Andy's mail wrote:<snip>

> For those of you old enough to remember the horrible circumstances for

> young, particularly poor, pregnant women in america before legalized

> abortion

Hi Andy!

Run over to the vintage video rental place and get "Love With the Proper

Stranger". In addition to a dramatic illustration of your point, you

will see an ever so lovely Natalie Wood in glorious black and white.

In my callow youth I campaigned for abortion reform. I remember at the

time that a priest I knew told me that "you can't allow abortion without

allowing it wholesale". So far he has been right. Now, old man that I

am, I think we have had too many abortions and it is time to put the

brakes on it. How many millions have to die? It is very hypocritical to

be against the war and yet favor abortion.

So a few girls would risk an illegal abortion and die themselves?

Possibly, but the total death count will surely be much lower.

Or would you entertain a compromise? Require the states that permit

abortions to follow federal guidelines for legal abortions. Require a

permit. Incidental to getting the permit is a legal notice naming the

unwillingly expectant father and mother, a hearing before the elected

local abortion board, an opportunity for childless couples to offer to

adopt and finance the baby, a review of the pregnant girl's abortion

record. Rape and/or incest circumstances would of course also be taken

into consideration. The local abortion board would have the power to

grant or deny the permit. If she gets the permit she can go to the

hospital and have the abortion. Those undertaking an abortion without

the permit would be violating the law and be subject to a fine, a

lengthy probation and having a record. This would make it possible for a

girl to get pregnant and not have to keep the baby while still cutting

abortions by a lot. It would also take a moral onus off of the

government that it currently bears.

How might it work? Well, if some in and out of jail drug addicted woman

with all over rashes and no front teeth comes before the board for a

permit, everyone in town knows who she is and can see the state of her

health it is not too likely that there will be a rush to adopt her baby

and since the board could hardly think of her as likely to provide good

mothering she would no doubt get the permit. On the other hand, a buff

and scrubbed lady from the suburbs who just doesn't want to be bothered

with having a baby might get a number of offers for her baby so she is

able to be out from under it in nine months. Inconvenient for her but a

godsend for the childless couple and a chance for the otherwise doomed

baby to have a shot at life.

Regards,

Pete