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Letters to the editor
Reality Check
Lately, there has been talk about abortion and I felt the need to make a few comments as a person actually affected by abortion legislation, in other words, a woman. I read Mr. Whitman's letter (“A Clarification on Rights,” Oct. 21, 2002) and I do agree that people should be more responsible about sex because of the “risk” of pregnancy.
However, I also live in the real world, where seemingly the entire culture surrounding young people trivializes sex yet sees unwanted pregnancies as punishment for bad behavior, mostly on the part of the woman. This leads me to a point ignored by Mr. Whitman's letter: the responsibility of the father. Mr. Whitman argues that “it is very immature for a woman to say, ‘I’ll sacrifice a human life for a good time,’” but what about the necessary maturity levels for men? Are they not also immature for having sex without thinking about the possibility of having that “good time” result in a child?
As for the issue at hand, Mr. Whitman is correct that we should remember that every unborn child has enormous potential, but we cannot then forget the very real and often very scared human being carrying that child. About a year ago, I had a conversation with a friend wherein she told me that her best friend in high school got pregnant. Her friend kept her baby, but commented on her peers’ hostility towards her, regardless of how much sex they themselves are having. Her friend was able to handle the social backlash of being a young, unprepared mother, but some people are not.
Take the extreme example of the freshman at UW-Eau Claire who died giving birth earlier this year in her dormitory bathroom to a child that NO ONE KNEW SHE HAD. This young woman’s almost pathological fear of the ramifications of her pregnancy led to her death and left her child without a mother.
I am not arguing that these people should have had abortions, or even that abortions are appropriate in these circumstances, but that our society offers people like them almost no support.
Yes, perhaps these people might have been more careful, but in the real world, people have sex without thinking and “accidents,” like the creation of new life, happen. However, instead of supporting these people who bring a new person into the world, we ostracize them. Many face the loss of a job or parent’s support in their time of greatest need. Thankfully, things are beginning to change, but with the lack of affordable childcare, education, or adequate jobs, we have a long way to go.
In this atmosphere, it is not surprising that a person faced with an unwanted pregnancy would seek an abortion. To some, that may appear to be a selfish choice. But remember this, until we stop seeing "accidental" pregnancies as punishment and create a world where having a baby does not interrupt a woman's own goals (after all, what is better for a child than a happy parent?), women will make that choice, whether we as individuals like it or not and regardless of any laws.
Ursula Arnold
Senior, History and Ethnic Studies
Editor’s note:
Mr. Whitman did originally address the issue of the responsibility of the father with respect to pregnancy. However, due to the length of his letter, we had to cut parts out. This was part of what was cut. We apologize for any misconceptions, and, at the same time, urge people to keep their letters close to the 350-word capacity so as to prevent this from happening in the future.
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