EDITORIAL
Bombs are falling;
does anybody care?
Familiarity breeds complacency, or so it would seem
after the latest round of bombings in Iraq, just this past
week, the United States unleashed $30 million worth of
Tomahawk missiles into a Baghdad suburb. Ho hum
Another day, another air raid.
liven the fact that one of the missiles struck a hotol
in downtown Baghdad failed to raise more than a cur
sory. "Huh?"
Without discussing the justification for the attacks,
shouldn't any use of American military force be of ut
most concern to the American people? Who do you
think paid for those $30 million firecrackers?
From 1941 to 1975. the American military was en
gaged in a virtual merry-go-round of war. and through
the miracle of television. America became desensitized
to the act of war. Sure, they were weary of the burden,
but seeing bombs fall and bullets flv raised no more in
terest than the daily weather report.
After a five-year respite, the military proved it had
sunk to new lows when it failed miserably in its at
tempt to rescue the American hostages in Tehran
America's elite forces i ouldn't even get airborne.
Not until Oct. 25, 1983, did America begin utilizing
its armed forces. On that day, I S. Marines and Army
Rangers defeated a group of Cuban construction work
ers and liberated American medical students trapped
on the island of Grenada.
This was big news. Regular programming was in
terrupted, newspapers ran banner headlines on the
front page, and the topic of discussion everywhere fo
cused on the use of American forces.
Three years later. American planes bombed Tripoli,
Libya, and again American responded with shock,
anger or joy. But at least it responded. There was inter
est.
Since 1989. U.S. troops have been increasingly ac
tive, beginning with the invasion of Panama and ending
most recently with the Persian Gulf War.
It seems to bo a result of the latter conflict that Amer
ica has grown bored with the image of American bombs
flattening numerous buildings.
Technically, tho United States can justify its actions
because the war isn't officially over. Rather, there is, or
at least was, a cease-fire in place. The cease-fire agree
ments have been violated and renewed action is legally
justifiable.
But that shouldn't be cause for apathy. Military ac
tion puts lives at risk and creates huge economic costs
for those on either side of the barrel.
When Americans cease being interested in the ac
tions of their military, the ability of tho military to act
unilaterally, without being forced to answer for its ac
tions, increases dangerously.
If the media, including this paper, are doing their
jobs, tho American people should have no excuse for
being disinterested. Pay attention.
Daily
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Second-hand Smoke.
COMMENTARY
New rulings obscure Roe vs. Wade
By Sally Sheklow
'an. 22. ll)‘i t. marks the 20th
anniversary of Koe vs Wade
Twenty years of safe, legal —
n not always m < essible — abor
tion Tor supporters of women's
rights around the country, this
is a time of celebration and
refit* turn
Although we are nil pleased
to be celebrating the 20th anni
versary of Koe vs, Wade and the
inauguration of the new pro
choice administration, we sadly
remember the hypocrisy, dan
ger and fear that engulfed the
lives of women during the "bad
old days" when abortion was
illegal.
f’rior to legalization, abortion
complications had reached epi
demit proportions Many hos
pitals throughout the country
had specific wards sot up to
treat women for uterine perfo
ration. hemorrhage, massive
pelvic infection and incomplete
abortion. Untold numbers of
women died in these wards
Many women never made it to
the hospital.
Ur Sam Harr was a physician
in Pittsburgh during the 1950s
and 1960s. Horrified at the
many abortion complications
he witnessed during his tenure,
ho recalls one particular wom
an's situation (as cited in A
Woman's Hook of Choices .
(Talker th Downer. 1992):
"I'll never forget one patient
She was 32 years old and the
mother of two children She
was admitted through the emer
gency room Her symptoms
were relatively mild Her pelvis
was moderately tender and her
uterus was only slightly en
larged, hut she did have a posi
tive pregnancy test.
"There was one other finding
a small puncture point with a
little hit of bleeding at the
entrance to her uterus ... 'I had
to do it.' she said I went to this
ladv who put a coat hanger up
in me ' With luck I thought the
worst diagnosis would be that
this woman's bladder had been
perforated That would not he
pleasant, but hopefully there
would he no systematic prob
lem.
"1 started massive antibiotic
treatment immediately, begin
ning w ith several transfusions
to replace the blood she had
lost. Three hours later. I learned
I was wrong The laboratory
studies indicated an in fee tion
with gas gangrene I found
her slipping rapidly into heart
failure
"The last thing I remember
her saving to me was. 1 know
you tried Figure some way to
tell my kids, they won’t under
stand at all. Tell them for me
somehow, 1 don't want them to
think me bad ' She lost con
sciousness. and then a little bit
later, just before dawn, she
died "
Women's stories of illegal and
dangerous abortions were com
monly shared in the con
sciousness-raising groups of the
late 1960s and early 1970s Le
gal access to abortion came to
be seen as a prerequisite to
women s equality.
Feminists understood that in
order for women to have control
over their lives — or perhaps
even to contemplate their own
future — women had to have
c ontrol over their child bearing.
Reform came gradually. Abor
tion was available m a few
states, hut the vast majority of
women who needed them
couldn't afford the travel ex
penses and exorbitant cost of
the hospital sta\ required in
some states
In sonut of those states, wom
en were forced to undergo a
psychiatric evaluation Women
in Oregon were required to con
sult with a physician who had
to substantiate that continued
pregnancy threatened the wom
an's health The humiliation,
duress and barriers to health
care created by these require
ments meant that many women
could not obtain abortions.
Finally, in 1973, the U S. Su
preme Court handed down the
Roe vs Wade decision In it, the
court said that the "right of pri
vacy ... founded in the 14th
Amendment's concept of per
sonal liberty is broad enough
to encompass a woman's deci
sion whether or not to terminate
her pregnancy.”
The court held that the state
had no compelling interest in
regulating abortion in the first
trimester of pregnancy and
could only regulate sei ond tri
mester abortions to protec t
women's health For the first
time in more than 100 years, in
every state in the nation. .1
woman could legally exercise
i ontrol over her own body
Roe vs Wade was the first
major victory in a long war that
is still being waged against
women Over the past 20 years,
the legislatures and courts have
. been grinding away at redin mg
the protei turns granted in Roe
to such an extent that women's
health is imperiled
Medicaid funding ( ills, pa
rental consent, waiting periods,
state-mandated anti-abort ion
informed consent, gag rules and
viability testing are some of the
major setbacks for women.
Women's act ess to abortion
has been hampered by mail
bombs, vandalism, assaults,
blockades, pi* kets, arson and
harassment from Operation Res
cue, Right to Life and other reli
gious extremists and terrorists
for years.
The Supreme Court's deci
sion last week condoned vio
lence outside abortion clinics
by saying there were no consti
tutionally based protections for
women seeking abortion. The
( ourt has once again denied
women's rights to make u pri
vate dec ision unhampered by
the stati* and abandoned vital
legal protection outside of med
ical facilities
(The Feminist Women's
Health Center's injunction and
judgment against Advocates for
Life is under appeal, but rever
sal is doubtful because the legal
issues involved are different
than those involved in last
week's Brav decision. Our in
junction currently remains in
full force).
It is crucial that the public
not be lulled into complacent y
after the election of a prochoice
president Restrictions on a
woman's ability to obtain an
abortion — and anti-abortion
terrorism — will continue
unless we fight to stem the tide
of regressive legislation and re
pressive court decisions
The protections provided by
Roe vs. Wade are becoming
dangerously obscured. This is
creating a crisis in the lives of
women in need of reproductive
health care.
Sally Sheklow is develop
ment director for the Feminist
Women 's Health Center