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Crawfordsville Native Explores Abortion's Causes

Sally Winn has not been on the Wabash campus for quite a while.  While attending Crawfordsville High School, she never imagined she would be back to Wabash, sponsored by a conservative group.  However, Winn came to campus Wednesday, September 6 speaking on behalf of an organization that she didn’t know about at the time, Feminists for Life of America.

After graduating from CHS, Winn went to Indiana University to earn her Bachelor’s degree, but becoming pregnant made completing her degree more difficult.

"I never considered abortion because I was fortunate enough to have a family that supported me through my pregnancy," Winn said.  "But I later realized that many women lack that support, and that we need to provide it."  She went on to join Democrats for Life of America, and a friend later told her about Feminists for Life, of which she became the Vice President in 2001.  Winn served as VP until 2005, and she now speaks on behalf of the organization.

"Abortion is a symptom, not a problem," Winn told the small crowd that came to see her talk Wednesday night.  "We need to systematically eliminate the root causes of abortion.  Eventually, when no one needs an abortion any more, it will become a moot point."  Winn argued that more support can be offered to women in working situations and college.

"No one ever wants to be in the situation of avoiding pregnancy," Nathan Mullendore ’07 said.  "I don’t see how anyone could be opposed to not removing choices, but providing more, which is what she argued for."

Winn also addressed pregnancy’s affect on men.  "We need to support fatherhood as well as motherhood, and we need to provide resources to fathers, especially among college students," Winn said.

"She reevaluated the reasons for promoting the pro-life cause," John Moton ’09 said.  "She brought up so many issues that get pushed aside by a simple debate over right and wrong."