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Hubbard uses shock value to argue against abortion
Letter to the editor
Issue date: 2/17/05 Section: Commentary
I am writing concerning the commentary titled "Abortion not justified" found in Feb. 15 edition of The Daily Campus. Many (if not most) of the statements made by the columnist, Mike Hubbard, are unfounded, over-simplified, and asinine. Hubbard uses shock-value tactics in his overly opinionated and nonfactual piece to portray the "pro-lifers'" argument as open-minded and logical.
Hubbard makes the claim that, "to be clear, pro-lifers are not against the right of a woman to control her body." Actually, to be clear, the notion of "pro-life" is accepting and advocating, "every preborn child, from fertilization on, is a human being who is entitled to both social and legal protection." It is false to make the claim that "pro-lifers" are not against the right of a woman to control her body because once a preborn child is granted rights and entitled to protection, the woman no longer has personal control of her body. Also, Hubbard states that a decision to overturn Roe v. Wade would put the power to decide in the hands of the people and regulate abortion under special circumstances - this however would again take the control of a woman's body away from the woman.
In his piece, Hubbard portrays the pro-choice movement as evil by paralleling it with Hitler and uses unfounded rhetoric to make the pro-lifers appear open-minded and compassionate. There are many problems with his argument and his portrayal of the pro-life movement that go far beyond denying a woman personal choice and control of her body. Teaching abstinence only in the schools (which is extremely dangerous and ineffective) is another feature of the pro-life movement (and one that Hubbard conveniently leaves out), as well as opposing any form of birth control, emergency contraception and stem-cell research.
Hubbard blames the abortion debate of reducing the issue to the same overly simplified slogans yet uses these exact tactics himself by not providing any factual evidence to the claims he makes in his commentary. Hubbard starts his piece with, "Abortion is one of the greatest evils in American society." Where has he been? What about war, injustice, rape, abuse, racism, murder?
-Galina A. Portnoy
Hubbard makes the claim that, "to be clear, pro-lifers are not against the right of a woman to control her body." Actually, to be clear, the notion of "pro-life" is accepting and advocating, "every preborn child, from fertilization on, is a human being who is entitled to both social and legal protection." It is false to make the claim that "pro-lifers" are not against the right of a woman to control her body because once a preborn child is granted rights and entitled to protection, the woman no longer has personal control of her body. Also, Hubbard states that a decision to overturn Roe v. Wade would put the power to decide in the hands of the people and regulate abortion under special circumstances - this however would again take the control of a woman's body away from the woman.
In his piece, Hubbard portrays the pro-choice movement as evil by paralleling it with Hitler and uses unfounded rhetoric to make the pro-lifers appear open-minded and compassionate. There are many problems with his argument and his portrayal of the pro-life movement that go far beyond denying a woman personal choice and control of her body. Teaching abstinence only in the schools (which is extremely dangerous and ineffective) is another feature of the pro-life movement (and one that Hubbard conveniently leaves out), as well as opposing any form of birth control, emergency contraception and stem-cell research.
Hubbard blames the abortion debate of reducing the issue to the same overly simplified slogans yet uses these exact tactics himself by not providing any factual evidence to the claims he makes in his commentary. Hubbard starts his piece with, "Abortion is one of the greatest evils in American society." Where has he been? What about war, injustice, rape, abuse, racism, murder?
-Galina A. Portnoy