My freshman year of college, I decided to register for a Philosophy course. "Contemporary Moral Problems," as it was named, fulfilled a breadth requirement and fit nicely into my schedule. I also thought it would be fascinating.

I'm not going to mince words here. I hated that class. The phrase "act utilitarianism" continues to nauseate me. I've yet to embark on any other philosophical education. However, one concept remains with me. Before that semester, I had never heard of a "slippery slope." The professor (nice, sweet, intelligent, helpful in spite of himself) brought this to our attention when we were discussing abortion.

I am not sure if there is a more definitive example of a slippery slope as this controversial topic. And I believe that this is what makes this subject so very caustic in the first place. The slippery slope usually refers to the disagreement on when life truly begins. The theories I've heard range from at conception, to when pain could be felt by a developing baby, to the baby's first breath.

Where I stand on this particular argument has little to do with where I am taking this. I do not wish to begin an "abortion is murder" vs. "don't take away a woman's rights" debate. I believe that the slippery slope most important is privacy. Opinions run the gamut in regards to this. Should this be between a woman and her doctor? Should her husband be notified if she is married? What if she is under eighteen, are her guardians guaranteed information?

Those questions are tricky enough...but then there is the issue of privacy within those issues. And it's this issue that makes any kind of legislature decreasing abortion availability difficult. Can someone tell me how any law allowing therapeutic termination of a pregnancy in only the cases of rape, abuse and incest can be enforced? (I'm purposely leaving out the "mother's life in danger" factor. I think it's not even worthy of a debate). I cannot imagine being forced into intercourse by a stranger, a friend, a relative, then explaining this all to a physician who is going to terminate the pregnancy that I do not want but must deal with at some point.

Do not get me wrong here. People *must* be open and honest with health care providers. I mean by this...how am I going to prove that I was molested, assaulted, slept with a guy who turned out to be my brother? This, to me, is the slippery slope! Isn't requiring proof of these things unconstitutional? I see this as a violation of the fourth amendment...and the one who committed the crime is NOT the pregnant person.

That reason is the main one I have for wanting abortion to remain legal.