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Editor:
In the debate surrounding abortion, many people seem to have forgotten the fact that abortions happen. Throughout history women have undergone abortions for reasons ranging from poor health to inability to support another child. The most popular forms of abortion during the beginning of this century were arsenic, poisonous plants, and physical trauma. These methods were no safer than the dirty knives used by doctors before the legalization of abortion.
The idea that alternatives to abortion exist is appeasing, but such alternatives remain highly problematic. Pregnant women consider abortions for an endless variety of reasons. These reasons can include: danger to the mother in bringing a child to full term; unexpected pregnancy of a woman who faithfully used contraceptives; pregnancy resulting from rape; pregnancy resulting from molestation of young women; and pregnancy resulting from a lack of knowledge about contraceptives. Each pregnancy is unique in situation and circumstance. Outlawing abortion because alternatives exist remains problematic. Children and teenagers do not have guaranteed access to sex education, the methods of contraception have remained fairly stagnant for over 30 years because of limited research funds, contraception is not infallible, and the adoption system sometimes falls short in its screening process.
Even if these problems are solved, forbidding the pregnant woman from making this decision cannot be justified. Only she knows what is right for her, only she can evaluate her circumstances. As a society, we can promote sex education, we can demand more research toward better contraceptives, and we can lobby for a better screening process for adoptive parents. What we cannot do is predict every situation and circumstance of every pregnancy and guarantee that a woman will have access to an abortion if her health is in danger or if she has been raped or molested. What we need to realize is that no cut and dry answer exists in the issue of abortion. The only way to protect women who have extraordinary circumstances is to guarantee the right of every woman to an abortion in a relatively safe environment.
Shannon S. Churchey
English education junior
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