Letters to the Editor

Reader disagrees with abortion editorial

To the Daily:

The Daily's editorial "Wait for What?" (9/20/99) was absolutely reprehensible and illogical. You claim to be a supporter of "choice" but do not believe a woman should be informed as to all the alternatives to having an abortion.

The only "choice" you believe in is abortion, that is plain and clear. What is so terrible about having a waiting period so the woman can actually weigh all the consequences of her decision? You may call it just some "legal surgical procedure," but it's sure as hell not like going to the hospital to have an operation. This procedure is an unnatural ripping out of the fetus from its mother's womb. That's reality.

Additionally, you can use all the negative words you like to describe pro-lifers and call us anti-choice activists, but in reality we are in favor of more "choices," such as adoption, than are the pro-abortion side.

And the pro-choice side is just that: pro-abortion and forget about everything else. It's ironic that the editorial ends with the words "... we will soon find there will be no choice left."

If the pro-abortionists have their way, as soon as an unwanted pregnancy occurs, the only "choice" acceptable to the society and government would be to have an abortion. Sounds a little like a marxist-style government, such as China, doesn't it? Hmm ...

Andrew Shirvell

LSA sophomore Students for Life Vice president

WCBN welcomes requests from listeners

To the Daily:

It is obvious from Mike Kegler's letter about WCBN that he does not listen much to 88.3 FM. We play quality local music of many different types every day, and there are two hip hop specialty shows on Saturday nights (Chill Will's Prop Shop and Black Vibes Boogie Nights), as well as Luke Forrest's 734-LIVE, an excellent freeform show with an emphasis on underground and local hip hop. And last year Bacardi and Rose delivered slapstick comedy between their hip hop sets.

Since each freeform DJ has complete freedom to play music of any genre or time period, there is a huge diversity of sound. Last summer's schedule is still on the web at www.wcbn.org and gives a hint at the variety we bring to the airwaves.

If you don't like one DJ, the one after him or her may play music more to your liking. And most DJ's are delighted to take requests at the station's request line, 763-3500.

Perhaps Kegler is upset that his own local/independent band, Colonel Sun, suffers from lack of airplay or concert attendance. It is doubtful that the destruction of WCBN would help either situation.

But I will consider his letter to the Daily a "request" for Colonel Sun, and play his band on my next radio show.

Mike Wong

Rackham WCBN DJ

Sanz should ask women what they want, not tell them

To the Daily:

I would like to comment on Branden Sanz's column, "Ann Arbor: A hotbed for Conversation and Assault" (9/17/99). While I am happy that he helped out those women in Village Corner, I am a bit concerned about the advice he gives to women. He cautions them to "bring a friend" when they walk at night. Based on the article, it's pretty clear he means a male friend. This advice is at the least impractical and borders on problematic. While men should offer to walk a woman home at night, women are autonomous adults who can't and don't want to always have a male chaperone by their side.

The feminist movement has worked very hard to teach people that violence against women is never the woman's fault - even if she is walking alone at night. Women know that they should act prudently; after all, they've been dealing with issues like violence against women their entire lives. So rather than end his column with advice for women, I think Sanz should end with some advice for men.

That is, instead of telling women what Sanz thinks they should do, ask them what they want men to do. Maybe your female friend wants you to walk her home at night or act as her bodyguard. Maybe she would rather you raise money for some feminist cause or attend a feminist activist event.

Different women have different ideas about what would be helpful. If you are truly concerned about women's well-being, than you'll do whatever women need, not what makes you feel like a knight in shining armor.

Leigh Botwinik LSA senior

Abortion debate raises many important issues, conflicts

To the Daily:

The Daily's editorial "Wait for What?" (9/20/99) on abortion waiting periods was enlightening, but I wish to clear up several misunderstandings. First of all, I'd like to thank the Daily for aptly renaming the "pro-life" movement.

"Anti-choice," I must say, works quite well, although it begs the question: while we're renaming movements, what shall we dub "pro-choicers?" I doubt they would be very fond of the term "anti-life," but they have forced me to it - people in glass houses.

A statistical interlude: the editorial cites a poll saying, "more than 80 percent of Americans believe abortion should be legal in some or all cases." The key word - "some."

Does the fact that many Americans assent to abortion in some cases (often of rape or risk to the mother's life) imply that most are pro-choice? A Mar. 4 CNN/Time poll indicated that only 46 percent of Americans consider themselves pro-choice and only 38 percent support the legality of abortion under all circumstances.

I agree with the editorial that efforts such as the 24-hour waiting periods for an abortion are extraneous and inconvenient.

The essence of the abortion debate is housed in the Supreme Court, and the hope is that they might re-examine Roe v. Wade. Perhaps, given this failing hope, we should focus on the origin of abortion - teenagers having sex - but I'm afraid this is no simple problem to tackle, and birth control is no solution.

In conclusion, I anticipate a singular objection to much of what I've said here. I am clearly not, nor have I ever been, a woman. Isn't it hypocritical for me to speak about a reality I'll never have to face?

But the fact is I have faced the reality of abortion. I spent nine months as an embryo, then a fetus in my mother's womb - a period I was lucky enough to survive. Not everyone was so lucky: nearly one quarter of my generation was aborted. Four and a half million between 1977 and 1980.

And I'm brought to question: If they were alive today, which side would they join?

Daniel Propson

LSA junior

09-22-99