Detroit physician.
speaks on abortion
E.
The Michigan Daily -Thursday, October 12,1989 - Page 3
Germany
- i
.1 by Ter. Jackson
"My name is Ethelene Crockett-
Jones and I am decidedly pro-choice."
These first words out of Dr.
Jones' mouth summarized last
night's speech concerning abortion
and medicine in front of 75 people at
the Michigan Union Ballroom.
Jones, whose speech was spon-
sored by the Ann Arbor Pro-Choice
Coalition, is a practicing obstetri-
cian and gynecologist in Detroit's
lower East side and works closely
with predominantly poor Black pa-
tients. She received considerable me-
dia attention this past year when she
performed a free abortion for a 15-
year-old rape victim dependent on
Medicaid after the Michigan state
legislature had already banned the
practice of Medicaid-funded abor-
tions.
"The facts support (the pro-
choice) position," Jones said. "Risk
of death from abortion is half that of
giving birth. In fact, an abortion to-
day is safer than a tonsillectomy."
Physicians take an oath, Jones
said, that "the health of my patient
will be my first consideration." Later
in the same oath, they say, "I will
maintain my respect for life from the
moment of conception... and never
use my medical knowledge against
humanity."
Jones said there was a clear con-
flict, but stated that physicians agree
divided
over
on one basic fact - medical ethics
must be observed.
A physician's function, Jones
said, is to explain all of the options
to a patient in an unbiased fashion.
If physicians do not offer a particular
option, they should refer the patient
to someone who does.
"My primary concern is my pa-
tient," Jones said. "My duty is to
support her decision, whatever that
may be."
Jones explained that many of her
patients don't know about contracep-
tion. They believe that the "most
important distinction" available to
them is that of becoming a mother,
but they lack the skill and resources
to be successful parents, she said.
In addition, "Black kids are not
adoptable, and my patients know
that," Jones said.
"My patients have some of the
highest prematurity and complica-
tion rates in the country," she said.
Jones said pregnant mothers from
her practice are often on drugs or
have venereal diseases.
To prove the necessity of abor-
tions, Jones described cases in which
women have been forced to continue
a pregnancy which resulted in the
death of both the woman and her fe-
tus.
reform'
BERLIN
(AP) -
Communist East German leadership
on yesterday strongly reaffirmed the
nation's commitment to socialism
but expressed willingness to discuss
possible reforms.
A lengthy statement from the rul-
ing Politburo capped a day of con-
flicting signals as to whether the
country would maintain the course
of hard-line leader Erich Honecker or
undertake the type of reform now
sweeping much of Eastern Europe.
"All expressions of opinion and
suggestions for attractive socialism
in (East Germany) are important,"
the Politburo said. "We are open to
discussions."
The statement, distributed by the
official news agency ADN, also ad-
dressed the issue of the exodus of
tens of thousands of East Germans.
"We aren't indifferent when peo-
ple who worked and lived here re-
nounce our German Democratic
Republic," the statement said. "The
reasons for the step could be varied.
We must and will seek out them (the
reasons) among ourselves, each in
his place, all of us together."
The statement made no express
mention of the country's growing
opposition movement, but it called
on East Germans to refrain from the
kinds of street demonstrations that
swept through the country last week
and on Monday night.
Earlier, party sources said high-
ranking Communist officials had
warned of possible labor unrest and
demanded a report on the nation's
"critical situation" from Honecker.
Also yesterday, East Germany's
chief ideologist Kurt Hager reversed
himself and called for reform to curb
growing unrest.
The demand for a report, made by
party members at a meeting Tuesday
of the Politburo, suggests Honecker
may face an internal challenge to his
18-year leadership. The sources dis-
closed it soon after the radio broad-
cast Hager's remarks.
Party sources, speaking on condi-
tion of anonymity, said some mem-
bers of the 163-seat Central
Committee were invited to the meet-
ing of the Politburo, which has 21
members. The sources said the,.
meeting continued late yesterday. t
They quoted the complaining of-
'ficials as telling Honecker "there arec
increasing signs of coming strikes in
the factories" and "there is no time
to waste."
Honecker was told some workers
already were refusing to work over-.
time and called on the government tb
address the "increasingly pressin*
questions" of the nation's people;
the sources reported. He was askedIto
report by the end of the week, they
said.
'All expressions of opin-
ion and suggestions for
attractive socialism in
(East Germany) are im-
portant. We are open to
discussions.'
The Politburo
Politburo member Egon Krenz
was responsible for the restraint
shown by security forces during
Monday's pro-democracy demonstra-
tions in Leipzig, East Berlin and
Dresden, the sources said. Krertz
often is mentioned as a successor to
Honecker.
During his two-day visit last
week for East Germany's 40th an-
niversary, Gorbachev urged Honecker
to make democratic reforms.
Dr. Ethelene Crockett-Jones speaks about abortion last night in the
Michigan Union ballroom. Jones said abortion today is safer than giving
birth.
House 01
WASHINGTON (AP) - The
House agreed yesterday to allow fed-
* erally paid abortions for poor women
who are victims of rape or incest,
reversing nearly a decade of more re-
strictive votes and inviting a veto
from President Bush.
By a 216-206 vote, the House re-
jected the language it has kept in the
law since 1981 and instead endorsed
a more liberal provision already
passed by the Senate. An effort by
conservatives to reverse the vote
failed, 212-207.
Federal aid for abortions, avail-
able under Medicaid, is now limited
to poor women whose lives have
been endangered by a pregnancy.
Yesterday's vote came three
months after a Supreme Court ruling
giving states greater power to restrict
abortions.
Ks
federally funded
Lawmakers and activists who say
women have a right to an abortion
said the ruling spurred supporters of
their position to make their views
known to their legislators.
Opponents agreed.
"The political momentum on this
issue is so strong now that if
President Bush vetoes this, he'd be
making a big mistake," said Rep.
Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) who led
the fight for the eased limitations.
Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) who
has led the anti-abortion fight in the
House for years, said, "I wouldn't
characterize it any other way than as
a defeat for the unborn. I was sur-
prised, upset, and disappointed."
House members without strong
positions "felt they had the Supreme
Court to protect them" until the July
ruling, said Rep. Dale Kildee (D-
Mich.) and a supporter of tougher re-
strictions.
Now, however, "it's no longer a
vote cast in a vacuum. It's a vote
with real consequences," he said.
The provision agreed to by the
House would allow Medicaid pay-
ments for abortions when the
mother's life is in jeopardy or when
the pregnancy resulted from a rape or
incest that was "promptly" reported
to authorities. Since 1981 - and as
recently as Aug. 2 - the House has
voted for language limiting federal
aid to abortions only in cases in
which the woman's life was in dan-
ger.
Just a year ago, the Senate caved
to the restrictive House position on
Medicaid abortion financing by a
vote of 47-43.
The abortion provision is part of
a $156.7 billion measure to finance
Gorbachev
abortions
labor, health and education programs
for fiscal 1990, which began Oct. 1.
The spending bill, which was ap-
proved 364-56, now moves to the
Senate.
Bush threatened in August to
veto the bill if it contains the more
liberal abortion language.
Administration officials reiterated
that threat yesterday.
The president's senior advisors
would recommend a veto if Congress
sent him a bill that would pay "for
abortions in cases beyond when the
life of the mother is endangered,"
said Alixe Glen, a White House
spokesperson.
I n 1979, the last year for which
reliable figures are available, there
were 72 federally subsidized abor-
tions in the United States according
to the private Alan Guttmacher
Institute.
accepts
JUSTICE
Continued from Page 1
Of the schools listed as the
University's most important com-
petitors, only the University of
California at Berkeley was a public
school.
The rising cost of education has
led in the past five years to an in-
ability of the state to meet
University budget needs and corre-
spondingly to student tuition in-
creases.
For out-of-state students, the
University is currently one of the
most expensive public institutions
in the nation.
I
THE
LIST
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
Meetings
Research Club -8 p.m. in West
Conference Rm. on the 4th. floor
z of the Rackham Bldg.; features a
talk on "The Meaning and Conse-
quences of Revolution"
Palestine Solidarity Commit-
tee - 7:30 p.m. in the lounge of
the International Center
Campus Crusade for Christ -
College Life meeting from 7-8:30
p.m. in Kellogg Aud. Rm. 6005;
enter in the Dental School
Tagar General Meeting - "The
Remnant, The Regathering, Trav-
elers' Tales"; 7 p.m. at Hillel
Rm..3
Earth Day Organizing Commit-
tee - 7 p.m. in the 4th. floor of
the Union
Speakers
"The Meaning and Conse-
quences of Revolution" - an
overview by Raymond Grew
(History Dept.), Albert Feuerw-
erker (History Dept speaks on
China, and William Zimmerman
(Poli. Sci. Dept) speaks on the
Soviet Bloc; 8 p.m. in the West
Conference Rm. on the 4th. floor
of the Rackham Bldg.; part of the
Research Club meeting
"Memory vs. the Memory
Hole: Coming to Grips with
Stalinism in the Ukrainian
SSR" - Dr. James Mace, Staff
Director of the U.S. Congres-
sional Commission on Ukraine
Famine speaks at 8 p.m. in the
East Lecture Rm. of the Rackham
Bldg.
Edward Morin and Williem
Becher read from their works -
8 p.m. at the Guild House
"Collective Violence and Col-
lective Loyalties in France:
Did the French Revolution
Make a Difference?" - Prof.
William Sewell speaks at 8 p.m.
in the Rackham Amphitheater
"Continuity and Change in
Domestic Life at Lukurmata,
Bolivia" - Marc Bermann
speaks at the brown-bag luncheon
at noon in the Natural Science
Museum
"Ultraviolet Radiation Levels
During the Antarctic Spring"
- Dan Lubin of the U of Chicago
speaks at 3:45 in Rm. 2231 of the
Space Research Bldg.
"Female and Male Strategies
in the Capped Langur Mon-
key" - Craig Stanford, visiting
professor in the Anthropology
Dept.; 4 p.m. in the East Lecture
Room on the 3d. Floor of the
Rackham Building
Furthermore
Safewalk - the night-time walk-
ing service is open seven days a
week from 8:00 p.m. to 1:30
a.m.; 936-1000
Northwalk - North campus
night-time walking service, Rm.
2333 Bursley; 8 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.
or call 763-WALK
"Ojibwa Basket Making: The
Tradition Lives On" - the ex-
hibit is on display from 9-5 at the
U-M Exhibit Museum
Music for Trombone - Laurie
Penpraze, Wagenseil and others;
from 12:14-12:45 in the Union's
Pendelton Rm.
Free tutoring - all 100/200
level math, science and engineer-
party restructuringM
SCW F. P i ar c.ges."R Aichi Theaer
MOSCOW (AP) - President party congress, Rakowski said. He
Mikhail S. Gorbachev does not ob- added that polls show such a change
ject to Communist parties changing is favored by 70 percent of the
their names and programs, as Hun- members of the Polish United
gary has done, the Polish party chief Workers Party, as the Communists
said yesterday after conferring with formally call themselves.
the Soviet leader. The most highly acclaimed movie of the year
Gorbachev "stressed that the
shape and organization of any party Hair Styling with an entertaining, upbeat,
depends only on that party," a: Flair
Mieczyslaw Rakowskitold a news 7 Barber Stylists
The Hungarian party, which had - NO WAITING!!! "> ... Ri . .i1
been loosing members and falling in DASCOLA STYLISTS
the polls, voted Saturday to dissolve DSOppoSiTYcoSS AOIESUN~A~ ~tcsa
itself and form a Western-style so- Opposite Jacobson's TONIGHT & SATUR
cialist organization.
"I think our party must change
its program and its name, and I think
that this will happen at the next
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