Roe v. Wade Anniversary

“[Jane Roe] filed suit on behalf of herself and all those women who have in the past at that present time or in the future would seek termination of a pregnancy.”

- Ms. Weddington in Oral Arguments of Roe v. Wade

Yesterday marked the 39^th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. President Obama made the following statement in support of the decision and its implications:

“As we mark the 39^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we must remember that this Supreme Court decision not only protects a woman’s health and reproductive freedom, but also affirms a broader principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters.  I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right.  While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue- no matter what our views, we must stay united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, support pregnant woman and mothers, reduce the need for abortion, encourage healthy relationships, and promote adoption.  And as we remember this historic anniversary, we must also continue our efforts to ensure that our daughters have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams.”

His statements reflect the stock stance of most Pro-Choice thinkers – abortion is not the best option, but it is necessary in terms of promoting womyn’s rights to choice, privacy and health.  The polarity of abortion politics has always troubled me. What do perspectives like President Obama’s leave out? Who is impacted by the most by abortions? I’ve recently run across and re-discovered a few talking points that I think should hold space in the narrow abortion discourse:

• This photo of Former President Bush signing the Partial Birth Abortion Ban. See also: these statistics.
• The intersection between disability politics and the mainstream abortion debate, e.g., is there a difference between someone who had an abortion after her baby tested positive for Down’s syndrome in a prenatal test and someone who had an abortion due to financial reasons? Note: 90% of babies who test positive for Down’s syndrome are aborted.
• Some feminists consider themselves “pro abortion,” i.e., abortion is a “good and moral act.”
• The plaintiff in Roe v. Wade, Norma Leah McCorvey, is now a pro-life activist.
• Many legal scholars think that the actual text of Roe v. Wade is really poorly written in terms of jurisprudence. Eleven scholars compiled a book What Roe v. Wade Should Have Said.
• Recently, a mentally ill womyn was ordered by a judge to have an abortion though the decision was quickly overturned.
• And, an interesting fact: one of the lead attorney’s representing Jane Roe, Sarah Weddington, was only 26 years old when she went before the high court. She’s said to be the youngest to win a Supreme Court case. Listen to the oral arguments of the case here.

Please add to the list of perspectives we should be considering about abortion.

By: Lexie Tourek

(Photo courtesy of sxc.hu)