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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 18, 1985)
editorial Abortion is symptom, not cause of problem The administration, in deciding to ask the Supreme Court to reverse the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that legalist ed abortion, is barking up the wrong tree. Abortion is a symptom, not a cause. Unwanted pregnancy is the cause of the problem. Instead of forcing women who want abortions into seeking illegal or self-induced abortions, the ad ministration should attempt to reduce the number of un wanted pregnancies. But, ironically, the administration that is now asking for a ban on abortion, is the same administration that has cut all federal funds from the international Planned Parenthood Federation, and cut a substantial chunk of funds from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. A primary func tion of these organizations is to prevent unwanted pregnan cy. and thus abortion, through education and birth control. The administration cut funding of Planned Parenthood clinics, some of which perform abortions, in order to stop federal funding of abortion. But the largest single source of federal funding of family planning clinics is through Title 10, the funds of which are prohibited from funding abor tions. Primarily because of Title 10 slashing, the clinics that have remained open have been forced to eliminate pro grams, aiso. in addition to hundreds of thousands of unintended pregnancies that could have been prevented, the Portland Planned Parenthood affiliate reports that its federal funding isn’t nearly enough to cover the costs of treating low-income patients. So women who can least afford to have an unwanted pregnancy are the ones threatened with the loss of family planning services. The Alan Guttmacher Institute, a research affiliate of Planned Parenthood, estimates that the cuts will actually cost money. It was estimated that during the 1970s. for every dollar spent to fund family planning clinics. $2 for short term health care and welfare costs for the following year was saved. For teen-agers. $3 was saved. In other words, family planning clinics were able to prevent pregnancies that would have resulted in these costs. Also, according to a 1984 estimate by the National Center for Health Statistics, one-half of all welfare payments in the United States are made to women who gave birth as teen-agers. The administration also sought to undermine the effec tiveness of the clinics through the so-called “squeal rule” that would have required notification of the parents of teen age girls seeking prescription birth control, the delusion blinding the administration and other “squeal rule” sup porters is that if birth control is not available, young people will quit having sex. But a 1982 Guttmacher study revealed that the policy would prevent 25 percent of all teen-agers from visiting family planning clinics, but only two percent would quit having sex. The obvious outcome? More un wanted teen-age pregnancies. And even though the proposal was never enacted, teen-age visits to family planning clinics dropped considerably because teen-agers heard about the proposal and thought that it was in effect. It is also surprising that people opposed to abortion are also frequently opposed to sex education. Keeping young people in the dark about sex and pregnancy isn’t going to prevent anyone from having sex. Instead, young people will receive misinformation about sex arid birth control, which will lead to disease and unwanted pregnancy. No one likes abortion. Instead of bickering over who should or should not get an abortion, self avowed “pro choice" and “pro-life" activists should combine forces to battle the real problem, the preponderance of unwanted pregnancies that occur each year. r ——■■■' Oregon doily emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald is published on Tuesdays and Thursday during the summer session except during exam week and vacations by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co., at the University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403 The Emerald operates independently of the Universi ty with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a member of the Associated Press. The Emerald is private property The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law Oeneral Staff Advertising Director Production Manager Classified Advertising Assistant to the Publisher Susan Thelen Russell Steele Vince Adams Jean Ownbey Advertising Sales Tim Clevenger, Michael Gray, Nancy Nielsen, David Wood Production Vince Adams, Kelly Cornyn, Stormi Dykes, Kathy Gallagher, Kelly Neff, Mtchele Ross, Peg Solonika, Karen Stallwood, Colleen Tremaine, Hank Trotter D... i Classification The resolution by the Eugene Planning Committee that com panies. locating facilities in the proposed high technology research park not be permitted to do research or development there which "the clearly foreseeable and probabl' result of which, the direct application of which, or any specific pur pose of which, is to destroy human life or to incapacitate human beings." while probably well intended^ is exactly the kind of resolution I would want, the University to adopt if I were the head of a firm planning to do chemical-biological warfare research there. No University committee could ever control what went on there under such a vague non committal resolution. Any at tempt to do so vyould be endlessly frustrated in haggling over definitions, and. if the research were classified, the committee wouldn't even know' what ihey were dealing with. Chemical-biological warfare research is typical of many kinds of secret research likelydo be done there, which would benefit most from association with our scientists and experfs in molecular genetics, biochemistry, etc., and which could be done under the guise of innocent basic research. If research and development is consonant with the spirit of science, and with the best in terests of humanity, it can be done openly. We must insist that any work done at, or in association with, our University, be open. Editor Managing Editor, Ne-vs Editor Editorial Page Editor Entertainment Editor Photo Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Administration Higher Education, Community • Student Activities Features Julie Shippen Diana Elliott Michelle Brence Sheila Landry Karen Stallwood Julie Shippen Kirsten Bolin Scott McFetrldge Julie Freeman Marly Schwarzbauer Reporters Sean Axmaker, Robert Collias, Allan Lazo, Linda Hahn, Chris Hazen Photographers Steven Gibbons. Jim Marks, Ross Martin, Hank Trotter, News end Editorial Display Advertising and Business Classified Advertising Production Circulation 688-5511 6863712 •86-4343 688-4381 888-5511 NO CLASSIFIED RESEARC )H PERIOD! This, it least, is clear' and unambiguous, and would better approach what the planning committee jg trying to a< compiish (or evade). Bayard McConnaughey ' Biology Constitution . The Emerald’s observation (ODE. July 11) that the Supreme Court's recent church/state "rulings were based on inter pretations of the Establishment Clause of the First- Amend- • .nient..." is like saying that' Opus the penguin's ditty "Hey big mama, I'm a-Ieavirt'. you. . „" (The Register Guard, July 7) is based op “interpreta tions" . of Mozart's . "Love Trilogy." ‘ Opus' musical "interpreta tions" are better described as transmutations since they bear no resemblance to historical reality. 4 Which brings me to the sub? ject of constitutional history: You folks should look into it. Begin, by reading justice William Rehnquist's 22-page dissent in the Alabama case. -Ren.q'uist, says .columnist George Will.. (The' Register Guard, July 7). "served up a . historical essay proving that the authors of the Establishment Clause intended to prevent par-' tiality toward any particular sect, not to require neutrality, between religion . and irreligion.” After that, read John Whitehead’s. "The Second American Revolution." Whitehead serves up a 212-page historical essay proving that the authors of the Establishment Clause intended to prevent par tiality toward any particular Christian sect, not to require neutrality between Christianity and secularism. Whitehead also shows how modern methods of constitu tional "interpretation" can transmute the.words "Congress shall make no law respecting an estabiismnent of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. .. ” (please note the lat ter clause) into the Emerald’s apparent preference: "Students in Bugtussle should not 'be allowed to meet in public school classrooms to read the Bible and pray.’” Tom Visoky Journalism Live Aid There is a bitter misanthropy evident throughout Diana.'*. KllltiM's comments on the-Uye Aid concert ((JDK. July. 16) < :or** talr.ly, ihpre are many actions • ; and comiiiitments that-can In- • . pursued- in the causa of an'ding- '» .world hunger beyond a rtx.k 'if. roll telethon, and -virtually 'V 'everyone- who. part hi pared as entertainers or viewers would. agree- But Diana begrudges . - these people thyafr charitable ac*'. • tions for-.' motives, that* are dishonest and apparently! self- >' deceptive. _ (Perhaps her self-.' esteem rises liv putting oilier : people down.)' ■ F'.irft oTall, $70 million is not , . a «■'trivial’* Vunr, .anywhere; anyhow.’ Second, ."stop-gap ’• .measures" are exactly what'is needed.- right now. here In the' real -world.. Diana seems’o to ; prefer.t^at drought victims, in Africa starve to death* rather-' • than receive, short term aid for long term problems. Third ..the concert was expressly for world ' hunger Relief, net just Kthiopia..- • Fourth; Tire sacrifice und. com •„ mitment of tpany people involv ed with f.ive Aid. most notably.- ,j. Bob Oeldorf. was obvious from the fact that the'whole' thing worked. When she disparages'. .\ the motives of^the:entertainers. Diana seems jealous of their success as fund* raisers — let. along of their other successes. • Finally. let us honor .Peace' Corps volunteers and work for substantial change to end world hunger, but hot at the expense of other peoples' charity. World hunger is a big problem with a , . long way to go. Every little bit' from everyone helps. ‘ Hershel Stern Graduate Student Geography Letters Policy The Kmerald will attempt to print all haters containing fair comment on topics of Interest to the University community. letters to the oditor must be limited to 250 words, typed, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is turned in. The Kmerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style. let ters to the editor should be turn ed Into the Kmerald office, Suite 300, EMU.
