ABORTION

To the Editors of The Crimson:

The main thesis of Jenny Netzer's article of September 28, "Abortions: A Miscarriage of Justice," seems to be that abortion is a personal issue and not a public, and therefore political, question. It is probably true, as the author claims, that women view abortion emotionally and men tend to treat it intellectually. However, that is no legitimate basis for removing the question from public discussion. Of course abortion is partly a "personal issue," but so are the subjects of hundreds of laws and regulations, and lawmakers cannot begin to ignore very important moral issues merely because one sector of the population, however large, views it subjectively.

If one advocates making abortion a public matter, it is not because one feels that a woman is incompetent to deal with it rationally. Rather, it is because abortion is a societal and moral issue too large for any individual--male or female--to decide in the best interests of the community-at-large. And we must assume, and also hope, that when one considers action on any ethical issue that the large implications for society are wieghed into the balance. The cohesiveness and ultimate success of any group greatly depends on the extent that people voluntarily act to bolster the commonwealth. In that sense I agree with the author that explicit laws on abortion are degrading and unfortunate. Yet I feel that however unpalatable are laws that attempt to regulate personal decisions--and they are an affront--I do feel that we must somehow remind or edify the public that abortion has significance that transcends that of a simple "medical procedure." Thus, reasonable regulations on abortion (which is something of a euphemistic term) are not so much restrictions as they are guidelines designed to help people try to accomodate personal needs and their social responsibilities.

Finally, it should be remembered that citizens can hardly expect official honesty and high-mindedness if the People attempt to banish morality from government in the name of libertarianism. Laws concerning abortion are merely an effort towards reconciling public and private interests and are therefore a fair and necessary subject for open political debate. Blair Axel '76