News
Harvard Medical School Cancels Student Groups’ Pro-Palestine Vigil
News
Former FTC Chair Lina Khan Urges Democrats to Rethink Federal Agency Function at IOP Forum
News
Cyanobacteria Advisory Expected To Lift Before Head of the Charles Regatta
News
After QuOffice’s Closure, Its Staff Are No Longer Confidential Resources for Students Reporting Sexual Misconduct
News
Harvard Still On Track To Reach Fossil Fuel-Neutral Status by 2026, Sustainability Report Finds
To the editors:
Re: “Abortion: A Product of Its Times,” op-ed, Sep. 13.
Although I abhor analyses that are grounded in social darwinism, I do agree with one of N. Kathy Lin’s insights, namely, that the way to abolish abortion is to create a world in which women are not driven to abort their children because of socioeconomic considerations. Banning abortion through statutes will not change the fact that women feel trapped by the burden of unwanted pregnancies. I sincerely believe that the only way we can abolish abortion is to give women with unwanted pregnancies a real choice to keep their child. We each can do this by refusing to view women with unwanted pregnancies as stupid, irresponsible, and therefore undeserving of mercy or charity; by treating them like worthwhile people who deserve our time, attention, and resources; and by helping women with unwanted pregnancies to shoulder the financial and emotional burden of carrying a baby to term.
I know of at least one program in Boston that seeks to achieve those goals. A Woman’s Concern (a faith-based Christian organization) works to provide financial, medical, emotional, and spiritual support for women with unplanned pregnancies in the hope that they will choose to carry their child to term. I hope other individuals and organizations in and outside of Harvard work toward the same goal.
LAURA SHORTILL
September 14, 2006
The writer is a student at Harvard Extension School.
Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.