To the Editor:

First off, allow me to take a very deep breath to settle myself…okay, now I am ready.

I consider myself a very liberal and open-minded person. Hence, I believe that, when undertaking a debate of any kind, both sides of it absolutely need to be heard and taken into consideration. At some point before explaining where you personally may stand concerning an issue, the best way to make an informed decision is to be willing to hear both bodies of information.

However, there is one exception to my rule: Abortion. It makes no sense to me whatsoever as to why there has been such an ongoing debate surrounding this topic. There is only one side that should ever need to be taken, thus extinguishing one of the most obnoxious debates ever to have risen to our awareness: Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life.

I am fully aware of how many Pro-Lifers I may be offending right now, but hopefully after reading this, they will realize and understand how extremely tyrannical their side of this issue is.

By saying you are Pro-Life, you are saying that women should not have the freedom to decide what is best for their own bodies. By saying you are Pro-Life, you are denying to women the most basic possession that every person owns: their body. Tell me, who exactly do you think you are?

What makes you think that you can tell a woman what she can or cannot do concerning the life of her fetus? Do you really thrive that much on such a sick power trip? It amazes me really how cheeky and obtrusive people can be.

Let me give you a scenario: imagine the twelve-year-old girl who was raped by her father and got pregnant. Please be so kind as to humour me with a reason why she should not undergo an abortion and why it would be much more beneficial that she birth the child of her father.

Just keep turning this example over in your mind until you realize how wrong you are to try to force such a young girl to deliver a product of incest. I can somehow picture the strictest Pro-Lifers somehow swallowing their pride and sheepishly admitting that, “Yes, I suppose abortion could be necessary in some cases.”

Some cases. Well, make up your mind, would ya? If you are saying that there could be an exception in certain cases, then I do not think you are completely fulfilling your duty as the overbearing Pro-Lifer. I always thought Pro-Life meant anti-abortion. You are either for it or against it, there really cannot be any blurred lines in the issue of abortion.

So to end this horrific debate, why don’t all of you Pro-Lifers open your eyes and recognize how ignorant and oppressive you are being? Step over to the brighter side-I promise you we’ll greet you with open arms.

Raquel Rivera Class of 2005