To the Editor:
As a representative of the newly re-established Dartmouth Students for Choice group, I feel compelled to respond to Ellen Wight '97's column "Being Pro-choice and Anti-Abortion" [The Dartmouth, May 3].
I find it very unfortunate that somehow the term pro-choice has come to mean pro-death or pro-abortion in the minds of some of the "lost middle of Americans" that Wight refers to in her column, as the assumed antithesis of the term "pro-life." This has never been the case; the pro-choice movement has never advocated making abortion more widespread or less ethically serious. Rather, the pro-choice movement is organized to protect the fundamental right of a woman to choose whether or not to have an abortion, as guided by her own personal morality.
Dartmouth Students for Choice represents women and men of many different religious and political persuasions -- including Catholics, Protestants, Jews, atheists, Democrats, Republicans, and others.
We are unified in the belief that our government must protect the right of a woman to make the important choice of whether or not to have an abortion within the confines of her OWN morality, rather than by a morality handed down to her by the government.
All members of DSFC appreciate the moral implications of the abortion issue. Some members of our group would not make a personal choice to have an abortion, but all believe that the decision should be that of the individual.
I must correct Wight in saying that making abortion "rare ... never really became a political goal for either side." There are many pro-choice organizations that are actively working to reduce the need for abortions, particularly for young women at high risk of unwanted pregnancy.
Planned Parenthood has birth control provision and education programs, sexuality education, and counseling in addition to their abortion services.
The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League has programs promoting sexuality education and pregnancy prevention to teenagers. NARAL also has programs that promote "responsible behavior that will help prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases."
In fact, in NARAL's Spring 1996 publication, it is stated that "NARAL's vision is that fewer women face unintended pregnancies, that there are fewer abortions, fewer teenage pregnancies."
The list goes on and on as to what pro-choice organizations are actively doing to reduce the need for abortion, in addition to their focus of keeping abortion available as a safe and legal option for unwanted pregnancy.
I agree with Wight that the debate about the legality of abortion should cease; abortion should be legal. What a wonderful day it will be when both sides can come together and accept the legal status of abortion and work to reduce the need for it!
However, as long as there are anti-choice factions out there, working hard to chisel away at a woman's right to choose, there will continue to be a need for pro-choice organizations to safeguard the legality of abortion.
DFSC serves primarily to educate the student body about local and national abortion rights issues and to motivate students to activism, as it is necessary to protect this right. In addition, we support pro-choice organizations that work to reduce the need for abortion.
It will be a great day when the Dartmouth Coalition for Life joins Dartmouth Students for Choice in accepting the legal status of abortion, and works with us to reduce the need for it.
However, in light of DSFC's recent invitation from the Dartmouth Coalition for Life to engage in a symbolic war of paintball, I suspect that this day will not be any time soon.
