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    35 Years After Roe v. Wade

    Posted:
    01/22/08
    Filed Under:2008 President, Abortion

    "Supreme Court Settles Abortion Issue."

    - The New York Times, January 23, 1973


    It didn't quite turn out as the Times predicted. Today marks the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that "settled" the abortion debate by sweeping aside the laws of all 50 states and imposing a federal abortion mandate to protect women's rights on the nation.


    In contrast with the Times' hopeful headline, hundreds of thousands will arrive in Washington, D.C. today for the annual "March for Life," and every presidential candidate will undoubtedly speak to the occassion. Democrats will laud the progress of women's reproductive rights and privacy rights in general, while Republicans will mourn 40 million lost babies and reproach a "run-away" judiciary. Each candidate will attempt to fully exploit the opportunity to rally the base and churn up support.



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    Giuliani will prove the lone exception, being at odds with his party on the issue of abortion. The mayor would be wise to tuck tail and keep low today. If cornered, Giuliani will likely state his consistency on women's rights ... and immediately change the conversation to the economy or 9-11. Also, McCain must tread lightly, as many conservatives harbor a deep distrust of the maverick senator. However, McCain ought to take advantage of this opportunity to reiterate his pro-life stance - particularly as he will not be subject to rebuttal or uncomfortable scrutiny of his nuanced position.


    The "abortion debate" is generally synonymous with "the debate over Roe v. Wade" - and this social-legal merging is not coincidental. Dubbed an "exercise of raw judicial power" by Justice White in his dissenting opinion, the ruling elicited outrage both among social conservatives (believing the procedure to be murder) as well as limited-government federalists (shocked that the Court's emergence as a super-legislature dictating medical science and morality to the states).


    The marriage of these distinct groups produced a conservative political movement of significant influence - once thought to be the albatross of the Republican party, it has proved a rallying cry eliciting tremendous energy and dedication from a staunch core of GOP faithful. By injecting itself (and abortion) into the political arena, the Supreme Court created an enduring legacy of activism on both sides which often dominates the political landscape.


    NOTE: It is perhaps ironic that the anniversary of Roe v. Wade immediately succeeds Monday's celebration of black civil rights. One the one hand, the two occasions may be marked as instances of social advancements (aided by judicial decree) for blacks and women, respectively. Conversely, Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger's "Negro Project" explicitly sought to "exterminate" the African-American population through "family planning" - and abortion overwhelmingly targets blacks, ending 1 in every 3 African-American pregnancies.




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    Justin Paulette

    Justin Paulette is an attorney practicing international law in bella Italia. He hails from the great Buckeye State, "The Heart of it All," the only state with a bridge which you can cross and still be on the same side of the river, home of the hot dog, pop top soda can and the largest basket in the world! Though he's spent the past decade jet-setting across the Atlantic with one foot in London and the other on Capitol Hill, he still fancies himself a Mid-western, God-fearing, role-playing geek at heart.

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