- ’ Daily Nebraskan Page 5
Keaders address NU football, abortion
uticuicr s amtude
lacks compassion •
Congressman Doug Bereuter’s
decision to vote against the expendi
ture of public funds for abortion in
cases ol rape and incest suggests a
real lack of compassion and concern
for the welfare of the medically im
poverished women impregnated be
cause of such abuse. It further sug
gests political opportunism may have
influenced his vote, rather than con
cern for funding a procedure that only
a certain segment of our population
linds objectionable.
1 have never been a one-issue po
litical supporter or voter, but before
the next election I am going to need to
seriously rethink my position.
I fully respect his right to oppose
abortion. I hate abortion and long to
see it minimized. However, I also
believe that physical life is revered as
God’s gift and our responsibility, but
it is not absolute, to be preserved
under all conditions. In a world like
ours, I believe fervently that abortion
must continue as a legal option. It is a
hard choice that should be made
honestly, without pretending, in the
awareness that potential life is being
ended for serious and compelling
reasons. In the faith context, to be
pro-lile means 10 be in favor of being
human in every sense. It means being
concerned about a healthy environ
ment, political and religious free
dom, economic justice, peace that is
more than absence of conflict ~ all
the myriad factors which contribute
to, or detract from, fullness of life.
The congressman’s vote on this
issue is not a pro-life vole in accor
dance with this understanding.
It is truly tragic that poor women,
impregnated through the violence of
rape and incest, must continue to
have their choices severely restricted
though this type of discrimination.
Although pregnancy as a result of
rape or incest may not be a life and
death matter in pure medical terms, it
nevertheless very often has severe
consequences for the victims. We
snould not continue to victimize
them further.
Ina May Rouse
Lincoln
Abortion financing
could be abused
Lest the DN’s readership conclude
that those of the pro-life persuasion
have a bent desire to oppress poverty
stricken rape victims, Lee Rood’s
editorial “Abortion on Fine Line”
(DN, Oct. 26) begs for a response.
The issue is whether to allow fed
eral financing (through Medicaid) of
abortion for victims of rape or incest.
On Wednesday, Oct. 25, the House of
Representatives failed to override
President George Bush’s vetoof such
a proposal.
In her editorial, Rood criticizes
anti-abortion activists and Bush for a
lack of compassion. After all, they,
unlike indigent women, will never
have to face the consequences of the
president’s veto.
Rood’s view of compassion is an
ironic one. After all, women (indi
gent or not), unlike aborted unborn
children, do not have to face the true
consequence of an abortion. I would
argue that true compassion values
life, regardless of how it is conceived.
However, the true drawback of
this bill is its potential for abuse. The
bill states that for indigent women to
qualify for a government-funded
abortion, they must report a sexual
assault promptly to a law-cnforce
rient agency or public health service,
supporters failed to define clearly
vhat is meant by a “public health
service, ’ ’ or what frame is meant by a
requirement to “report (a sexual as
sault) promptly.”
Conceivably, an abortion clinic or
pro-abortion agency (such as Planned
Parenthood) could be construed as a
public health service. In addition, a
requircmerit for “promptness” in
reporting a rape is ambiguous. The
last time in which “prompt report
ing” of a rape was defined was during
the Carter administration; then,
‘ ‘prompt reporting” meant within 60
days of the rape. Lastly, the bill
makes no distinction between first
degree and statutory rape.
Obviously, evidence of a rape
rarely exists 60 days after the fact.
Women who have not been raped
could easily claim otherwise. A preg
nant minor could claim to be a victim
of statutory rape. If this bill were to be
abused to its fullest potential, any
pregnant women receiving Medicaid
would be eligible for a government
funded abortion. All American tax
payers would have blood on their
hands.
Comhusker fan
sick of criticism
This letter is in regard to all of the
negative sentiments which have been
thrown at the Cornhusker football
team this year, especially when the
topic is the Colorado game. I simply
can be silent no longer.
This entire semester has been
filled with ill words, due to the fact
that we have not rolled over every
opponent by at least 75 points.
Granted, our schedule was not an AP
top-10 season, but isn’t a check in the
win column just that? 1 know that if I
were a member of the team, I would
be sick to death of these statements.
And yes, I am referring to the fact that
the team has spoiled its rans.
As for the progress‘the team has
made this year, the teamwork which
outside linebacker Jeff Mills speaks
about, and the expertise of “the”
coach, I am not conceding to Colo
rado just yet. I am expecting one
dynamic game, one in which I’ll be
rooting for the Huskcrs all the way.
Being born and reared in Sooner
land, just some 90 miles southeast of
Norman, I am very proud to be a
Cornhuskcr. “Our” team travels to
Boulder this Saturday, and they need
to know that “everyone” is behind
I———
fl-in—MUIBBII III
them. One of the reasons that I did not
attend the University of Oklahoma
was that of the pathetic attitude of the
students and the faculty, in more than
one sense. If you don’t want to sup
port our team, fine, then transfer to
OU where you will fit in, oh so very
nicely. But more importantly, get out
of the way, so the team wiH-know
exactly how the true Nebraskans feel
about them. And that is: Skin 'em .
alive! As for me, I could use a new
Buffalo-hide winter coat!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but
wasn’t everyone saying the exact
same thing abut the Oklahoma game
last year?
Mark R. Stapp
Russian
junior
Wed., Nov. 1
9-1, $5
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