FPSEE
FOftUn
by
Roxanne
McLeod
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January
2005
Opinion
&A
l
sZ7'7z,
?',
M
Piki
Abortion.
It's
a
nasty
word
with
nasty
connotations
and
if
you
use
it,
you're
liable
to
get
yourself
Into
an
emotional,
controversial
debate.
It
is
the
hottest
of
jjf
hot
topics.
Everyone
has
passionate
opinions
about
it
that
they
are
not
likely
to
change,
and
if
you
dQn't
agree
with
them
you're
either
a
murderous
monsterjf
or
a
narrow-minded
traditionalist.
Part
of
the
reasonp
that
opinions
regarding
abortion
are
so
polarized
isjf
the
fact
that
there
is
no
moral
or
philosophical
right
answer.
Even
President
Bush
supports
abortion
in
cases
of
rape
and
incest..
Most
of
the
political
debates
I've
heard
dweii
on
the
fact
that
abortion
should
remain
,
legalized
because
the
fetus
is
part
of
the
woman's
body
and
is
therefore
hers
to
deal
with
in
whatever
way
she
should
choose.
There
is
another
side
to
the
story,
however,
a
much,
much
dirtier
side.
Not
long
ago,
abortion
was
illegal
in
the
United
,4,
States
and
Canada.
In
1964,
there
were
50,000
ille-if
gal
abortions
performed
in
Canada,
whichVesulted
jn
200
deaths,
according
to
researcherbrHjMlvlS
Spivak
of
Toronto
General
Hospital.
Andjhelexua
revolution
of
the
sixties
caused
the
rates
to
gro$g-f
nificantly
with
each
passing
year.
Also,
in
theJnfkS
sixties,
illegal
abortions
were
the
leading:
causej3f;
maternal
deaths
in
Canada.
In
1
969,abortion
became
legal
only
if
a
hospital
committee
deemed
that
it
was
necessary
for
the
woman's
lifer6r;
health
and
was
not
fully
legalized
until
1988.
"3i
Illegal
abortion
was
shady
to
say
the
least.
These!
abortions
were
not
done
in
sterile
environments
with
In
1000's
of.
viewers
Cartoon
by
Kim
Bonnell
DEC
26
04
framed
credentials
displayed
on
the'
walls.-Crude
instruments
would
be
used.
One
method
involved
a
vacuum.
The
person
performing
the
operation
was
usually
not
qualified
since
they
could
be
arrested
for
doing
itfin
addition
to
the
fact
that
abortion
was
hardly
socially
acceptable.
Sometimes
it
would
be
a
med
ical
;or
nursing
student.
Sometimes
they,
were
done
by
the
pregnant
girl
herself
or.by
the
father,
of.
the
'
baby.
:;
':
..A-
'
.:r
'
K
.-.'.
1
Afterwards,
many
women
would
have
'to
go
to
a
hospital
to.
have
a.
dilation
and
curettage,
which.is
a
scraping
of
the
uterus
to
remove
materials
left
there
by
an
incomplete
abortion.
Several
cases
resulted
In.
some
form
of
hemorrhaging,
or.
infection,
;.Some
womengbecame;-infertile,
some
had
,tq-have;
hys-
terectorriie's;
because
the,
damage
was
so
severe.;;
And
some
died.'1,
'"'
'
''-
,v-
:-
-
-;
.'.
-'
'.:
Pemonally,
I
think
that
if
you
are
mature
enough
to
havesex,
then
you
should
be
mature
enough
to
han-;
de
tfteconsequences.
But
we.
all
know
that
is
hot
the
casVwith
the
majority
of
sexually,
active.
teens
and
yqujjgladults.
Many
of
the.
girls
who,
become
preg-najitapd';gerrabqrtiohs,
e'
having
them
;
done
Jtecu
they
feel
that
they
are
not
ready
to
be
moth-folveh
to'carry
a'babjtd'fuli
term."
They
may
ihihrfat
their
familiewSuld
disown
them,
or
they
year
soptsapprovai.,
mey
may
inmK-inai
raftbeble
to
support
the
child
or.raise
it
well
ingle
parent.
Some
get
it
done
because
they,
are
addicted
todmgs
or
alcohol,",
-'
.
-"
''.;
-;
:;-';.
gTjhrg
are
many
reasons
and
excuses
But
should'
a
prostitute
be
madefto,caJTyVbaby
to
full
term?.
Is
that
really
in
the
best
interests
of
the
fetus?
Do
you
Brad
and
Jen
Breakup
Tsunami
Catastrophe
JAN
08
05
AW
w
m
Wjab
rf
s-'
"
'
1.
m
$
M
:iftiVfi
,,;;
The
.Risksjpf
5llakirig;Abdtiori
Illegal
"really
want
someone
whoiswiiin90ppill
a
baby
to
carry
it
to
term?'-Will
they
;taMecar'eqf.
themselves
.and
the
baby,
or
will
theybeapihetic
about
the
.baby's
health?
When
peop!eiarguethat
abortion
"should
be-illegal,
their
i.maijitjprgument
is
that
the
fetus
has
the
right
to
liveltButlwhicKcHbice
is
really
;
;;the
best
for
the
baby?.jThat1saesti6n'that
has
no
-'
.definite
answer.
5liJlfr
-"';
"So
not
only
will
thefoaSypoieKtially
be
in'danger,
;
but
what
about
the
Ji6teri0bortions
become
ille-,gai
again,
the
numberiMwamen
getting
abortions
;;wtll
not
decrease-considerably.
We
learned
this
during-,
the
ProhibjtioHJ'peModfof
the
1920s.
Making
.'
something
illegaoenqistop
people
from
doing
it;
;;it
simply
preate4abacKTmarket
for
it.
Society
and
family
life'classiiVe'ingrained
in
our
minds
that
.
-abortion
yslSlwSeRoption
for
pregnant
women.
-;
AbortionyiowilaSart
of
our"
culture
that
won't
be
-easily
charigjWaklng
abortions
illegal
will
not
necessarily
iSaeJrriqre
babies.
from
dying,
but
it
will
put
..more
women's
lives
in
danger.
It
will
also
jeopardize
'"theirchahceSf
having
future
children.
T.;
tarn
pot
saying
that
abortion
should
definitely
be
,,,
legal.
1
think
people.
abuse
it
and
take
no
responsibility
for
their
actions.
But
there
is
a
lot
more
to
this
issue
that
most
people
don't
think
about.
..-'..
1
know
people
who
had
abortions
in
the
early
six-'
;ties,
oneof
them
hemorrhaged
and
could
have
lost
,;-
her,
life
because
of
a
decision
she
made
when
she
.
was
a
scared
15
year
old.
This
issue
is
not
black
and
...white.
.It
has
many,questions,
many
faces,
and
many
consequences
on
both
sides.
There
is
no
easy
solu-,
tion
to
this
problem.
fiKs&..
'm
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