HRL Clarifies UHS Abortion Policy

To the editors:

In a recent staff editorial (April 13), The Crimson urged University Health Services (UHS) to "terminate its abortion refund option immediately." Citing the objections of various religious denominations, The Crimson claimed that the UHS abortion policy is irresponsible. Unfortunately, this editorial has provoked a wave of misinformation that must be addressed.

UHS offers refunds of a portion of the cost of elective abortions. These rebates do not include money from abortions that UHS deems medically necessary. In fact abortion is the only elective surgical procedure that the UHS fee covers. In this way, elective abortions are qualitatively different from anything like blood transfusions, which occur only in cases of medical necessity.

UHS arrived at this policy through careful consideration of all the students it serves, not by caving "into the demands of one particular subset of moral beliefs." In the process, the University has cultivated a policy on abortion and elective surgery that is both just and consistent.

Robert J. Ortiz '00

April 18, 2000

The writer is the vice-president of Harvard Right to Life.

Waiting Not Uncommon

To the editors:

I cannot believe that a group of 15 having to wait a few extra minutes for a table in a restaurant is front page news (News, April 18). I assure you this occurs quite frequently, even when the restaurant in question is only two-thirds full. Furthermore, the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association must have a lot of free time on its hands if this tragedy of table waiting is the most important issue on its agenda. What kind of organization abuses its power to rouse accusations of discrimination simply because its co-chair had to wait for a table? Here's a little advice for Shan M. Chang: The next time you have to wait to be seated at Temple Bar, relax and have a drink instead of wasting this community's time with unfounded and irresponsible claims of discrimination. You may find that you enjoy sharing a pint with friends even more than you enjoy complaining about a racially motivated 10 minute wait.

Jonathan Regenstein '01

April 18, 2000