Opinion
The Battalion
^ge 11 • Tuesday, March 9, 2004
Overturnins Roe v. Wade
r. . ^
5 ligation to overturn case continues, those hurt by abortion must speak out
T hirty-one years ago, the U.S.
Supreme Court handed down an
opinion on a case filed by Norma
McCorvey, known as “Jane Roe,”
which legalized abortions in all 50
states. Today, the former “Roe” of Roe
v. Wade is diligently working to over
turn her case, perhaps the most contro
versial court case in American history.
This controversy has shown
Americans that those involved in the
pro-life movement will never
give up, and with these
new developments, now is
the time for those con
cerned with the effects of
abortion to fight the hardest.
McCorvey has filed a Rule
60 motion that allows the
original litigants in a court
case to petition the court to
change its ruling if relevant
new facts are presented. In
February, the 5th Circuit
Court of Appeals agreed to
hear oral arguments on the
case. LifeNews.com reported
that once a three-judge panel
was named, it was decided
that oral arguments were
unnecessary. Instead, the court
will make its decision based
upon the more than 5,000
pages of affidavits filed by
more than 1,000 women who
have been harmed by abor
tion. Other women who have
not spoken out yet should
seize this opportunity today
by visiting operationoutcry.org.
There are two situations the court should
take into account when considering whether to
overturn Roe v. Wade. First, if one can prove
that a fetus is a living human being and
abortion takes the life of that being, then
abortion is murder. Thus, the fetus
should be protected by law, and abor
tions should be illegal any time the
fetus is human.
Second, if abortion is emotionally or
physically harmful to the mother, it
should be illegal for the sake of protect
ing the health and safety of the woman.
Although, by virtue of free will, the
woman can have an abortion despite
any risks she might or might not know
about, in the past, the government has
banned harmful medical practices and drugs,
such as Ephedra, to protect the welfare of
Americans. If the government has the right to
do this, it certainly has the right to bap abortion
and should do so now.
Organizations such as Crossing Over
Ministries (formerly Roe No More Ministries)
and Operation Outcry: Silent No More focus on
the latter condition.
On Saturday, Feb. 28, the Coalition for Life
held a rally to protest Planned Parenthood
national President Gloria Feldt's visit. One
speaker at the rally was Molly White, Texas
leader of Operation Outcry. White testified to
the harm her two abortions caused in her own
life. Besides the 23 years of pain, remorse and
regret, the procedures damaged her cervix. This
caused difficulty in delivering her living chil
dren and also forced her to have an early hys
terectomy. She said abortion inhibited her abili
ty to be a mother and made bonding with her
children difficult.
White’s testimony is not unique. Americans
and the courts, if they truly care about
women’s health, should let their voices be
heard and really listen.
A few of the women's affidavits can be
found on Operation Outcry’s Web site, opera-
tionoutcry.org. The women testify that they
were not fully informed about the abortion pro
cedure, its effects and about fetal development.
They also tell about how the abortion led to
extreme emotional difficulties. Planned
Parenthood, however, denies that this is a com
mon effect of abortion. But when woman after
woman is testifying to how it caused her
depression, hurt her spiritually, hurt her physi
cally and hurt her relationships with others, all
of the studies and surveys do not matter. Post
abortive women around the country are saying,
“Abortion hurts women!”
And if abortions are hurting women, then,
for the well-being of women nationwide, abor
tion should be banned.
In her affidavit, Kelli from Kentucky says,
“By having abortion legal, you are essentially
stating that it is OK to take advantage of
someone who is already vulnerable.” Roe v.
Wade did more than legalize abortions: It
endorsed them. The decision told women and
men that, since abortion is legal, it is harm
less. White, Kelli and thousands of other
women know this is a lie.
Although women who choose to give their
children up for adoption often still experience
some emotional difficulty, they have the com
fort that their child was given a better opportu
nity and the hope that one day they will meet
again. The reunion process is almost always a
great source of healing. This is something
absent with abortion and, as a result, many post
abortive women report feelings of emptiness
and despair after their abortion.
Sophomore psychology major Amy
Reynolds, treasurer for Aggies for Life, said she
believes that overturning Roe v. Wade is “long
overdue.”
“Not only have many unborn children died,
but countless women and men have been
banned, too.”
The court must take the testimonies of
Operation Outcry seriously and recognize the
physical and emotional dangers of abortion.
After that, there is no reason at all to refuse to
overturn Roe v. Wade.
Cody Sain is a junior
philosoplry major.
Graphic by Paul Wilson
xtai
a dm
os,
Aggies must answer the
call of conservatism
MAirCflll
v
at All |\ J
lOOoi lVc
3d a
irk Hamm, a law stu
dent at the University
of Colorado-Boulder,
i s JasP rou( ily embraced a life
Xprud lanyfind laden with shame.
3 Idin io longer camouflaged,
! ma( |i lamm has emerged from his
sttoM ecessed life. He has come out
fthe closet.
13$ In the process, Hamm has
Stint ' scovere d a sense °f pride in
isalternative lifestyle and has found
At $) apport from others who once hid, but
s, ai owwalk openly among society. This
itfjf oldness is sweeping the nation, and
lei nrest among an ever-growing minor-
ke ; y is ensuing. Liberals, watch out
a cos ftause the rumors are true: College
ie es{ onservatism is on the upsurge,
an im Hamm, according to the CU mews-
^ De aperjhe Campus Press, is one of
iveral hundred students at CU who
Ijnlj lokpart in “Coming Out Day,” an
. jneiu i'ent sponsored by the College
3r i a (t; epublicans targeted at fostering con-
ticaid native awareness and activism. The
ghg ay was part of an entire month dedi-
^51 ited to exposing liberalism in acade-
0 g lia while providing a haven for a
0 s ni| Inority that often faces merciless
trsecution on this notoriously left-
[p i aning campus. Conservative Aggies
lould take note.
The event has triggered a small
solution at the CU campus. It has
iven many students courage to
tpose hostility rooted in the profes-
j u its and students. In a few weeks,
)0 | S ese revolutionaries have overcome
beral naysayers who would oppose
lehei iem, guaranteeing a free-flow of
jj of leas and freedom of speech — the
ty embodiment of American institu--
r ||es#ns of higher learning,
jgad! While this incident may seem
3fI1 of iconsequential to the average
Agei nterican, it should inspire and even
, S (jisl tply an obligation for the con-
jglefl Jrned conservative at Texas A&M .
|e*i ridence of an ideological revival
ai nong students such as this compels
on the part of conservative
I Indents.
J This movement could finally
Ipairthe damages of a liberal sham
filty of hoodwinking students. It’s
'Hie of liberalism that America can
a
;ay
#_
eaK'
thank for convincing stu
dents that liberal extremism
is a vital college prerequisite,
surpassed in importance
maybe by only the SAT.
However, thanks to headway
made by some concerned
activists such as those at CU,
there is a force that poses a
threat to liberalism’s com
fortable existence.
A recent study by the Institute of
Politics at Harvard University sup
ports this rightist movement. The
results show that college conser
vatism now threatens ideological
parity with the left, falling short by
only 3 percent, and that an over
whelming 61 percent of collegians
approve of President George W.
Bush, which should translate into
more student votes for him in
November than for the excessively
liberal Sen. John Kerry.
Otherwise stated, the implications
are overt. Conservatism is on the rise,
and its members are becoming more
vocal. But, even though this is good
news for America, a pessimistic reality
may still loom for Aggies.
The trouble brewing in Aggieland
is that conservatism appears to be
drowning. Despite their significant
majority here, conservatives have his
torically hated boat-rocking. So, they
allow themselves to be held under by
the overpowering force of liberalism
— and this force is certainly strong. It
is propelled by support for a distorted
diversity system, demands to normal
ize an unnaturalness that would
destroy the family and a general aura
of animosity toward Christian morali
ty. Liberal organizations such as the
Faculty Committed to an Inclusive
Campus and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
and Transgendered Aggies have ridden
the coattails of these tenants to fame,
and their names have an all-too-famil-
iar ring for most Aggies.
A&M students can’t seem to
escape this outspoken, impassioned
and motivated minority. Memberships
to these groups hardly saturate the stu
dent population, and more students are
turning to the right than ever before,
but liberalism will still spread at A&M
if the conservative movement doesn’t
gamer outspokenness and motivation
of its own.
One group at A&M with gumption
is the Young Conservatives of Texas
YCT. Though the YCT’s actions can
spur debate, no one can argue about
whether or not its members have
come out of the conservative closet.
Theirs is the only organization on
campus to assemble a perceptible
counterattack against both gay mar
riage, with its Traditional Values
Week and affirmative action, with its
Affirmative Action Bake Sale.
Alone though, the courageous
labors of the YCT cannot withstand
strong sentiments of apathy in
Aggieland. A select few can certainly
make a difference — enter the rele
vancy of the CU College
Republicans — but on the nation’s
fifth-largest campus, the indifference
of a mass majority will quash the
tiny movements of a select few when
that apathy comes in a dosage
40,000-students strong. Lately, the
compounding indifference has per
mitted the University to develop a
leftward lean so severe that it should
give closet conservatives a feeling of
claustrophobia.
Like the liberal stigma attached to
Colorado, A&M has a reputation, but
it is by tradition the very antithesis of
that of the Buffalo. If A&M wants to
save yet another of its dying tradi
tions, Aggie conservatives must rise to
the occasion.
Liberals have declaimed the cur
tain call of conservatism for decades
— its antiquated heyday passing with
the Reagan administration, some say,
if it indeed ever had one. However,
College Station starves for some
familiarity — a rightist encore.
Conservatives must feed the need, but
they must first come out to do it. It’s
time to quit the closets, take the stage
and bask in the limelight. With luck,
it could be the final adieu for Aggie
liberalism.
Members of PMC were denied due process
In response to the March 8 editorial:
I am responding to the article on PMC. As a sophomore in the Corps of
Cadets, I was charged with hazing. Consequently, several other members of
my outfit and I experienced Texas A&M's legal system and "due process."
However, the experience was anything but fair to the accused, and due
process was completely lacking. I believe A&M, the office of student affairs
and the commandant's office have long taken advantage of the fact that we
are students. I mean that we have scarce amounts of time, resources and
money to try to defend ourselves in the Aggie legal system. Thus, we are at
an inherent disadvantage; so, it is of paramount importance that the
University respects our legal rights.
In our hazing trial, we spent a good deal of time fighting off completely
absurd accusations made by a cadet who had quit the Corps. This man had
made up the most wild and gruesome stories (for example, he was getting axe
handled 105 times per day). Here is my advice to the University: Many, but
certainly not all, cadets who quit the Corps are feeling anxiety and shame.
Hence, they will say a lot of things that are not true to help themselves feel bet
ter. Don't jump to conclusions and be so quick to take the word of someone
who is a quitter. Give cadets who have put in their time and worked hard to
establish a credible reputation the benefit of the doubt.
Hay McPadden
Class of 2004
Bonfire coalitions support Gates' decision
Bonfire Coalition for Students would like to extend its appreciation to Dr.
Gates for his recent decision to lift the moratorium on the sale of Aggie Bonfire
merchandise. As he stated, “we cannot allow the spirit of Aggie unity that
Bonfire symbolized to be forgotten,” and allowing the sale of Bonfire memora
bilia will keep that spirit alive.
We are pleased that Bonfire merchandise will be required to have a ribbon
remembering those injured and the lives tragically lost in the 1999 tragedy, for
it is important that we never forget these individuals. Dr. Gates has continued
to show his willingness to work with student requests in the past, and has
shown it once again with his recent actions.
Bonfire Coalition for Students and Bonfire Coalition have had several dis
cussions with Dr. Gates on this issue and are extremely pleased that our voic
es and the voices of current and former students were heard and their con
cerns addressed. Once again, thank you Dr. Gates for allowing the sale of
Aggie Bonfire memorabilia and listening to the voice of Aggieland.
Dffe Wick
The Bonfire Coalition and the Bonfire Coalition for Students
Clint Rainey is a freshman
general studies major.