Rebecca Rosner: Trying to see both angles on abortion

When I applied to be a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, I wrote in my "What makes me a unique columnist" statement that I had no intention of writing anything political. I said I would leave it to the other columnists to write their right-wing or left-wing slant on current political topics. I wrote that I would stick to Penn themes: issues that concern us and topics that entertain us. After all, it is a Penn publication. We should talk about Penn subjects.

Don't get me wrong: campaign finance reform and universal health care are important issues, but frankly, they're not the kind of things most students sit around and discuss at dinner at Commons. I doubt that a column I would write on ways to pay off the federal deficit would enlighten you any more than a column on the same subject from The New York Times.

But there are a few serious issues that are important to Penn students, and in my last column, I want to respect that. Recent campus rallies, "Letters to the Editor" and Locust Walk tabling prove that even the least political among us have an opinion on abortion. That makes sense. Unlike campaign finance reform, a woman's right to choose is something that affects our lives more personally.

For many students, myself included, it's a make-or-break issue when voting for a candidate. Not pro-choice? You don't get my vote, no matter how great a tax break you're promising me, no matter what excellent plans you have for the environment, no matter what your views are on the death penalty. That's not to say I would vote for someone with a poor record on other important issues. But in politics, we almost never have the perfect candidate, and abortion rights are where I draw the line.

The thing about being pro-choice is that sometimes I feel a bit hypocritical. On the one hand, I firmly believe that we all should have the right to control our lives and our bodies. On the other hand, I understand that we can't always leave it up to individuals to choose their actions when it comes to their health and safety. Some choices are unacceptable.

We don't sit around and let parents abuse their children -- we do our best to step in and ensure that children have a safe place in which to live. We make laws against polluting the environment. We have the FDA regulate what is "safe" to eat or use as medication. We prevent smoking in certain areas. We have rules about purchasing guns. In other words, we regulate peoples' actions when it comes to their health and safety. We continually make concessions in order to follow the tenets of our Constitution, based on the principles of democracy and even, in part, religion. Why should abortion be any different?

This issue is different because even if abortion becomes illegal, abortions will not end. Back alley abortions existed before Roe v. Wade, and they will resurface in the event of a new law preventing legal, safe abortions. As abstinence-only sex education curriculums become increasingly prevalent, unwanted pregnancies are even more likely to occur among teens. Desperate young women will likely seek any solution to their problem, even dangerous, illegal coat-hanger style abortions. Somehow that doesn't seem like a promotion of health and safety that's protecting anyone.

Obviously there are many others who have the complete opposite opinion, and they're probably composing their less-than-supportive response letters to me right now. That's fine. I honestly respect the fact that there are people whose religious values or moral views make them pro-life/anti-choice. Nothing I say in this column could possibly shake anyone's religious conviction. I wouldn't want to.

In turn, I would hope that someday the fanatical anti-choice activists would realize that pictures of aborted fetuses do nothing but strengthen the resolve of pro-choice activists. I would hope that they will realize bombing abortion clinics goes against everything their movement stands for, as well as everything their religion stands for. Any religion that does not support abortion certainly does not support the murdering of doctors and nurses.

Unfortunately, abortion isn't one of those "you have your opinion and I have mine and we can accept our differences" issues. For one side to be successful, the other inherently fails. All I can do is urge people to consider the dangerous repercussions of overturning the abortion laws currently on the books. If the days of Prohibition are any indication, then clearly making something illegal doesn't make it disappear. If we are to keep women healthy, safe and in control, then a safe, legal abortion must be a choice.Rebecca Rosner is a senior English major from Lawrenceville, N.J.

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