Letter to the Editor (Boston Free Press), Printed October 1993

22 September 1993

52 Buswell St # 7

Boston, MA 02215

To the editor:

As I read the rather murky editorial endorsing Northeastern University's

new policy providing coverage of abortions, I got a chilling glimpse into

the ignorance and naivete that gives rise to situations like the torching

of an abortion clinic briefly mentioned on page two of the same issue. The

editor's waffling, upon closer examination, was actually a thinly disguised

piece of "pro‑life" rhetoric and displayed a phenomenal lack of knowledge

about the realities behind the abortion issue.

I have been fortunate enough never to have been faced with an unwanted

pregnancy, but several of my close friends were not so lucky. The editor's

fears that "partners may become careless and casual when having sex if the

'security' of an inexpensive abortion" becomes available are completely

unfounded. Everything I have heard about such a procedure leads me to

believe it is a most unpleasant experience, not something one would use "as

a form of birth control". The editor further reveals his bias by raising

the issue of parental consent. Does someone old enough to help choose our

nation's leaders really need her parents' permission to have an abortion?

I think not.

The editor also raised the question of whether it's fair to make "pro‑life"

students fund their fellow students' abortions. Maybe not, but in the

course of one's life, one must pay for many things to which one is opposed.

Tax dollars are used for many controversial causes, from the NEA to the

Gulf War to welfare. I'm sure vegetarian students who live on campus don't

like subsidizing the meat offered in meal plan financed cafeterias, but one

does not see them whining and complaining because they appreciate that others

disagree with their views and tastes. The bottom line is that "pro‑life"

proponents love telling others how to live their lives. That is why they

resort to malicious vandalism like that described in "Fire Guts Abortion

Clinic" after twelve years of packing the Supreme Court with sympathetic

judges still failed to make their minority opinion the law of the land.

And to those despicable souls who claim to perpetrate their violence

(i.e., harassment, arson, and even an alleged murder) in the name of God,

I quote the Gentle Nazarene: "If any one of you is without sin, let him

be the first to throw a stone ... " (John 8:7,NIV).

I do agree with the editor's statement that "NU should be commended for its

decision". Boston University would do well to follow NU's enlightened