On Jan. 28, a Flyby Blog headline read, “Harvard Debates Life on Other Planets.” Unfortunately, in her Jan. 31 op-ed arguing for abortion rights, “Rethinking the Right to Choose,” Katie Zavadski ’13 refuses to debate it on this one.
“It’s time to talk about abortion as a medical procedure and not get caught up in the rhetoric,” Zavadski declares. Having decided that abortion is merely a medical procedure, she notes that “it would be utterly unacceptable” to oppose blood transfusions and wonders why there is such a different attitude when it comes to terminating pregnancies. Since “we can agree that everyone should have access to quality medical care,” Zavadski reasons, we should all embrace government support for abortion.
Her utter confusion about the opposition to her beliefs is pretty easy to straighten out. Ultimately, only the debate over the beginning of human life matters. Nowhere does Zavadski argue that her opponents are wrong to think that the unborn are human beings, yet she is baffled by their support for banning abortion and accuses them of “misrepresenting the truth” about it.
What is Ms. Zavadski referring to as “the truth”? Evidently, her own rhetoric and unsupported assertions.
Matthew P. Cavedon ‘11
Cambridge, Mass.
Jan. 31, 2011
Matthew P. Cavedon ’11 is a Comparative Study of Religion concentrator in Quincy House.
Read more in Opinion
Olympic DiscordRecommended Articles
-
Student Groups Commemorate Veterans Day with Nursing Home OutingIn recognition of Veterans Day, a coalition of student groups sponsored a community service outing to a local nursing home, where undergraduates, veterans, and non-veterans spent yesterday afternoon.
-
Harvard Houses Grapple with Accessibility -
'Strive hard for the best' -
Winter Break Schedules Still Include Tough Road ContestsWhile you may still be in holiday mode, Harvard athletes are in the midst of a busy January filled with ...
-
Nearly 94 Percent of Student Applicants Receive Winter Break Housing353 students were approved to stay on campus during Winter Break I—which runs from Dec. 22 to Jan. 1—and 1,322 students for Winter Break II, which runs from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16.
-
Wintersession Matchups to WatchWith a precious nine days left until the school year begins, The Back Page previews the five games that Harvard students should keep their eyes on as the winter break winds down.
