Assignment #3: Sonogram Law Makes Women Pause

A recent commentary article in the Austin American Statesman discusses how the new Texas sonogram law should give women the opportunity and the responsibility to pause before going through with the abortion procedure. In regards to abortion, most people tend to think and focus on the woman's rights before thinking of the fetus. Ashley Sanchez reports in favor of the law, making the statement, "Asking 'mom' to sacrifice 24 hours is a lot less of an imposition than asking the fetus to sacrifice his or her life." Sanchez uses Steve Jobs' story as an example to support her argument. Sanchez's comment, "I  suspect that most people believe that the world is a better place because Jobs was part of it for 56 years," alludes that technology growth would not have boomed if his biological mother had gone through with an abortion. Because Jobs was and still is such an iconic figure in the turn of the twenty-first century, Sanchez uses this to target a greater audience. She also references the story of Melissa Ohden, a survivor of abortion, in order to draw attention to the positive consequences of going through with unwanted pregnancy. Ohden's story, relatively different from Jobs, reveals the "miracle" that occurred when her mother tried to have an abortion at seven months and the fetus did not die. Ohden, now a mother, advocates and "seeks to raise awareness for abortion's intergenerational impact."

It appears that Sanchez uses the success of these two individual to reinforce the idea, "Any abortion has the potential to deprive our world of someone who could found an innovative company, be an inspirational speaker, help cure cancer, or be our future co-worker and friend." And while that is a very true statement, it is still our responsibility to respect the decisions made by each individual. Women have abortions for several other reasons besides unwanted pregnancy. In many cases, going through with pregnancy can cause health hazards for both the woman and the fetus. In other circumstances regarding sexual abuse, having a baby that is a result of rape can lead to depression, resentment, and ultimately further abuse. Because Sanchez does not address any of these reasons for abortion, she intends on persuading others to understand and agree with her personal opinions.

I can respect Sanchez's efforts to stick up for the rights of the fetus, but one comment she quotes regarding the actual procedure/surgery turned me away from agreeing with her article completely. Elizabeth Graham's (director of Texas Right to Life) statement, "Can you think of any other surgery that you can walk in and receive on the same day? Abortion should not be held to any lower standard of care than any other surgeries," is not entirely accurate. Many women view abortion as an emergency procedure, and how many people are rushed into surgery almost immediately after entering the Emergency Room? In my opinion, I feel that the evidence Sanchez uses to support her logic and argument will reassure those who are already pro-life, but will not convince someone who is pro-choice. Personally, I believe that adoption is an ideal alternative to abortion, but I still consider myself pro-choice. The new sonogram law, in my eyes, seems to be an attempt to guilt trip a woman into following through with her pregnancy as opposed to the supposed intent to improve her health care and safety.

Assingment # 2 - Two Dogs Euthanized

According to the Austin American Statesman, last week (Friday) in Hays County, two dogs were caught killing twelve chickens on camera and consequently euthanized. Because the owner of the chickens had installed a game camera due to previous incidents with his livestock, he was able to figure out which dogs were getting into his chicken coop. He shot one of the dogs, a black Labrador retriever-pitbull mix, but only injured and scared it off. The Hays County Sheriff's Office collected both dogs into their custody on Sunday and Monday morning. The officials had to visit the owner of the two dogs, explain the situation and demand the owner give up custody in order to follow through with the regulations regarding animals killing livestock. In Texas, the animal responsible for killing livestock is to be euthanized. I think this law is extremely drastic and unnecessary. Although the dogs were physically responsible, it is their owner's job to keep them contained. If an owner cannot prove himself/herself fit to be a responsible caretaker of an animal, the law should address that issue first and foremost.