Letter to the editor: Abortion law misunderstood

By Anthony J. Lauinger, Tulsa - 11/6/2009


Your editorial ("Back to court: Oklahoma abortion law targeted," Oct. 26) reflects a profound misunderstanding of the state's new abortion-reporting law.

Your assertion that "so much other information would be posted that in some communities it would not be difficult to ascertain the identity of a patient" is incorrect. No information about a patient's "community" is on the form sent to the Health Department: no hometown, no county of residence, no address, no ZIP code. Nor is there personal identifying information: no name, no patient number, no birth date.

No reports of individual abortions will appear on a Web site. The Department of Health will post simply an annual report of demographic and statistical information with breakdowns for age, race, marital status, educational level, method of abortion, etc.

The form asks the reason the abortion is being sought. Reasons listed are from a survey, "Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives," by the Guttmacher Institute (former research arm of Planned Parenthood). Identifying problems that lead Oklahoma women to seek abortions could help in addressing underlying issues, thus possibly reducing the number of abortions — a goal even abortion advocates say they support.

Abortion complications will also be reported. Abortion supporters often call abortion "safe, legal, and rare." However, very little data exist about abortion complications. Lawsuits over botched abortions are typically settled out of court, so very little is known about the damage abortion inflicts on women. Important public-health needs will be served by this new law.



Letters to the editor are encouraged. Each letter must be signed and include an address and a telephone number where the writer can be reached during business hours. Addresses and phone numbers will not be published. Letters should be a maximum of 250 words to be considered for publication and may be edited for length, style and grammar. Letters should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, Tulsa World, Box 1770, Tulsa, Okla., 74102, or send e-mail to letters@tulsaworld.com.


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Tulsa World Reader Comments
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Woofenburger, Hominy (11/6/2009 10:00:12 PM)
Anthony, Do you have to answer these questions to get your hemmoroids removed? Do you have to answer these questions to have your vasectomy done? Do you have to answer these questions to have your genital herpes treated? Genital warts? Breast augmentation? Hair implants? I don't think you do. Why should anyone else have to answer the questions mandated by this law to access a legal medical procedure? Because they are women? Is that it? Are their cute little heads not big enough to sort out all this complicated abortion business? Maybe you and your like minded associates can help her to see the right and true error of her ways if only you can require her to stop, answer some questions unrelated to a medical procedure and inflict a little more pain and suffering on her already agonizing decision. MYOB.

Democrat, Tulsa County (11/6/2009 5:34:52 AM)
Anthony: Abortion RIGHTS supporters do NOT call abortion SAFE, LEGAL, and RARE. We have as a goal to make it so that abortion is safe, legal, and rare. You were doing a fine job of presenting a defense of the new law until you referred to us as "abortion supporters" and twisted our goal to suit your purpose.

Herb, Broken Arrow (11/6/2009 3:01:07 PM)
Maybe if some of this energy spent on arguing abortion had been spent on preventing unwanted pregnancies, we wouldn't be in this mess.

Herb, Broken Arrow (11/6/2009 5:11:03 PM)
Yeah, Relik but the print was too small on my first choice - a cup saying "screw the golden years."

lucky girl, mine (11/6/2009 10:05:58 AM)
BowlerDave, LOL

grizz, tulsa (11/6/2009 8:03:07 AM)
What everyone else said has pretty well summed it up. This law needs to go, now.

Alan Shore, (11/6/2009 6:29:00 AM)
Anything that could possibly be an "undue burden" to the access to an abortion is unconstitutional...like this bill.

psychedelikrelik, Tulsa (11/6/2009 9:48:10 AM)
MYOB, Anthony. What all my friends said. Goes double for me.

psychedelikrelik, Tulsa (11/6/2009 12:26:55 PM)
Your lipstick looks fine, Unbelieving. Not all births are blessings. You are free to have or not have an abortion. It's your choice. This is America, after all. Land of the Free, Home of the MIND YER OWN BEESWAX!

psychedelikrelik, Tulsa (11/6/2009 1:48:23 PM)
Unbelieving, if you want the debate, go back and read my previous posts on the subject, where I have outlined my position quite clearly. I see no reason to re-post the same information on each and every new article. And it's "lose" not "loose," genius.

psychedelikrelik, Tulsa (11/6/2009 1:49:44 PM)
And you do a disservice to the victims of true genocide when you use that term to refer to ELECTIVE abortions. Use your head for something other than a hatrack, wouldja?

psychedelikrelik, Tulsa (11/6/2009 4:15:31 PM)
Herb, has anyone ever told you that you look just like Charlie Brown?

psychedelikrelik, Tulsa (11/7/2009 4:05:57 PM)
BrokenHill, baloney. MYOB.

Hobbs, Loveland, Co (11/6/2009 7:08:01 AM)
Anthony...You can write a book of excuses regarding this bill and it's still unconstitutional. Alan Shore is absolutely right as usual. Why are men always the ones trying to control women? Why are so many of the anti-abortionist against abortions unless if effects someone on their own family...then exceptions are rationalized for their situation?

Verbal Kint, BA (11/6/2009 1:35:14 PM)
Unbelieving, (11/6/2009 1:22:58 PM) Relik, I love the debte from the left. --------------------------------- I love how the right is all about freedoms and less government unless it has to do with medical decisions related to your own body. Hope it's ok with Uncle Sam if I take a Claritin today....

dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (11/6/2009 7:19:16 AM)
1.) In what way do these desired statistics serve the public need? 2.) If you're opposed to surgical abortion why do you oppose birth control availability with the very people who cause the abortions to skyrocket? 3.) If you're opposed to surgical abortion why do you oppose the sales of the morning after pill over the counter to anyone who wants it? You can dress a pig in a tutu but it's still a pig. This bill is more pandering to the uneducated, ignorant, low income religious right fanatics.

dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (11/6/2009 10:05:26 AM)
I think Dave may have just nailed it.

dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (11/7/2009 4:12:38 PM)
Broken hill the LAW says it's LEGAL. Now if you don't like the law convince the Supreme court that it's illegal. Reagan didn't attack the law nor did either Bush. Where the hades do you get off circumventing the LAW when you claim to be a right wing law abiding citizen. I don't support surgical abortion. I'm against it except to save a mothers life, incest or rape. But It's not MY decision to make. I have the right to be against it. I don't have the right to make lawful decisions for other. You're a worse criminal than a pot smoker and Oklahoma puts pot smokers in prison. You wouldn't want to know what I think they should do with you.

Elusive, the burbs (11/6/2009 5:19:26 PM)
Identifying problems that lead Oklahoma women to seek abortions could help in addressing underlying issues..." none of your business.

Elusive, the burbs (11/7/2009 4:34:53 PM)
BrokenHill, abortion does not create health problems and it takes two to tango, it's not the just the woman that causes this condition of pregnancy.

Elusive, the burbs (11/7/2009 4:36:20 PM)
Any guy who does not protect himself from causing an unwanted pregnancy should keep his mouth shut and wallet open when it happens.

Oldfatdude, Shàngdu (11/6/2009 12:13:11 PM)
Dave, did you use protection when you "nailed" it?

2ndjoyce, BA (11/6/2009 9:40:00 AM)
The only profound misunderstanding is the one where I, a woman, do not want anyone in the doctor's office with me, my doctor and a nurse. Got it?

Thunder196, Tulsa (11/6/2009 7:04:13 AM)
Knew before I looked that this was written by a male. Just looking out for the woman having the abortion. Yeah, right.

Thunder196, Tulsa (11/6/2009 7:12:17 AM)
"Important public-health needs will be served by this new law." . Gotta say your imagination is quite active and working over time. . Is this a contagious disease? I missed something in biology. Only one way I know of to catch pregnancy.


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