Speech Story

Talia Gutierrez

April 20, 2011

Comm 3330- HW

Park Theater, NY.--Birth control activist and founder of the American Birth Control League, Margaret Sanger, spoke on Nov. 18 at Park Theater about the Birth Control subject and its various aspects.

"We (of the ABCL) stand on the principle that Birth Control should be available to every adult man and woman. We believe that every adult man and woman should be taught the responsibility and the right use of knowledge. We claim that woman should have the right over her own body and to say if she shall or if she shall not be a mother, as she sees fit," Sanger said.

The ABCL sent letters to men and women representing both sides of the controversy on the Birth Control issue. In those letters, they asked four questions regarding their opinion.

Sanger addressed all issues that the audience had about Birth Control, especially the disagreement in the moral side of the subject. She believes that no matter how people feel about the matter shall discuss the moral issue as adults with dignity and intelligence, which is why she desired to bring everyone together and discuss the subject openly.

ABCL aims to have the help of the medical profession. They want practical information to be distributed directly to the mothers by members of the medical profession, so that motherhood may be based on one’s choice, rather than one of ignorance and chance.

Near the end of Sanger's speech, she tells how society is divided into three groups. The first is those who obtain knowledge of Birth Control and exercise it in regulating family size. The second group is those who desire to control family size, but are unable to gain the knowledge of Birth Control or put it into practice. Lastly, the third is those who are ignorant and careless about the consequence of their acts.

She tells her audience that with the more people who gain knowledge, the less morality will exist.

“We must control conception,” Sanger says, leaving a lasting thought on her audience.