Abortion supporters hold panel

In preparation for today's Supreme Court hearing of Pennsylvania Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, a case regarding restrictions on the abortion procedure, leaders and supporters of the movement to protect abortion rights met yesterday in a forum at the Penn Tower Hotel to explain the necessity of women retaining their rights to reproductive freedom. Kate Michelman, the National Abortion Rights Action League president, moderated the hearing. The first three speakers gave a story of their own experiences with abortion, before Roe vs. Wade legalized it in 1973. The graphic stories frequently evoked sighs from the audience. Mary Litman of Pittsburgh said that the stereotype of the shady, back-alley abortion on the kitchen table performed with a coat hanger was reality for her, not myth or sensationalization. Despite having a life-threatening infection, Litman refused hospital treatment for fear of being imprisoned. "I was sure I was going to die," she said. Imani Akeda said she became pregnant after a date raped her. Since abortion was not legally availible, she gave birth to the baby, but could not be a good mother, she said. "I thought I was serving a prison sentence," she said. Akeda said she now enjoys sharing parenthood with her husband and her two planned children. Louis Gerstley, an obstetrician and gynecologist, told of his experiences at the Philadelphia General Hospital where injured women came after botched abortions. He added that he does not believe adoption will solve the problem. Gerstley said that if every aborted baby was born, the market for adopted babies would be totally oversupplied within two years. First-year Social Work student Cindy Brown discussed what she considered to be problems of requiring parental consent for minors getting an abortion. "How is a judge to decide whether a woman is mature enough to have an abortion?" she said. Deborah Leavy, executive director of the Pennsylvania American Civil Liberties Union, and Carol Tracy, executive director of the Women's Law Project and former director of the Penn Women's Center, said they felt that because of the composition of the Rehnquist Supreme Court, they predict that the justices will decide in favor of placing restrictions on abortion procedures. To protect abortion rights, Tracy and Leavy urged audience members to call or write to their representatives and elected officials to pressure them to enact the Freedom Of Choice Act, which would prohibit states from restricting the right to abortion. Several audience members said they enjoyed the hearing. "I found [the panelists] very moving," said College junior Haesin Kim. "We've always lived in a time when abortion has been legal. We think of abortion rights as a natural right." "I think it's good to hear the personal side rather than just the legislation and statistics we normally hear," College junior Lynn Roland added. (CUT LINE)

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