Anti-abortion lobby
requests legislation
By GREG WASSON
Of the Emerald
SALEM — Medical science
constantly is divising new meth
ods to peer inside the womb.
For instance, Down’s Syndrome
now can be detected before
birth, and prospective parents
are better able to decide
whether to continue a preg
nancy.
For some, the decision is
made long before conception.
An increasing number are
choosing voluntary sterilization.
But what if a baby who was
supposed to be born healthy is
born a Mongoloid? Or someone
who thought the reproductive
machine had been turned off
becomes pregnant?
In some states parents are
allowed to bring a lawsuit
charging the doctor with
wrongful life — except for the
doctor’s mistake, this child
would not have been born.
Oregon Right to Life finds
such practices distasteful. The
group has requested legislation
prohibiting suits based on such
claims.
According to Rita Radich, an
attorney working with the
group, HB 2070 represents the
philosophy that "any life is an
asset and should never be
viewed as a liability."
In a situation where steriliza
tion fails, Radich says blocking
suits from wrongful life doesn't
mean people can’t recover.
"You could figure damages
on the mental anguish. Or per
haps the anguish of going
through an operation that’s not
successful and has to be
repeated Those kinds of
damages would be appropriate
"But I would hate to see, and
this bill tries to show, that we
should not list those damages in
terms of the price of a child."
Rep. Margie Hendriksen, D
Eugene, a member of the House
Judiciary Committee where the
bill now sits, disagrees.
"The courts have to catch up
with reality and recognize that
life isn’t always beautiful, that it
costs substantial sums to raise a
child."
The Right to Life group, or as
Hendriksen calls it, the compul
sory pregnancy movement, also
has requested two other bills.
SB 363 requires the Health
Division to compile and publish
statistics on abortion complica
tions. Another prohibits the use
of government money for most
abortions.
Rep. Peg Jolin, D-Cottage
Grove, added her name to the
list of sponsors on the reporting
bill but refused to sign the
legislation cutting off the funds.
"I’m not certain I should have
the right to tell someone they
can or cannot have an abortion.
I think that's a personal deci
sion.”
One sponsor of the cutoff,
Sen Mike Thorne, D-Pendleton,
agrees that the decision to abort
is a personal one but says that
many are using abortion as a
method of birth control
"And that choice comes at
the expense of others. I feel that
there are other ways of accom
plishing the objective of birth
control short of abortion."
Another of the 10 sponsors —
who don't include any of the 18
women in the Legislature —
Rep. Lonnie Roberts, D-Port
land, says he usually shies away
from imposing his morals on
other people, but he can't on
the abortion issue. However, he
allows that there are exceptions
to every rule.
"Rape, incest, the health of
the mother — these are not in
the exact same line as the major
question of abortion. These are
exceptions.”
The bill contains no provision
for pregnancies that result from
rape or incest
Hazing
Continued from Page 1
Olum said hazing lies in the
"consequences'’ of the actions,
and embarrassment and phy
sical and mental injury consti
tute “hazing. ” Hazing is
prohibited because of incidents
that have resulted in injuries, he
said.
"Whether (this particular in
cident) fits the definition of haz
ing gets close to semantics,”
Olum said. "But I think it’s a
mistake, and they ought to be
controlled.
Hallquist, who says he was
shocked to learn of the injuries,
says hazing is the exception
rather than the rule.
“To my knowledge, it is not a
common practice."
University pledges are
required, beginning last year, to
sign a "hazing contract” pledg
ing not to participate in hazing
activities, Hallquist says. And
while they’ve been helpful, Hall
quist is re-examining the
process to see if a problem ex
ists.
Hallquist says fraternity life
and pledge treatment is nothing
like that portrayed in the film
"Animal House," the hit frater
nity farce filmed at the Universi
ty
"Movies like Animal House'
really hurt us,” Hallquist says.
“All that stuff is bullshit. And you
can quote me on that.”
Hallquist says pledges are
more likely to be asked to study
house history and tradition and
participate in small house
chores or functions. But this
varies among fraternities and
universities, and a generaliza
tion is impossible, he says.
Hazing incidents by individual
fraternity members are handled
through the student conduct
code and the IFC tribunal. If it is
a fraternity activity, then the
house is subject — if found guil
ty — to suspension by the
University. That’s the strongest
action the University can take
Suspension effectively des
troys fraternities on campus,
Olum said.
"We have a waiting list of fra
ternities that would like to get
re-established here.”
Currently, Bowlin and a na
tional Kappa Sigma alumni or
ganization are investigating the
recent accident. Their reports
will be used in determining
whether individuals or the fra
ternity will be penalized for the
accident.
Hallquist says the intent of
fraternities is to make pledges
“good house members,” and
there are local and national
requirements for doing that.
But members and former
members report that activities
like early morning five-mile
runs, forcing pledges to stay up
all night and forcing naked
pledges to jump into the Mill
race while sorority women
watch are not uncommon.
Likewise, “Millracing” — toss
ing members into the Millrace —
is not unusual.
Do these activies constitute
hazing?
"It all depends on where you
draw the line,” says one former
pledge.
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