EDITORIAL
Ballot box better
for OSPIRG debate
The OSPIRG funding debate has reached a new level.
The ASUO Programs Finance Committee rejected
OSPIRG'* goal statement last term. Now a lawsuit is
going to be filed to ensure that the group is never fund
ed.
The Individual Rights Foundation, which describes
itself as a “non-profit, public-interest law firm" in Los
Angeles, has decided to sue the University in an effort to
cut the funding of OSPIRG. The president of the group
described the upcoming suit as a message to universities
against "backdoor political funding drivelsl"
Backdoor? In the c asa of OSPIRG and a number of stu
dent-run programs at the University, the truth is that the
students did have a say. An election is held every two
years in which students am asked whether OSPIRG
should l>e funded.
Unfortunately, few students choose to participate in
campus elec tions. In fact, fewer than 1,700 students even
voted on the OSPIRG question in the 1004 election. Hut
among .those who did, the measure passed by about 200
votes. It's disheartening to realize that students choose
to have so little say in how their money is spent when
their voice truly counts — at the ballot box
But that doesn't negate the fact that students did, and
continue to have, a say in the system Just because few
chose to vote shouldn't invalidate the views of those stu
dents or the integrity of the electoral system.
Students should solve debates like the OSPIRG fund
ing question at the ballot box during the regular cam
pus ele< lions in the spring It's the reason why time is
spent conducting an election. Student government and
student organizations want to know what students think
about certain issues. When only 1,700 students vote, it
gives the distinct impression that no one cares if OSPIRG
is funded or not.
As has been the oft-repeated slogan of many who sup
port funding OSPIRG, the University is a true market
pln< e of ideas. Financially supporting OSPIRG helps to
contribute another viewpoint to the others on campus
With the lawsuit, the debate over OSPIRG will be leav
ing the juriadh tion of students and entering that of the
legal system. What was a student debate over funding
policy will become a protracted lawsuit that will be
appealed regardless of the outcome. The suit, which
could set precedent for many campus groups, would not
be settled for many months and almost certainly not by
September
Suing the University isn’t the way to resolve the
debate of funding OSPIRG. Students must vote during
campus elections and express their opinions instead of
being apathetic and letting the few decide for the many.
Students had their chance to decide whether OSPIRG
should be funded and they voted to fund the group.
To paraphrase an old saying: if you don't vote, don't
complain later
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■ COMMENTARY
Anti-abortion ad inaccurate, misleading
Wendy Dame
A few wwls ago. this publica
Hon included n 12-page adver
tising insert brandishing the
words "She's a child, not a
choice" across the cover (ODE
Mar 10) The campus and the
community were outraged and
rightfully so.
This has. however, provided
Planned Parenthood with an
opportunity to < lear up a por
tion of the misinformation print
ed in this anti-chon e insert and
provide abortion facts left out
Although our local Planned
Parenthood does not perform
abortions, we do offer reproduc
tive health care, pregnancy and
sexually transmitted infection
counseling and educational pro
grams We have access to a num
ber of resourt «s concerning
pregnancy and abortion and twl
it is critical to clear up at least
some of the misinformation
printed in the insert.
Misinformation »1 What's
wrong with this picture?!
The stages of development of
the fetuses were income t The
insert used the medical date, the
first day of the last menstrual
cycle, rather than gestation,
allowing them to describe and
picture fetuses at least two
weeks more developed than the
developmental stage printed
Misinformation »2—So-< ailed
Post Abortion Syndrome
This condition described by
the insert as women suffering
mental and emotional anguish
follow ing an abortion is a nun
condition completely refuted by
Surgeon General C Kverett Koop
years ago In fact, according to
an article in Science (Apr i>,
1995), the most prominent emo
tional response ol most women
to first-trimester abortions is
relief Neither the American
Psychological Association nor
tlie American Psychiatric Asso
ciation recognize the existenc e
of this condition Another study
entitled “Postpartum and
Postahorlion Psychiatric Reac
lions" shows that serious psy
chiatric disturbances an- less fr*?
quunt after abortion than after
childbirth.
Misinformation * t When are
abortion* typic ally performed?
In more than one article in the
insert, readers are led to believe
then* arc* a great number of abor
tions performed in the second
and even the third trimester.
Only 11 percent of abortions are
performed after 12 weeks. Few
er than 1 percent of abortions
are provided after 21) weeks In
practice, women have act ess to
abortion in the third trimester
only when their lives are in dan
ger or when the fetuses are
severely deformed
Facts the anti-abortion insert
left out
Fact »l—When abortion is
illegal, women die.
Between 1H*T> and 1070, des
peration forced millions of
women (o turn to dangerous
back-alley abortions. Thousands
of women died — at least 100 a
year Thousands more suffered
mutilation, long-term illness
and even sterility Many women
inserted hangers and other sharp
objects into their uteruses. threw
themselves down staircases, or
swallowed lye, bleach, or tur
pentine In 1909. 1H women a
day were admitted to hospitals
in New York City alone for treat
ment of incomplete abortions.
Approximately 1.5 million
safe and legal abortions are pro
vided oat h year in the United
States If abortions were made
illegal once again, the number of
illegal abortions would probably
soar from the current 20,000 to
more than 1.000,000 per year.
The heaviest burden would fall
on young, poor and minority
women who would be forced to
rely on unqualified practition
ers, attempt self-induced abor
tion, or bear unwanted children.
Fact »2—In a single year,
more than a million US
teenagers become pregnant.
Mam of these young women
have little understanding of
Between 1845 and
1970, desperation
forced millions of
women to turn to dan
gerous back alley abor
lions.
their bodies and have begun
having sexual intercourse before
receiving information or coun
seling about ways to prevent
pregnancy. Some have been
raped or sexually abused.
Fact #3—Forty percent of
teenage women who become
pregnant choose to have an
abortion rather than bear a child
at that time.
Teenagers with unplanned
pregnancies face difficult choic
es If they carry to term and keep
the baby they will be more like
ly than other young women to
drop out of s< hoot, dev -
health problems, have their mar
riages end in divorce and live in
poverty the rest of their lives
Since 197?) (Planned Parent
hood opened its teen birth con
trol clinic in 197H), teen preg
nancy in Lane County has
declined 4fi percent and teen
abortions have declined 71 per
cent.
Prevention is the key.
Although abortion as an
option must always lie available
for women, prevention is the
lmst alternative. It is crucial that
education programs are made
available for everyone These
programs should include pre
vention of pregnancy and sexu
ally transmitted infection, as
well as decision making skills to
delay sexual activity.
Silence and ignorance can lie
deadly. Misinformation, such as
that presented in the anti-abor
tion insert, does nothing but
mislead, discriminate against
and degrade women.
Wendy Dame is the board presi
dent for Planned Parenthood
Health Senices of Southwestern
Oregon