Scott Tibbs
Printed in the Indiana Daily Student, 02-25-1999
Back to opinion page.
Abortion debate not pointless
To the editor:In response to Jeff Fleischer's Feb. 18 column, "Abortion debate pointless," I would point out the abortion debate is not "pointless." While it is true that the pro-life movement has not yet been able to ban abortion outright, legislative progress has been made in limiting access to abortion and in regulating the procedure.
In addition, the Supreme Court ruled that abortion CAN be prohibited in the third trimester. Therefore, we can pass laws against partial-birth abortion, as the Indiana Legislature has done.
Voting pro-life may indeed result in a ban on abortion. By electing pro-life presidents and senators, we can ensure that pro-life justices are nominated and then approved to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs. Wade. In addition, by voting for pro-life members of the House of Representatives, we can at least be assured that our tax dollars will not be used to fund abortion, in addition to passing limitations on abortion such as the aforementioned ban on partial-birth abortion.
Finally, the pro-life movement is also a cultural movement, not just a political one. By changing attitudes on abortion and being a voice for the unborn, we may be able to convince women not to kill their unborn children. This is why IU Students for Life sidewalk counsels every Thursday morning in front of Planned Parenthood.
Ultimately, saving lives is not "pointless," and that is exactly what the pro-life movement does.