I have a friend and former roommate who has a penchant for reading Cosmo. Every now and then, I must confess, I felt compelled to borrow her copy. Call it a morbid sense of humor.
In one issue, there was a feature on abortion, which included a series of quotes of people's views on the subject. The most disturbing part was the few quotes, from both men and women, which said that a man should have the right to decide to have an abortion, regardless of whether the woman who's actually pregnant wants it.
Keith Wiley's letter to the Daily Lobo last Thursday called those quotes to mind. For his demand that "men and women alike" have the right to determine the outcome of their genetic material to be possible, men that don't want to reproduce would have to be able to force women to terminate accidental pregnancies. I hope that wasn't really his intent, but it's still pretty creepy.
As much as I would never take away anyone else's choice to have an abortion, I would never want anyone to take away my choice not to.
If some day I do become pregnant unintentionally, I'll want to discuss the decisions that have to be made with the person whose sperm was involved. But this new life would be inside me, and I couldn't give anyone the right to force me to cut it out.
That was one of the more peculiar remarks of the week. But it was only one of many.
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Let's talk about this whole business of people wanting the display kicked off campus. The main thrust of the argument was that it was gross and offensive and nobody wants to see that while they're walking to class.
If being gross and offensive were an adequate reason to limit free speech, I'm pretty sure I'd have been executed by now.
To be perfectly frank, I wasn't grossed out by the exhibit. Actually, I wasn't much affected at all. Abortion isn't pretty. I hope nobody thought it was. Though I will continue to support a woman's right to choose to have or not have an abortion, I would hope that decision can be made with a full understanding of what abortion is.
That said, the display was base, sensationalized, oversimplified and misleading. Unless you stopped and talked to the exhibitors, no effort was made to appeal to reason, or anything more complex than disgust.
I'm glad that they did it here, and not in front of an abortion clinic, where the decision is hard enough. For those people who have had an abortion, or are in the process of making that decision now, I truly empathize. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have to deal with those images under those circumstances.
For everyone else, I think you'll live.
I've saved for last my personal favorite comment of the week. While I was hanging out at the "Your Mama Had A Choice Carnival" on Tuesday between classes, this guy stopped by the table. He said to the woman behind it, "I guess you're right. It would have been nice if your parents had had an abortion."
Well, gee, I guess I'll just have to run right out and join the Pro-Life Party.
I have another confession to make: I was an oops. My parents considered having an abortion. I'm glad - though I'm sure that guy isn't - that my parents made the choice to keep me. I'm glad that they're still happy about that choice; that I've been worth all their effort and love over the years. I'm glad that I have parents that make it so easy to honor my mother and father.
Still, knowing that my parents could have decided to end my life before it ever started doesn't make me want to take that choice away from everyone else.
Abortion is just another one of those subjects for which there are no simple answers. So I guess I can't despise anyone for their viewpoint, as long as they don't try to force me to live by it.
by Sari Krosinsky
Daily Lobo Columnist
Ignore everything Sari Krosinsky just said and send personal attacks to michal_kro@hotmail.com.
