Most abortions, which are performed in the first trimester, remove a fetus that is without a developed brain, heart, lungs or even gender. So, abortion does not kill baby girls.
It is not the "March for SOME Women's Lives" as anti-abortionists would have you believe. Fetuses are not women. You know what's more common than abortion?
Masturbation. Sperm are potential women too. Yet no one gets that caught up when millions die on a Kleenex or on the shower floor.
One thing I cannot debate is the morality of abortion. If you believe abortion is immoral, then you have every right to oppose it. I am personally torn on this issue. Of course, my morality should have little impact on the morality of hundreds of millions of women. Abortion is a tough subject, and I truly respect the views of most pro-lifers. Alan Griffith's editorial in the last edition of The Eagle was a beautiful example of a anti-abortionist defending his views passionately, respectfully and, most importantly, sanely. With an issue that really brings out the crazies, Griffith has shown himself to be a truly insightful writer. I, obviously, disagree with him. So it goes. However, I would hate for people to read the likes of Richwine and characterize all anti-abortion advocates as being that ridiculous. No matter what your viewpoint, try to respect your opponent.
That being said, I expect anyone with an interest in abortion politics to show up at this march. Even if you're a counter-protestor, you should go. It's going to be the sort of experience that you will remember for the rest of your lives, and I wouldn't miss it for the world. Go, even if it means missing the NASCAR race.
