John Bart
Extract
I was present at the death of a woman whose uterus had been torn open and infected by a coat hanger. Anything is better than that: she died through poverty and ignorance, and her whole family suffered. . . .Medical ethics are an extension of personal ethics, not an abstract entity with a special name. I believe what I believe, and he believes what he believes. Sim should not force his opinions upon others. That is what the Nazis did. . . . We are not on the fence, Dr. Sim. We are exercising our free will and not interfering with that of others. We believe that women are capable of decisions without an avuncular physician’s approval. We think that freedom from unwanted pregnancy is a cornerstone of feminine freedom. Without that, society is male dominated, unequal and the poorer for it. Please do not equate abortion with euthanasia. The two are not synonymous. Please do not equate your opinion with moral rectitude either. Anything is better than that.
Bart J. (Correspondence) Abortion: Is it time for doctors to get off the fence? Can Med Assoc J. 1988;139(4):1085.