I fully support democratic discussion and debate within the pages of The Mass Media, the “independent student paper” of this school. However there is a huge difference between political discussion within the pages and a massive onslaught of “pro-life” lies and propaganda inserted into every issue. This insert was packed with blatant misinformation that is dangerous to anyone that is not fully aware of the truth. Apparently, The Mass Media received a substantial amount of money to carry this packet. It is disheartening to think that this paper is as susceptible to wealth-inspired corruption as mainstream media conglomerates are. What happened to being the “independent” paper?

Know that this is not a small matter. One thing that the pamphlet was correct about was that millions of people have been affected by abortion directly or indirectly. Millions of women have had to make the decision whether or not to have one. Many have chosen against an abortion for a variety of reasons, while there are many who have made the decision that having an abortion would be the best option.

Whatever personal choice a woman makes, it is their legal right to make that choice. It is a choice that the vast majority of Americans believe in. It is a choice that many Americans fought very hard to obtain. It is a common misconception that this country is split on the issue of abortion. It’s not. The “pro life” forces have dedicated so much time and money (ahem, ahem) that they have raised enough noise to create that false perception. They have also told so many lies and used so many dirty tricks (that the mass media is now responsible for perpetuating) that it has made the decision that much harder for women that are put in a difficult position.

I would like whoever made the decision to carry this pamphlet to know that they have made the lives of many women on this campus that much harder. This pamphlet may have brought back old issues that some women have already had to deal with, or perhaps it will influence a future decision for the wrong reasons. If the Human Life Alliance is successful in its campaign to overturn the Supreme Courts “Roe V Wade” decision, there is no telling how many woman of this country will die or have their health suffer due to “back alley abortions”. I’m sure that the majority of the students on this campus would defend a woman’s right to choose. Run a poll, find out. What happened to being a “student” paper?

The Mass Media owes its readers an apology and a significant amount of space that refutes the lies that were published by the Human Life Alliance. It was a poor and irresponsible decision to carry that insert.

Andrew RyanAmerican/African Studies