Rebecca Tan’s article in today’s The Daily Pennsylvanian looks to be a perfect example of someone trying to assuage her guilt for covering an unpopular campus topic.
Student Eric Hoover wanted to begin a chapter of the pro-life organization Students for Life of America at the University of Pennsylvania, and posted about it on the school’s class of 2019 Facebook page.
However, the piece starts with a response to the post from one Hoover’s critics: “[W]elcome to the middle ages [sic].”
Following a brief description of what SFLA is about — believing that abortion is “morally and legally reprehensible,” and connecting women dealing with unplanned pregnancies to pro-life centers — the story then becomes a forum for abortion rights advocates to lambaste the organization:
Carol Tracy, executive director of the Women’s Law Project and lecturer in the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s studies department said that while pro-life groups are entitled to hold beliefs on the definition of life based on their religious or philosophical theories, they are not entitled to impose them on women. …
“The legal question is does the government get the right to make that decision and have that kind of control over a woman’s body. The answer is: no, they do not,” she added. …
“[SFLA’s “no abortion due to rape” position] shows a fundamental ignorance of the emotional and physical toll of pregnancy on woman, especially when it is brought about by force,” [sophomore Lea Eisenstein] said. …
In an email statement, board members for the Penn Association for Gender Equity expressed concern over the kind of “shame tactics” used by groups such as Created Equal.
“A protest or large action [promoting the pro-life agenda] can be very triggering and alienating to someone who has had an abortion or considered having one,” PAGE said.
In response to [Hoover’s] remarks [about not shaming women], Tracy said, “Since Roe v. Wade was decided over 40 years ago, 40 to 50 million American women have had abortions. They are not ashamed.”
Carole Joffe, a sociologist and professor at the University of California’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, added that it seems difficult for pro-lifers to take the stance on abortion as murder while claiming that their intent is not to shame.
She also said that she hopes Students of Life will stay away from characterizing women having abortions as “victims” and abortion providers as “murderers.” This rhetoric denies women’s moral agency, infantilizes them and demonizes abortion providers […]
Hoover said there will be no “forceful” messages. If they reach out to a student considering an abortion, “[w]e will make what we believe is a reasonable case, but if she chooses to go through with [the abortion], that is her decision.
“That doesn’t mean we think it is right.”
About 15 students have expressed interest in establishing the SFLA chapter, and now are looking for “formally register” with the university as a student group.
MORE: Christian college gives academic credit for volunteering at ‘baby parts’ Planned Parenthood
MORE: Campus pro-life groups outnumber Planned Parenthood affiliates nearly 4-to-1
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