Letters and Emails
Legal right to choose abortion leaves women feeling enabled.
I am writing in response to last week's opinion article, "Pro-woman, pro-life." My experience on Jan. 22 was somewhat different from that of the author, in that it was a day of celebration. For me, it represented 30 years of respect for women, their bodies and their choices. The aurthor is accurate in her claim that a woman deciding to go through with an abortion will be deeply affected emotionally and psychologically.
Deciding to have an abortion is not an easy decision for a woman; she undoubtedly struggles to make this difficult choice and probably thinks about it every day afterwards. However, giving a child up for adoption is not any easier. After carrying the child for nine months just simply giving it up can be a traumatic experience.
Moreover, in response to the author's assertion that people are "waiting desperately in the wings to adopt," I would like to point out that the world is already full of children who need good parents. The fact is they may not be infants any longer but five years old, that they may be from a different country and of a different ethnicity. Why can't we take care of the children already out there who need parents first? In a perfect world every child would be a wanted child, but in reality children are born everyday into lives where they are unwanted and will be abused.
The 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade is a celebration of women and their bodies. Before this monumental decision, countless women died or became permanently sterile from dirty knives and coat hangers. I value a woman's life; it would be terrible to return to the dangerous methods of the years before this decision.
Abortion definately isn't an option for everyone, as I personally don't believe I could ever have one, but that does not give me the right to deny another woman the option.
For further information on the importance of Roe v. Wade I recommend looking at www.feministcampus.org and for an intersting view of the wide array of opinions on the subject, both pro-life and pro-choice, check out their virtual sit-in.
Erika Larson, '03
Italian and history
Albino squirrels lack representation
My name is Dustin Ballard, and I am president of the Albino Squirrel Preservation Society. We are an international organization of college students dedicated to promoting albino squirrel rights worldwide. The reason I'm writing is because we feel that the albino squirrels of California are vastly unrepresented. We would desperately like to change this. If any of you are interested in registering a chaper of our club at Santa Clara pleace visit: albinosquirrel.com. Thany you very much.
Dustin Ballard
ASPS International Presidents
dustin@albinosquirrel.com