The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 01, 1992, Page 3, Image 3
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Freedom
A /* /% -* X
After Zlo years of
America still land
A man and a womam in Barra,
their mud house recently and shot
without being married. The village
lating their strict Islamic social rules
Way down in Central America, p<
sonal freedoms because they don't
do or say. Radio stations and newsp
their operators arrested for chastis
speaking their minds.
Just across the Atlantic in Engl an
to destroy a mud hut she built in he
native Cameroon. The local council
and the homesick mother tore it dow
All across the Middle East, worm
long gowns, averting their eyes froi
they be branded less than pure. T
structure, with freedom taking the ba
T~ i ~i + i.? J -
ui uacxyaius, cuy paixs auu n
Americans of every kind will celeb
this weekend. 216 years young the
will celebrate with a barbeque, othei
with fireworks. Whether you drink
glare or protest the shortcomings ol
you are free to do either, or nothing
Village elders will not come to )
and your companion into the street z
of trigger. The government will not
mind and no one will ever be able tc
freedoms for no reason. Because f<
blunders, whether you are an urn
mosexual or a homophobic, you stil
and the Home of the Brave. Two hu
group of men said so. Whether you
wrong reasons or not, you still live
me.
Happy birthday America. ,
$ kJI
W -
Court ruling ?
positive step
To the editor:
Monday's Supreme Court rul- ^
ing, which upholds moderate reg- *h<
ulations on abortions that an over- w(
whelming majority of Americans w'
approve, is a cause for hope and w(
not alarm. Pe
The Pennsylvania law doesn't rel
stop a single abortion. It is merely m<
about the right to know: it gives a in<
mother the right to factual information
about the development of cai
her baby before she makes an irre- tre
vocable decision to undergo abor- "P
tion. It gives the parents of a pre- ag
gnant minor the right to knowledge tio
of. and consent to, her undergoing an
a potentially dangerous medical
procedure. lhe
An overwhelming majority of re(
Americans support the regulations mi
embodied in the Pennsylvania law. ho
Gallup and Wirthlin polls have
shown that 85 percent of Americans
support informed consent legislation;
75 percent approve a
24-hour waiting period; and 70
OEMT
" democracy,
of the free
Pakistan, were dragged from
and killed for living together
elders decided the couple viojople
are routinely denied peragree
with what their leaders
apers are routinely shut down,
ring the state, or for merely
d, a mother of six was forced
)r garden to remind her of her
called it a dangerous eyesore
n.
;n are made to wear veils and
n their male countrymen, lest
heir world is one of narrow
ickseat.
ooftops across this country,
rate the birth of their country
U.S. will be Saturday. Some
s at the beach, and others still
yourself into the rockets red
the nation ? take heart that
at all.
'our mud house and drag you
ind end your life with the pull
arrest you for speaking your
i take away your own personal
3r all its mistakes and all its
wed mother, a racist, a ho1
live in the Land of the Free
indred and sixteen years ago a
believe they did it for all the
in the land made for you and
iliiSBi
rcent support parental consent
d 80 percent support parental
tification.
I expect cries of protest from
3se with a financial interest in
couraging abortion. But I think
s outrageous that anyone ? in
i name of "women's rights" ?
3uld oppose these regulations,
lich will truly benefit both the
jmen and unborn children of
nnsylvania. These Pennsylvania
*ulations will help protect worn
from the aggressive abortion
iustry.
The reaction by abortion advotes
to this decision shos how ex:me
it is to be "pro-choice."
ro-Choice" means you are
ainst any common sense restricns
? including parental consent
d informed consent.
The Casey decision continues
i unravelling of Roe because it
:ognizes that the unborn baby
ist be considered before an abor- \
n is performed. J
f
Phyllis Schlafly
founder, chairman
Republican National
Coalition for Life I
Question: How do y<
"I don't think they should "I'm
hut/a nit/Art (ho etatoc that I am
much jurisdiction" and
choi<
Chris Hall but
Criminal Justice that;
Selei
Engli
%os
After 20 years, a
Twenty years have gone by and the abo
tion controversy has experienced up
downs and plateaus; everything but die oul
I don't think it takes a genius to figui
out why. The issue is a deep one and a
fects the top three professions ? medica
legal and political.
For many it is only a spiritual issue, f<
God is the creator and life begins at tl
moment of conception; therefore, the takir
of life at any time is murder ? pure ar
simple. The pro-life stance is also held t
many because medical findings show hear
beats and brain waves are detectable usi
ally by the time a woman realizes that si
might be pregnant. I would like for you i
think about pro-life from a different ang
and instead of thinking in terms of coi
troversy, try to look at a few things that r
quire logical thinking, something, it seem
many try to discourage ? especially coi
cerning life issues.
Abortion is an industry ? profitable ar
lucrative. This industry not only generati
money for the clinic itself, but also pr<
vides big bucks for lobbying, advertisir
and fancy promotional pieces.
Average abortion, first trimester, cos
approximately $300. Average time to pe
form an abortion is 15 minutes. Most abo
tion clinics operate seven days a week. Yc
figure it up!
Pro-Choice is t
In the United States, the Constitutic
supports the unquestionable separation <
church and state.
It guarantees us, as citizens, person;
freedoms such as who, where and when v,
worship.
This does not only apply to the clas:
room, where children cannot be forced inl
religious expression they do not believe ii
It also applys to the womb.
No matter how we feel as individuals al
out the issue of abortion, we cannot forgt
that all people's beliefs are equaly valid i
the eyes of The Constitution. And The Cor
stitution is the law of our country. If w
don't like it, we are free to go elsewheri
But we are not free to revoke the rights c
our fellow citizens simply because w
disaprove.
Technology cannot prove where life tx
gins. We have laws on the books again!
murder. Until abortion can be proved to b
murder, there is no ground for disallowin
it, simply because the only other reason fc
eliminating abortion is spiritual.
What one American believes to be spii
itually and morally correct is usually er
tirely different from their neighbor. And
is their right to hold those beliefs. Even i
they include the contention that abortion i
acceptable. Perhaps their God feels diffe
rently than yours. That is their right.
An adult female has the right to do wht
she wishes with her body. And it must al
ways remain that way unless it can b
proven that a fetus is not simply part of
woman's body.
If science can prove we are taking th
life of a self supporting, living thing with
II "THE BUft
ou feel about Monday's Supreme
alad that it wasn't worsa "You should hau
0 ? -w - --WW. - ? I
completely pro-choice Still, some peopl
1 don't think a woman's pressured. Thanl
ce should be taken away, they didn't compl
it should be something of it. Women ^
you think about." done it themselve
na James ? Sherrill Turner
ish Media Arts
s Fire%
ibortion still wrong
r- Ask yourself this question: A doctor
s, spends 12-plus years of his/her life going
through medical school to learn how to prere
serve and extend life. What kind of person
f- then takes that knowledge and develops a
career whose sole purpose is the taking of
lives? Are you so naive as to think this "career
abortionist" cares about women at all?
*e Do you think a person with so little regard
>g for the sanctity of life could care less if you 1
died or your reproductive system was da>y
maged so you might never have children ?
even when your choice is to parent? Is this
J" person motivated by concern for you or is
le greed the magic button? '
t0 But when you are scared ? when you
le realize you are pregnant ? logic seems to
disaoDear. Pro-life doen't allow vou to hide
your mistake from your daddy. It doesn't
s> get your boyfriend off the hook and it probably
will keep you from being a part of
i your high-profile sorority. 1
But ask yourself one last question. What
*s kind of society have we created that honors .]
d~ a woman who ends her child's life but
l8 judges the woman who chooses life for her
child? Please THINK, then do the right
ts thing. J
rr
? Kathryn O'Connor
>u Kathryn O'Connor is director of Daybreak
Ministries.
<
he American way !
?n out it's consent, the law will change, and 1
3f rightfully so. (
But now, banning abortion takes
il away a woman's choice. And in this coun'e
try, that is unconstitutional. Pro-choice activists
are not out there campaigning to 1
5- promote abortion. They are not spending
o their time pandering bad advice to helpless
n. women, as many oppositionists would like
the country to believe. In fact, many pro>
life supporters are personnally or fondant
mentally opposed to abortion. 1
n What they are supporting is a woman's 1
i- right to make her own decision. A decision
'e that will affect her for the rest of her life. A *
5. decision the state should not be allowed to I
)f make for her. No one has that right but her.
e It is a personal, moral and spiritual deci- c
sion about what she believes. One that she ^
5- will no doubt wrestle over very carefully,
5t and hardly make thoughtlessly or in haste. ^
e Many people are fighting for her to be p
8 able to make that decision. They are not
,r fighting for abortion. They are fighting for
America's right to choose, for freedom
irom religious constriction as dictated oy
the state and for women's rights. ProI
choice is not forcing anyone to do anything,.
f unlike anti-choice supporters who feel it is
s their perogative to make women's decisions
for them. It is simply leaving individual decisions
up to the individual.
II No group has the right to play judge and
~ jury over another woman's womb. Any wo- |_
e man facing an abortion will spend plenty of _
a time doing that for herself.
- Shelley Magee
e Shelley Magee is the Editor in Chief for
i- The Gamecock.
NINS BUSH" MB?
IT 1 v ^ c
I / THINK G
to, Ul SMELL
cysMoKe^ *
^^ F
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? ]r ?G?e7 r T
r HOPE , -r
JC^Hdannm'S wot
SH^PLAMlNG WITH
?=?('MATCHES AGA1W.
Court ruling on abortion?
| 7
Br
e a choice. "I think that it should be legal
e are being and Congress and the Presi<
goodness dent should stay out of it beetely
get rid cause women are the ones
rould have who have to live with it."
s."
J.C. Pritchard
Accounting
Problems abound
on U.S. birthday
- Tige Watts
Yippie, skippie. The Fourth of July is here.
While every red-, white- and blue-blooded American
hangs his/her flag and barbecues chicken, I'll be
mourning the death of a nation.
Think about it. Is this country really what it's supposed
to be?
Do we still have the rights we should? Ask Ice-T.
He's been under fire by the dingbats in Washington
for expressing his disgust and anger with the judicial
system. He's been called
the reason why family values
are so low.
And what is he guilty of? Using
his First Amendment rights.
milium IVJ U111IH dUUUL 11, Vg
and the gloom thickens on the ?kSL *
horizon.
This country is supposed to
be strong. And to be strong we _
must have strong leaders.
Who do we have? We have an ineffective White
House that looks for scapegoats. Scapegoats or*
whom to place the blame rather than taking it on
themselves.
We have a president who claims to have set peace
in the Middle East by destroying Iraq and putting
Saddam Hussein out of power.
Point of order, George. Iraq is not destroyed. SadJam
is still in power. And there was no war. It was
just a quick invasion and a quick pull-out. What for?
Just to raise Bush's popularity.
That's not enough to depress you this holiday?
Try this, your children, nieces, nephews, etc.
What kind of future is left for them. The United
States, especially South Carolina, is an environmenal
basket-case. And who has to pay for it? Certainly,
lot our politicians.
And with what money will the future generations
lay for it? We owe over $3 trillion as it is. Top that
iff with a recession and a savings and loan scandal.
Happy Fourth of July.
What's left to hope for? This election year doesn't
iffer much. The leading candidate is a man who has
tot even declared himself a candidate.
You know times are rough when a rich, short
Texan can come onto the scene and not list any of
lis platforms and still get tremendous support. It's a
;ign of weak leaders in the system.
Our government has lost its purpose. Either
hey're interested in themselves or some special inerest
group. They miss the boat altogether.
The government was created to protect the people
fom the government. They're supposed to serve the
leople, not abuse them and take from them.
Well, you can go ahead and be proud of our counry.
Hang your flag and wear your 'Desert Storm'
"-shirt.
As for me, I'll read the history books and cry over
tie country that could have been.
Eklitor's note. . .
Is something bothering you, getting
under your skin, or just ticking you off?
If so, then write about it! Send us a letter
telling us your views on whatever's on
your mind about USC, the U.S., the world
or life in general and we'll do our best to
print it. What better forum for your ideas
than The Gamecock? Put pen to paper
and let your voice be heard ? now.
tBaiUcocli
? i^jUSCWK.
ditor in Chief Shelley Magee
anaging/News Editor Tlge Watts
opy Desk Chief Jay King
ewpoint Editor Aaron Sheinin
arolina Life Editor Octavia Wright
raphics Artist Sean McGuinness
hotography Editor Jeff Mabon
ports Editor j3Ck Dunn
reduction Manager Laura Day '
reduction Assistant Ray Burgos
acuity Adviser Erik Collins
dvertising Manager Renee Gibson
sst. Classified Manager Neha Samagond
The Gamejj will try to print all letters received.
Letters shouid be 200-250 words. Full name and
professional title, or year and major if a student, must be
included along with address and phone number. The
Gamecock reserves the right to edit letters for style,
possible libel or space limitations. The Gamecock will
not withhold names under any circumstances.