EDITORIAL BOARD Christine Byrd
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Jonah Lalas
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 Staff Representative
Brian O’Camb
 Staff Representative
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President George W. Bush decided last week to disregard the
health and lives of thousands of women around the world in order to
advance his own political agenda. He announced his plan to cut U.S.
funding to international family planning groups providing abortions
and abortion counselling.
The federal budget this fiscal year allotted $425 million for
family planning groups abroad. Since 1973, these groups have not
been allowed to use this aid to directly pay for abortions, but
they were not denied money if they used their own funds to cover
abortion costs.
Though Bush said he does not plan to reduce funding this year,
he made it clear that unless these groups exclude abortion as an
option, they won’t be funded.
There are two major outcomes of such a move: clinics will either
close or stop offering abortions so they can keep receiving
money.
Undoubtedly, some groups will stop offering abortions, but this
will not necessarily curb abortions. In desperation, some women
will resort to dangerous alternatives ““ this is inevitable
when clinical abortions are not legal and affordable. Lives will be
put at risk and women will die when they go to unqualified
individuals for abortions or try to abort the fetuses themselves.
Then, not only will fetuses be lost, but adult women who are
mothers, wives, and sisters will also die.
Family planning organizations don’t just provide
abortions, they also provide contraceptives and family planning
counselors. If they are denied funding for offering abortions, they
may not have the resources to keep their facilities running.
Contraceptives are a crucial part of family planning ““
they can even prevent the need for abortions. With the intensity of
population growth and populations in some areas outstripping their
resources, contraception is essential. Providing contraceptives
gives women more control over the number of children they have and
helps keep population growth under control.
The AIDS epidemic also presents a major problem in developing
countries, especially those located in Africa where AIDS has killed
more than 17 million people. If these facilities shut down due to
of lack of funding, it would be detrimental to efforts at
controlling the transmission of AIDS and other STDs.
Ironically, in trying to protect lives, Bush will be responsible
for losing them.
It seems as if Bush is impervious to these far-reaching, global
implications.
But the passive response of Americans is equally reprehensible.
Bush is playing a clever political game. To pay back the right wing
that helped bring him into power, he is sacrificing the lives of
people around the world who had no say in electing him.
Though some Americans do not support abortion rights and
don’t want their tax dollars helping clinics that do, they
must realize they are affecting people around the world. The clear
message Bush is sending is that women’s rights outside of
America should not be equal to those in America.
Had Bush made a similar decision about clinics in the United
States, no doubt, the reaction would have been overwhelming. But,
unfortunately, only a few people here have bothered to stand up for
women overseas.
Citizens here must broaden their understanding of women’s
rights all over the world and realize that an injustice to women
anywhere is a threat to justice for women everywhere.
Though abortion is a heavily debated political issue in the
United States, Bush should not forget that abortion is also a
health issue both in this country and abroad.
As such, he must not allow his politics to blind him from the
obvious health hazards associated with his decision.
People in the United States should be glad that their human
rights cannot be extinguished by a leader in another country.
We must realize that showing concern for the rights of others
abroad reflects our concern for our own rights. After all, given
that this decision was made during Bush’s first week as
president, it’s frightening to think how he will limit a
woman’s right to choose in the future.