The storm clouds are churning slowly above 1 S. Park St., site of the Madison Surgery Center. Why? Someone said the a"" word. No, not that ""a"" word - the other one: abortion. Last week, a group of physicians from UW Hospital and its partner Meriter Hospital proposed to open a second-trimester abortion clinic in the Madison Surgery Center. Their proposal garnered immediate public outcry from community members, students and politicians, both for and against the proposed clinic.
Who's to blame them? Abortion is possibly the greatest polarizing issue in politics, asking each person to draw the emotional and moralistic line in the sand of where life begins and a mother's choice ends.
The issue came to a tipping point on Saturday, as both pro-life and pro-choice protestors clashed at the site of the proposed clinic outside of the Madison Surgery Center. Their heated exchanges, coupled with a turnout of nearly 800 people, make one thing painfully clear: A consensus between the two sides is still decades away, and concessions must be made in order to get anywhere.
The doctors proposing the second-trimester abortion clinic cited a community need for such a service - perhaps the strangest part of the odyssey that has become the abortion clinic proposal. Second-trimester abortions, which typically represent only 10 percent of all abortions performed, are rare and controversial procedures due to the development level of the fetus. Although I understand the concern over aborting a fetus that late in development (or anytime, frankly), I still find certain circumstances appropriate for such a procedure. In cases of rape, incest or danger to the mother, second-trimester abortions should be allowed. Unfortunately, most second-trimester abortions do not deal with this kind of abortion. It is a difficult decision, usually complicated by matters of finance and quality of life for the child. In truth, our society needs to encourage greater knowledge about adoption programs and opportunities for mothers-to-be. Such an outlet may help curb the need for abortions, as well as alleviate difficult decisions for mothers.
However, if mothers are still debating abortion until the second trimester, it may be a sign that they would be getting an abortion for the wrong reason. I understand a mother's side of the argument, especially if the child would struggle under her care, but if medical officials could focus more on finding local programs or families capable of raising an adopted child, the need for a second-trimester hospital would not be as big of an issue. A clinic that simply allows second-trimester abortions regardless of circumstances is not going to help the central issue.
Without question, UW hospital and Meriter Hospital must hold up their promise not to force any unwilling nurses or physicians into working at the clinic. In addition, abortions must be paid through insurance or through patient fees - not through government funds. Medicaid must only be used in cases of rape, incest or when the female giving birth is in danger.
The election of President Obama also gives rise to possibilities regarding stem-cell research, which will be irrevocably linked to abortions. According to UW Hospital spokeswoman Lisa Brunette, tissue from the abortions could be given to UW-Madison researchers, pending review by a faculty committee. I am not suggesting that stem-cell research is a reason to condone certain types of abortions or to portray the clinic as a tissue harvest, but using the tissue from circumstantial abortions such as rape or danger to the mother is a worthwhile endeavor. I am not condoning murder - but rather condoning rights to the mother and allowing the tissue to be used for pursuing great advancements in stem-cell research.
The abortion issue isn't going anywhere soon. When the UW hospital and Clinics Authority Board meets on Wednesday to deliberate on the second-trimester clinic decision, they must consider what options they can pursue to curb the need for a second-trimester clinic along with the clinic's implications. For now, supporting an abortion clinic for certain circumstances are okay, but support for women who cannot support a child is a logical measure to take down the road.
Jon Spike is a junior majoring in secondary education in English. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
