Dear Editor and InsideVandy Staff, Samantha Orovitz’s article in the last issue of the Hustler, “Roe v. Wade Turns 35”, gave the Vanderbilt community a very one-sided version of why last Tuesday was an important day in America. January 22nd is the date on which, in 1973, the Supreme Court determined that women have a constitutional right to abort their children without considering the wishes of the unborn baby, the father, or any other family member. On that date, the court sanctioned the killing of the unborn baby by the mother at any stage of pregnancy, knowing full well that many women could choose to abort their fully-formed and birth-ready children just days before their due date, citing mental or physical health reasons if necessary to get the job done. Like the Vandy Feminists, I too encourage all women to empower themselves, fight for their rights, and place a serious emphasis on sexual health and safety. As a woman myself, I applaud their commitment to standing up for me and providing support when I need it. However, I doubt I am the only person at Vanderbilt who has chosen to refrain from joining in their “celebration” of Roe v. Wade and all that it entails. I’m not surprised that the Hustler article chose to omit the views and actions of those students like myself who proudly supported Tuesday’s March for Life, seeing abortion as fundamentally wrong and much more serious than other “sexual health” issues. Since it was pronounced legal, more than 40 million women have aborted their children under the guilt-free guise of “reproductive choice.” Fetuses cannot speak for themselves, but one day a year, they have a voice. On Tuesday, approximately 100,000 people- black, white, men, women, young, old, religious and non-religious- marched the streets of Washington D.C. to dispute that notion that Roe v. Wade should be “celebrated.” These pro-life people all agree that Roe is, at best, a convenient lie packaged and sold as “constitutional” to generations of panicked and vulnerable women. Even though the Vandy Feminists and other pro-choice groups may try hard, it’s impossible to sugar-coat the awful truth of the death of an unborn child. Instead of using January 22, 1973, to “relate feminism to our lives,” the Hustler should encourage students to think about what that date really stands for: the beginning of a truly degrading and sad era in American history. Thanks, Catie Carter '09