Abortion is vital campaign issue

Eighty-seven percent of University undergraduates consider abortion an important factor in tomorrow's election, a Daily Pennsylvanian/Ivy League Poll indicated last week. And according to students and administrators on both sides of the issue, most students who said abortion is an important election issue probably support abortion rights. "[It has] finally hit the college campus that we have been living during a privileged time [when] certain rights have been guaranteed to us," said Penn Pro-Choice Co-Chairperson Allyson Wagner. She cited last summer's Supreme Court decision in Casey v. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania -- which abortion rights activists consider to be the beginning of government infringement on abortion rights -- and Pennsylvania's Abortion Control Act as reasons that students should be concerned with electing candidates in favor of abortion rights. The abortion question in the poll -- which was conducted by seven Ivy League schools -- asked only how important the issue is to students' votes. It did not ask their stance on the controversial issue, but had them rank its importance as not, somewhat or very important. Bob Cardie, assistant director of the Newman Center, the University's Catholic organization, said that "on this campus, [the students who said the abortion issue is important to them] are probably pro-choice." But, he said, "the difference between the two is not great. I can only assume student stances from what I read in the papers." Cardie added that abortion will always be an important issue. Of the various breakdowns by school, gender and party affiliation, women in the poll make up the highest percentage -- 98 percent -- of students who believe that abortion is an important issue. Eighty percent of men responded the same way. Abortion activists on campus said they are not surprised that more women than men believe that abortion is an important issue during this election year. "Abortion will always affect the women more directly, [both] physiologically and physically," said Wagner, a College senior. "It's the female body that's at stake." She said, however, that there are many active male members of her organization. And Beth Silverman, chairperson of the Jewish Feminist Collaborative, said that, for men, "this definitely is an issue that hits home less." "They can't relate on the same level we can," said Silverman, a College senior. "Abortion might not be at the top of [their] lists." Cardie said that male and female members of the movement to restrict abortion rights are equally concerned about abortion, considering the "official Catholic teaching is that all life is valuable and abortion is wrong." "I think the pro-choice people are saying that the child is not worth a nine-month pregnancy," Cardie said. Wharton and Engineering -- the schools with the highest male enrollment -- had lower percentages of students who said abortion was an important issue to them. According to the poll, the abortion issue is important to 96 percent of Nursing students, 89 percent of College students, 82 percent of Engineering students and 79 percent of Wharton students. And among students who believe abortion is an important election issue, 59 percent are registered Democrats and 32 percent are registered Republicans. Twenty-six percent of students who said abortion was "very important" to them said, for president, they will vote for the Bush/Quayle ticket Tuesday, and 65 percent will vote for Gov. Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Twelve percent who think abortion is "very important" will support Ross Perot and James Stockdale. Silverman said that, in general, she does not understand how a student in favor of abortion rights could support the Republican Party platform with its anti-abortion plank. "It's difficult for me to stomach," said Silverman, a College senior. "Maybe they don't understand the repercussions of what would happen if abortion became illegal." And, although it ranked as the least important issue of the five asked about in the poll, abortion rights advocates on campus are pleased with the number of students who will consider candidates' stances on abortion when they go to the polls. Penn Pro-Choice officials said, with more than 200 active members in their organization, they are excited with the activism on campus. Wagner said she has not heard about student groups supporting abortion restrictions on campus this year. "I don't know where they are right now," she said this week. "I do personally believe that the majority of students are pro-choice." But Cardie said that there is such an organization at the University called Penn Coalition for Life, run by Maura Mimnagh. "There are a significant number of students involved in the pro-life movement," he said. Cardie said that they would not get as many activists at a demonstration against abortion rights as attended the rally in favor of abortion rights two weeks ago. Mimnagh, a College junior, refused to comment on the survey results last week.

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