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
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and Thursday during the summer session except during
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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
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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
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