There's this window, a very notorious window as it were, looking out on the LA quad from the bottom floor-sorry, I mean "terrace"- of Letts Hall. Plastered across said window are posters of the consummate Republican: go Reagan, vote Bush, think pro-life. While a small portion of relief comes from Kerry, Nader and pro-choice signs hanging in their respective adjacent windows, I kind of shudder and cringe every time I walk by. It's not what I would generally consider a pleasant site, especially to a Democrat such as myself who considers herself miles past liberal when it comes to social issues.
I've long been a staunch advocate of the freedom of choice. I side with the full interpretation of the First Amendment. I believe that censorship is not the answer. And I think that no one has the right to make decisions for us, especially ones as personal as abortion.
With the possibility of a law regulating abortion, I only fear the worst, particularly with a conservative president in office. If we outlaw abortion, that doesn't mean people stop going to abortion clinics, it only means the process will go underground, risking the mother as well as the fetus. The operation will become even more dangerous, and that is not a chance I am prepared to take.
But, of course, there is the classic argument of religion. Christianity is against abortion because it says that the soul enters the fetus the moment of conception. Well guess what? Judaism believes that the soul enters the baby with its first breath. Judaism also believes that the health of the mother is significantly more important than that of the fetus. What if this law is passed but the mother is not Christian? According to the First Amendment, we have freedom of religion. It is unconstitutional to pass a law that would exclude some religions and elevate others and that's exactly what would happen.
In the end, I fear that such a law could be too general. My main opposition to abortion is the what-ifs that are not taken into consideration. People generalize: Killing babies is bad. Now, don't assume that I endorse murder. I don't. I'm just more willing to put the mother before the fetus. What if she's raped? What if she could die carrying the baby to term? What if she or the child is mentally ill and the parents aren't equipped to deal? What if the baby is brought into an abusive home? Some of these scenarios could be countered with adoption, but that's not your decision to make, and it is certainly not mine. And because these situations could be dealt with in a multitude of ways, the parents should reserve the right to choose. And that is the point right there. Because there is choice, no one can take it away. End of story.
But don't go and have an abortion if you don't want to. You have the freedom not to do so; you have the freedom to choose whatever you want. So shouldn't people who want an abortion have the same right? Why should some people be given freedom of choice and not others?
Wouldn't you want the choice if it was brought up to you? To choose whatever you want? I would hope so.
Robyn Azbug is a freshman in the School of Communication.
