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THE
Summer Daily
Summer E diioni of
7'1E MICH IGAN DAILY
Edited and managed by students at the
University of Michigan
Friday, June 1, 1973 News Phone: 764 0552
Hospiltalsw should
perform aortions
ON JANUARY 22 of this year, the Supreme Court ruled
that states cannot prevent a woman from having an
abortion during the first three months of pregnancy.
In an apparent contradiction of this ruling, the
Michigan House passed a bill yesterday declaring that
hospitals and hospital personnel could refuse to perform
abortions on moral grounds without fear of reprisals.
The House bill also applied to clinics and medical fa-
cilities. The bill now faces state Senate approval, along
with Governor Milliken's signature, and if passed, will
surely be challenged in court.
WE FIND the implications of this bill offensive, and hope
that it is quickly killed by the Senate or the Gov-
ernor. The bill clearly seeks to limit the right of Michi-
gan women to have a legal abortion.
Supreme Court Judge Harry Blackmun, in delivering
5he ruling on January 22, stated that the decision to
end a pregnancy in its early stages must be left to the
woman and her nhysician. Speaking on the state's role
on abortion mftbers. Blackmun noted that the state can
only step in to protect health and prenatal life and to
impose medical standards.
In sum, the Sunreme Court has ruled that the state
can only issue abortion regulations for medical reasons,
and not moral reasons.
WE BELTEVE that individuals who find abortions mor-
ally repreh-nsihle should not have to perform them
against their will. However, we do not think that licensed
hospitals and clinics, which exist as institutions to pro-
vide health services, should be allowed to refuse to per-
form abortions because of the moral opposition of hos-
pItal administrators who determine hospital policy.
It is the responsibility of hospitals to protect the
health of those people who put their trust into hospitals
as the place to receive adequate health care. Abortion, as
a legally approved medical service, must also be made
available by hospitals, in upholding the public faith.
Summer Staff
ROLPE TESSEM
Editor
A sad tale of age and loneliness;
Life goes on for the elderly
By SUE SOMMER
AMIDST A throng of vacant eyes
Dora slouched in a corner
chair, snoring. At eighty-two years
of age she had found her morning
expedition from her bedroom to
the dining hall too exhausting.
After bearing up twice in t h e
corridors, transformed at meal-
times into busy thoroughfares, she
had sought refuge at the nurse's
station. There, seated in a row
of chairs extending half-way down
the hall, Dora and her neighbors
were safe from the hustling of
aides and nurses who straightened
out rooms and distributed morning
medication.
Dora is already a three-year vet-
eran at the tBrown Home for the
Elderly.
After her husband's death she had
tried to persevere in her house-
keeping and "independent" living.
Failing at that, she had moved in
with her daughter's family.SBut
that meant thai her grandson,
Johnny, must share a room with
his younger brother and the fam-
ily could only go on a one week
vacation in the summer instead of
two.
It was "mutually" decided -
Dora would be happiest in a home.
WAKING UP, she tucked the
skirt of her four-sizes-too-large
house dress more snuggly around
her knees and attempted to ar-
range her hia, the few strands
that sherhad. Although not yet
entirely void of color, it refused to
match even a gleam of light for
highlights.
"Dora, do you want to stuff a
pillow with me in the recreation
room?"
It was always a pillow . . or
once in a long while a stuffed dog.
She already had so many and not
even enough grandchildren to give
them all to.
Nevertheless, she clasped hold
of the extended hands for sup-
port, moral as well as physical,
hoisted herself to swollen feet and
shuffled down to the recreation
room.
Dora eased down into yet another
chair.
AS ATTENTION to her own very
unurgent need was delayed, she
distracted herself by studying Ms.
Friedman, a blind woman seated
on her left. Ms. Friedman, hunch-
backed, seemed everyday to shrink
still further back into the form
of her wheelchair.
With mixed confusion and en-
tertainment Dora eyed the way
in which the aides tried to trick
her comrade out of one or two
pillows. Commending her on her
speed at stuffing, they would take
the "finished' product, dump the
cotton back onto the table and
ask her please to stuff another.
"Here you are, Dora. Your own
pillowecase. Isn't it pretty?"
They all spoke in that identical
squeaky voice. Silly teasing. Baby
chatter. This time it back-fired.
"Sdick it up your ass'"
But no. They'd set it down in
front of her and inevitable she'd
take it up, commencing to rip
apart the big clumps of cotton,
the same as everyone else in the
roam.
Her arthritis was acting up and
after only a minute of pulling and
tugging she had to pause and mas-
sage her throbbing hands.
When did they eat lunch? She
couldn't remember and competed
with 15 other women, all hollering
the same aide's name, in order to
inquire.
TWELVE O'CLOCK; it never
changed.
On her way to lunch she en-
countered the home social work-
er, navigating through the home
with a "special", obviously very
worried visitor and her family. But
with a waiting list of 200, these
ever new faces only confused Dora.
"And this afternoon we'll 1be
having a surprise birthday party
for the residents who have had
birthdays this week."
Ah, the social worker had spilled
the beans, but even surprise par-
ties were a weekly routine.
One of the first guests to be es-
corted into the recreation room,
majestically converted into a par-
ty room by 3 balloons and a few
streams of crepe paper, Dora felt
the room transformed a third time,
unintentionally, into a steam bath.
The air conditioners sputtered, but
the open windows negated their ef-
fedt and the jamming of 60 penile
into the crampedmroom left little
space for any breeze to seep
through.
LISTENING TO Robby, theb li-
mousine driver, croak out "The
Impossible Dream" in his falsetto
voice was too irritating. When
Dora, though, asked for assistance
hack to the nurse's station, en-
vious of those who could. weave
through the maze of chairs
alone, she was urged to stay a
little longer and enjoy the party
. .. AND the birthday cake.
So she ate cake at 3:00 and at
4:30 found herself once again mil-
ling through the dining hall to her
table.
Dora slipped a dry, passive kiss
onto the cheek of the party-lady
who had comne to say good-bye and
with a feeble reluctance surrend-
ered the clutched hand. The woman
explained, she had to dash home
to prepare dinner for her children.
5:30 -- you couid see the. plate
of Dora's dentures, as sle slept
in a chair opposite the nurse's
station with her mouth slipping
open. As soon as the evening
nurse's shift had arrived someone
would clean the chocolate off her
face and dress her for bed.
Sue Sommer is an assitant ight
editor for The Daily.
The Editorial Page of The
Michigan Daily is open to any-
one who w i s h e s to submit
articles. Generally speaking, all
articles should be less than 1,000
words.
MARTYSTERN
Editorial Page Editor
DAN BORS
Spurts Editor
BILL BLACKFORD
Business Manager
. Asst. Night Editor
. Ass't. Night Editor
Ass't. Night Editor
- - -Ass'. Night Eitor
-Staff Photographer
- ...SasetPhotographer
LAURA i'i IAiN
KATH Y }si r,
DAVE M4ARauLiCK
T U 7 .- : 1-,1!t1