Kindly allow me the opportunity to comment on two articles in your September 28 edition of The Gleaner.
Arthur vs Cooper
Anne Arthur's views, in her letter of September 28, needed as much tempering (maybe more) as Carolyn Cooper's view in her article 'Aborting Women's Rights' of Sunday, September 27. Cooper, as I understand her article, is advocating for all women to be accorded the freedom to abort a foetus at will. Arthur, on the other hand, is saying legalising abortion is not something to be considered, regardless of the position that pregnant women find themselves in. She advocates support.
Personal freedom
What kind of support can be given (regardless of how compassionate family members, friends, social workers, well-wishers, and so on are) to a woman who really feels nothing but animosity/disgust towards the foetus growing inside her? Also, it is not clear why Arthur has labelled Carolyn Cooper's stance as anti-feminist, since an issue in feminism (different from feminist perspectives) that is now being worked through by feminists all over the world is that each woman should be free to make assertive moves to enjoy her personal level of freedom - the freedom to choose to do what she considers best for herself.
There is no doubt that Arthur's rigid stance against abortion and Cooper's free-for-all stance are really not the answers to this dilemma in which we find ourselves. Yet, as Professor Cooper has voiced, who else but the pregnant woman is better able to speak for herself in response to this contentious issue - to abort or not to abort?
Wielding power
Moreover, men will continue to run away from their responsibilities regardless of women's decision and/or legal inscriptions. I want to agree with Cooper, also, that if men had to walk the nine-month route, abortion would be legalised, even glamourised. I go further to say most of us women would be supportive of our men.
Conclusively, a large part of this abortion debate is really all about wielding power and feeling powerless.
The second article had to do with the prime minister's appeal to Labourites. As a citizen of Jamaica, I call on Bruce Golding to stop the unhealthy practice of confusing his role as prime minister with his role as leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). They are separate roles.
His call for JLP supporters to "protect" him by coming out in droves to sanction his stance on the Supplementary Budget is, in my opinion, nothing but a spark to ignite the political flames that are already blazing out of control in this nation.
As leader of the nation, Golding needs to appeal to all Jamaicans for their understanding, not just labourites.
I am, etc.,
LAVERN KERR-HARVEY
tojela03@yahoo.com