Abortion rights author sparks criticism at book presentation

02/07/07 - A former anti-abortion author turned abortion rights faced opposition yesterday at a speech about her new book, The "A" Word - Abortion: Real Women, Tough Choices, Personal Freedom.A handful of anti-abortion audience members spoke out against Mary Ann Sorrentino's book that recalls the generation of Roe vs. Wade in hopes of re-affirming a women's right to choose.

"How many of you know someone that has had an abortion?" Sorrentino asked the audience. Almost every hand was raised. She continued, "How many of you know someone that had an abortion before it was legal?" Most hands went down.

Sorrentino, who graduated college in the 1960s, described the battle women of her generation faced in gaining and keeping their reproductive rights.

She brought to light memories of women hemorrhaging in dorm rooms, abortionists wanting sexual paychecks on top of the procedural fee, and driving women to abortion clinics in the middle of the night. There were stories of women disappearing for nine months, or taking "mysterious trips to live with Aunt K. in San Francisco."

Sorrentino said the women of her generation clashed continually with the government over the legalities of abortion.

Raised Catholic, Sorrentino, who has since been excommunicated, had a change of perspective one semester in college.

"My roommate got pregnant. I was not a pro-choice person," Sorrentino said. "I understood I loved this woman more than I hated the issue."

Some anti-abortion advocates in the audience disagreed.

Communications studies professor Kristine Cabral was one of them. She criticized Sorrentino for denying audience members who disagreed with her a chance to finish their statements.

"I was interested in the potential debate that would ensue," she said. "I don't think it was a healthy dialogue. If we're going to get anywhere with this debate it begins with healthy dialogue. This movement has become too polite, it's not polite."

At one point during her speech Sorrentino told the audience "this movement [the abortion debate] has become too polite. It's not polite. This is war!"

Anti-abortion supporters often claim abortion isn't the only way to end an unwanted pregnancy, but Sorrentino said it is not always that easy.

"The problem rests in the fact the woman finds herself in a situation she doesn't want to be in," Sorrentino said. "My opposition would like to present that there is some happy outcome. There is no happy outcome."

Sorrentino refuted each alternative to an abortion one-by-one, starting with delivering the child and raising it alone. Sometimes a forced marriage results in which Sorrentino labeled "a shotgun wedding."

"There's a happy outcome," Sorrentino said with an air of sarcasm.

Adoption also doesn't always work.

"It's not as if adoption is a panacea," Sorrentino said, adding that any mother who has placed her child up for adoption doesn't erase the memory of the child.

Sorrentino said pregnant women take the decision to have an abortion seriously.

"Abortion is, and should be, a serious decision," she said. "If a woman has a pregnancy terminated she's going to always remember and she should."

As an activist since college, Sorrentino encouraged women to make sure their reproductive rights are not taken away.

"You need to be there to say 'No.'" Sorrentino said.

After many years of fighting, Sorrentino said it is up to today's generation to continue the progress she and her colleagues have made.

"I want you to have the same fire in your bellies," she said.

Sorrentino mentioned South Dakota passed a law in March banning almost all abortions in what was seen as a direct challenge to Roe vs. Wade. She asked the audience to imagine what Rhode Island would be like if the same restrictions took effect here. "There's a list of about 12 states that are going to try that and Rhode Island is on it," Sorrentino said.

She said that women seeking termination of pregnancies do not want the opinion of politicians.

"Women aren't idiots and lawmakers keep acting like they are," Sorrentino said. Keeping abortion legal is "about your sister, and your mother, and your girlfriend, and anyone you love."

Sorrentino's book struck a chord with senior Amy Alexander, who recently finished reading it.

"I thought she was great portraying her side of a very, very hot button issue," she said.

Junior Noel Marandola, who helped bring Sorrentino to campus through her women's studies class, said Sorrentino's opinions are important in today's society.

"She created quite a commotion that I think is necessary," Marandola said. "It is a possibility we won't have these rights any longer.