Letters to the Editor

A bad first step

To the Editor:

Kevin Collins's column on the so-called "Partial Birth Abortion Ban" ("Really a pro-lifer? Bush should choose," The Daily Pennsylvanian, 11/14/03) tentatively discussed the huge implications of this law but did not go far enough. The passage of the so-called "Partial Birth Abortion Ban" is the first step toward what anti-choice fundamentalists hope will be a complete reversal of Roe v. Wade. This ban is a dangerous example of politicians playing doctor and puts the health and lives of women at stake since it overtly denies exemption for a woman's health.

Moreover, "partial birth" is not a medical term, but rather a political one. The specific name for the abortion procedure that this ban refers to is intact dilation and extraction, or D&X.; Why not call it the "Intact Dilation and Extraction Ban?" There are two important reasons.

First, the anti-choice religious fundamentalists like Pennsylvania's own Senator Rick Santorum, who authored the legislation, made the language as vague as possible. As it stands, abortions even in the early stages of the second trimester could now be illegal, and physicians who perform them could spend years in jail. Secondly, anti-choice fundamentalists wish to present abortion in the most horrific and inflammatory terms possible in order to turn the tide of public opinion against Roe v. Wade.

This ban does not exist in a vacuum. It is all part of the plan to overturn Roe v. Wade and reverse decades of women's activism to secure reproductive rights. In fact, the Supreme Court hinges on just one member in turning against Roe v. Wade. The right to a safe and legal abortion is fundamental -- don't let fundamentalist bigwigs take that away from us.

Amy Miller College '04

Years of commitment

To the Editor:

In response to the story that appeared in Tuesday's Daily Pennsylvanian ("Ware College House dean draws praise and criticism," DP, 11/18/03), we would like to protest against the suggestion that House Dean Katherine Lowe has done anything but a splendid job over the past five and a half years.

Lowe has offered several years of devoted, tireless service to the Ware College House community in a job where what best serves that community can sometimes entail disciplining one of its members. It would be unfortunate and unfair if the one-sided criticism of a student involved in a disciplinary action -- whose comments cannot be contravened due to issues of confidentiality -- were to eclipse this house dean's achievements and commitment.

The story that still waits to be fully told concerns the enormous impact Lowe has had on the lives of hundreds of Penn students, who mean more to her than any of the wonderful job offers she's received from other schools over the years. The headline for this story might read: "Penn lucks out, Lowe stays at the University." For, miraculously, despite the lack of privacy, the inconvenience, or the sleepless nights, Katherine Lowe's five years of living in the Quad fishbowl have only enhanced her commitment to the University of Pennsylvania and the students it serves.

Leslie Delauter Director, College Houses and Academic Services Philip Nichols Faculty Director, College Houses and Academic Services

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