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. 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