Remove the "Trojan Horse"
Letter to the Editor
While flipping through my roommate's issue of Notre Dame Magazine, I recently learned of the statue of Mary dedicated to victims of abortion by the Knights of Columbus. Sad to say, I was not shocked by such a display of insensitivity, deliberate manipulation and the current backlash against women. It's what I have grown to expect.
Now, I'm not concerned that the Knights of Columbus are somehow going to gain the power to revoke my (or any other woman's) right to choose. What I am concerned about are the many women who must walk by that statue every single day and face judgement by their own school. Loathe as anyone may be to admit it, there are many, many women on campus who have had abortions. I for one believe they should not be ostracized nor should those who believe in choice.
I ask Pro-Lifers at Notre Dame, specifically the Knights of Columbus, to remember that women who have abortions don't do it for entertainment value. It's not a Sunday walk in the park, my friends; it's a violating and shattering experience, one I wish were unnecessary. A focus on assisting women instead of abusing them might give a little more credence to any Notre Dame Pro-Lifer's stance. Unfortunately, these women are forced into the mold of baby-killers, manipulative language if I've ever heard it.
This statue as a representation of close-mindedness signals another point in Notre Dame's chronological decline. Will the stellar education I received in English and Film be unavailable for future generations because, for example, we won't be able to learn both sides of anything? Will no one teach rationality, sensitivity and analysis, forsaken for some absolute moralistic right? Shame on you, Notre Dame, for even accepting this Trojan Horse and abandoning education and free thought for hatred and disgust.
How can I be proud of my degree? How can I reconcile my beliefs with a school that denies my beliefs? Please, remember the other innocent victims of abortion and if you have any humanity whatsoever, stop victimizing them.
Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece
Class of '00
New York, New York
February 21, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Thursday, February 22, 2001
