Roundup: It's Been A Long Time, But Not Long Enough

Roundup: It’s Been A Long Time, But Not Long Enough

Jan 22, 2010, 11:32am

Robin Marty

On the 37th anniversary of Roe V Wade, the right to choose has never been in this much peril.

Today is the 37th anniversary of Roe V. Wade, so of course, that’s the topic of today’s roundup as well.

First, what the ruling really meant for women.

Roe v. Wade was an incredible victory for women. No longer would women in the
U.S. have to suffer through medically unsafe abortions, from which thousands of
women died or were seriously injured every year. Women at last had won the
right to control their own bodies, opening up an enormous array of freedoms for
women who could at last control their destiny in a significant way.

But a right to be able to control your own body only does so much good if a woman cannot afford to medically make her own choices. By making abortion a special medical issue separate from the rest of insurance, we are in fact taking that first step to saying that choosing what is best for yourself healthcare-wise is a right that only belongs to all men, and women of a certain economic status, something anathema to the theory of equal rights for all.

Yet, 37 years later, we face the remarkable possibility that
Congress will enact health care reform legislation that singles out
abortion from all other medical procedures, with unprecedented and
unnecessary restrictions.

Indeed, these restrictions threaten not only to prevent women who
will gain access to health insurance from obtaining abortion coverage,
but could also result in women losing coverage they currently have.

In effect, these restrictions chip away at the rights that women and
men have fought for and essentially move women backward rather than
forward.

It is sad to me that some persist in making decisions for women and
that we cannot simply trust a woman to make decisions that are best for
her and her life circumstances.

Inherantly, we need to recognize that 37 years is not long enough. As the country changes and politicians come and go, what is the future of the decision that gave every woman the right to make her own decisions about her body?

Though the future of Roe v. Wade may be unclear, it appears
that the decision, as a whole, will most likely not be overturned.
Whether or not the current Supreme Court justices support the Roe
decision, history has shown that pro-life politicians have the tendency
to chip away at Roe v. Wade, rather than challenge it outright.

History has also shown us that the Supreme Court will rarely make a
sudden break with its past rulings. It could be argued that the
controversy and debate sustained over the years since the Roe decision
will further discourage the Court from delivering such a stunning
ruling against those concerned about women’s rights. Even though the
Roe decision came as an unexpected and striking jolt to those who
expected the law to protect fetal life, it seems unlikely that the
Court will render another bold decision on this issue.

If anything, historians and scholars predict that rather than
overruling the Roe decision, the justices may only expand the category
of abortion-related issues — which will then be played out in the
give-and-take characteristic of the legislative process. If this were
to occur, additional legislative and court actions may focus on trying
to achieve a better balance between the rights of pregnant women and
the protection of the fetus. Thus, we could possibly see more
permissible state regulation of abortion especially if state
legislatures are given the ability to produce their own abortion
statutes. That being said, even if the Court eventually widens its
ruling on abortion, there appears to be agreement on the notion that
any statute that only permits abortion to preserve the life of the pregnant woman would remain unconstitutional.

This is why we fight every day. Because it can be too easy to let our rights chip away one by one, until we suddenly discover we lost them all just by not having constant vigilance.

For more stories of women and their experiences, please read our special, "What Does Choice Mean to You?"

January 22, 2010

Letter: Abortion
decision 37 years ago 2TheAdvocate

Groups mark historic ruling on abortion Times Herald-Record

Tiller Stalker: Ex-AG’s Crusade Against Kansas Abortion Doctor … Talking
Points Memo

Opening statements set in abortion slaying trial Washington
Post

Bill would ban late-term abortions Omaha World-Herald

Trial of abortion
doc’s alleged killer galvanizes debateToledo
Blade

Abortion Debate
Comes To Capitol On AnniversaryWCCO

Obama Re-Nominates Pro-Abortion
Dawn Johnsen to Justice Department Post CNSNews.com

Growing Up with Roe Ethiopian
Review

Roe v. Wade 37th Anniversary: What is the Future of the Roe
Decision? About.com: Health