thursday, may 1 1980
page 4
daily nebraskan
Money no reason to deprive women of abortions
Not every religion outlaws abor
tion, nor does any religion particular
ly advocate it. But it cannot be
denied that the abortion controversy
has a religious element-which may
be in the minds of the legislators
who must decide its legality.
In 1973, federal legislators laid
aside religious convictions and legal
ized abortion. Since then, questions
have come up in regard to federal
funding abortions. The matter is no
longer one of legality, but has brew
ed to one of impending discrimina
tion. Must a woman's ability to have
an abortion rely on the size of her
pocketbook?
The case in hand, the first chal
lenge of the Hyde Amendment, re
stricting federal funding of abortions
by more than 99 percent, will be de
cided by the Supreme Court before
its recess in July.
As a result of a federal injunction
placed against the Hyde Amendment
on Oct. 1, 1976 (the day the amend
ment was to go into effect) in re
sponse to the lawsuit of McRae vs.
Harris, the implementation of the
amendment was delayed. The judge
was John F. Dooling, U.S. District
Court, who ruled for aid for elective
abortions.
In June 1977, the Supreme Court
remanded this decision, deciding that
states were not required to pay for
elective abortions, which sent the
case back for further consideration.
It also lifted the injunction.
Judge Dooling changed his ruling
Jan. 15 of this year to call for funds
for medically necessary abortions.
According to a release by the
National Abortion Rights Action
League, Judge Dooling decided that
"excluding abortions from the other
wise comprehensive medicaid pro
gram violated the First Amendments
of freedom of conscience and Fifth
Amendment rights of privacy, due
process and equal protection."
Judge Dooling placed another in
junction against the Hyde Amend
ment, which the Supreme Court
allowed to stand on Feb. 19 of this
year. Thus federal funds for medical
ly necessary abortions have been
available from Medicaid since mid
February. The Supreme Court has a
chance to overrule his decision, and
is expected to decide cither way by
July.
Shortly after the Supreme Court
decided in 1977 that states were not
compelled to pay for elective abor
tions, a young welfare mother who
was completing her final year of
college, died from an illegal abortion-one
which she was forced to
obtain cheaply. The victim, Rosie
Jiminex, died with her scholarship
money untouched. J iminex's reasons
for obtaining an abortion were not
medical, but they necessarily in
volved her education and her career
and the time at which she could
pursue her lifetime goals.
The Supreme Court once ruled
against aid for elective abortions.
Now they may outlaw aid for medi
cally necessary abortions. Abortion
should be left as a decision of con
science, and even though the deci
sion may not be based on rcligous
convictions or medical reasons, it
should be one which th; woman
can make for personal reasons.
Abortions for personal reasons are
just as necessary as those for medical
reasons, as they may define the dif
ference between a happy child with a
happy parent and a neglected child
with an uncaring parent. And they
may determine the contribution of
the woman to society if she can, as
would have been in Jiminex's case,
complete an education and have a
fulfilling career.
Not allowing abortion aid for
Medicaid recipients whether the
abortion is for medical or personal
reasons is disciminatory according to
constitutional amendments and
logic. Just because a woman is poor
should not mean that her health
should be endangered nor that her
freedom of choice should be denied.
Alice Ilrnicck
to fills editor
Cyrus Vance's resignation may indeed
sink the country into a swamp, but it
won't be because those old devils, the Re
publicans, are wreaking havoc on every
move President Carter makes in foreign
policy. Let me assure you, Mr. Carter is
causing enough havoc by himself.
Mr. Carter shouldn't be blamed alone
for the collapse of the Shah's government,
though vacillation by the U.S. government
certainly didn't help. Then too, it would be
interesting to know just what General Huy
ser did do and say while in Tehran on the
President's orders. The taking of the em
bassy should not have been a total surprise
as that had happened before, in February
1979, and the Ayatollah's men had given
it back.
Looking at the Soviet brigade in Cuba,
it was Sen. Church of Idaho who brought
this to the nation's attention. Sen. Church,
it should be noted, is a Democrat, not a
Republican. Even so, Mr. Carter stuck his
foot into a mess by first declaring the
brigade's presence unacceptable and when
the Soviets laughed that off, he then said it
was acceptable.
Perhaps "weakness" and "indecision"
don't apply here, but it seems to me that
neither do the words "reasonable foreign
policy."
Mr. Fairbanks, if I understand him cor
rectly, argues that political and economic
isolation is a "more productive line of ac
tion" than a military rescue. I don't see
how. More productive in what manner? Re
leasing the hostages perhaps? Rhodesia
lasted more than 12 years under United
Nations economic sanctions and political
isolation before Zimbabwe was born. Iran
has a stronger weapon in oil than Rhodesia
did in chrome.
Why should political and economic iso
lation compel the Ayatollah Khomeini to
return the hostages? Everything he has
said indicates he relishes the removal of
all ties with the United States in particular
and the West in general. If the political and
economic isolation do anything at all, it
will be to push Iran into the Soviets' arms.
So how is that different from a successful
rescue doing the same thing except that we
do not have the hostages back? Mr. Carter
was wrong in the hostage rescue attempt,
in my opinion, because he failed, not be
cause he tried.
Finally, neither Mr. Brzezinski nor any
one else need be prejudiced against the
Soviet Union or Communism. There are
more than 60 years of evidence available
to any one who will look.
Jerry L. Hay ward
Freshman, Engineering
What about Indians?
Upon viewing the controversy about the
Krugerrands that the Coes gave to UNL, a
dominant theme has been clear: To accept
and use a government's currency is to con
done that government's actions and poli
cies. If this is assumed to be true, aren't we
all gulty of approving the U.S. govern
ment's shameful treatment of America's
natives, the Indian?
Mark Lionberger
Senior, Architecture
Chambers responds
Michael Sneddon muddied much water
in his rambling Guest Opinion, 42880. He
stumbled badly because with slender wit
Continued on Page 5
SPIBSSK J
Tlw-
pidyouhsar thai; jimmy? ikmmmm
Cat may be gone, but casserole remains
Jason managed to deposit himself in his
three-piece "I-want-a-job" suit with a mini
mum of visible mistakes. Only the sunglass
es covering his eyes gave any indication
that the attempted wake for cat had dis
solved the night before with at least one
casualty. Marie and I saluted his pupils
when we picked him up, and, luckily,
Marie had her pink aviator shades in her
bag of tricks to mute the effervescent glow
from Jason's face before we went out.
(MlOSteQ EE5Sf)E7i
"I've never seen your eyes so bright. . ."
said Marie.
Jason mumbled something about
Juanita in the spring and we were off.
Cat was missing in action-presumed
dead, having not come home for Five con
secutive meals, including his favorite tuna
casserole. There was always plenty. No
body else ate it. The night before, I had
eulogized him in dark tones, giving my
favorite "there are a thousand metaphors
in the city . . speech, and commenting
that cat had lived all nine of his lives with a
vengeance. Jason must have identified, be
cause he nodded, instead of nodding out.
Today we would finish up the funeral
rites, the three of us as honorary pall
bearers with the only remains we had of
cat. Marie and I were at the head of the
kitty Jitter box, Jason handled the rear all
by himself. We dumped it in the bushes.
We stood silently by the bush for a
while, and then one by one we returned to
the house. Each with our own thoughts.
"When do we eat?" asked Jason.
"There is some tuna casserole on the
stove ..." I said.
Jason sat back quietly in his chair.
Cut.
Freeze frame. Stop action. Marie is
frozen in mid -motion, brushing stray bits
of hair from her face with the tips of her
fingers like she often does. Jason is caught
in the middle of a sigh, his lips pouting ou
like a sad child. His face doesn't often look
this soft. I, of course, am able to move
freely. It's my party. I stare long and un
encumbered by politeness at my two dear
est friends. I get up softly and walk over
to Jason and gently remove his glasses.
Despite his superman image, he looks
strangely vulnerable. It's been a tough
semester for him, physically and emotion
ally. The wear shows around the corners of
his eyes. When he smiles it's all teeth and
no eyes. Spooks me sometimes. There is a
bit of ketchup on his lapel. Jason is not
messy, it's just that he's been absent longer
than cat. Missing in action. Presumed
living. I put the glasses back on him, and
move quietly over to Marie.
Marie. Stronger than Jason and I put
together, she has learned her Tao well. She
has learned to remain soft when everything
around her has gotten increasingly harder.
Her eyes are like cameras, they don't miss
much. What she misses should be let go
anyway. I am probably closer to Marie
than to anyone else in the world,--even
lovers. We wear the closeness when we're
out like a big warm blanket.
It's dangerous to do this for too long, so
I move back to my chair, skipping a look in
the mirror because. . . .just because.
Cat is gone. I think that we all identified
with the battered beasty to some extent.
His losses were felt keenly around the
household. When he lost a fight we all
winced and bound his wounds-that is, of
course, when he let us. He'd head out again
when he could barely walk, coming home
in bad shape and retreating to the base
ment, where he was bom. He was a loner
who didn't like to be petted, but often
liked to have people around.
Jason, Marie and I all had a similar
dream on the night cat disappeared. We all
dreamed that cat's battered legs had turned
into thin green sprouts. Strange, quiet
dreams we share.
Action.
Jason finishes his sigh, Marie her
motion.
Marie looks up and gives me a curious
sort of smile. I smile back.
'You're not going for coffee?" moans
Jason.
We're going to coffee," we both say at
once.