SUBSCRIBEWhat question was I surprised to see asked so often during the past presidential election? Click through to find out.
Well I guess it was in the title. “What are your views on Roe v. Wade?”
To find out more about this landmark decision and to learn an interesting tidbit about the Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade, check out the 90 Seconds to Culture podcast.
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Transcript
If you were following the American election, one of the questions that was frequently asked of the candidates was “what are your views on Row v. Wade?” Maybe you’ve heard about this landmark US Supreme Court case, maybe you even know that it’s about abortion rights, but there’s a little more to the background of this decision.
In Roe v. Wade, the US Supreme Court, the highest court in the United States, decided that anti-abortion laws in 1973 were unconstitutional and overturned all state laws prohibiting or restricting abortion. While abortion was legalized, abortions could be performed only until the fetus became quote “viable” at roughly 24 to 28 weeks in utero, unless a woman’s health was at risk, then the procedure could be earlier.
Of course now this is still a hot topic of debate, the subtopics include: whether the Supreme Court has the right to impose these laws, the arbitrariness of what is called a “viable” fetus, the broad definition of a woman’s health risk, and of course the justness of abortion.
While I don’t think this speaks to the rightness of the decisions, as an interesting side note, the Jane Roe of the Roe v. Wade case, not her real name by the way, later switched sides, took back her support of abortion rights, and converted to Christianity. Oh and she had the baby. As is the case with such large decisions however, the ruling isn’t really about the one person anymore. Such decisions continue to affect the nature of law and ethics to this day.
Sources / Further Reading:
Wikipedia: Roe v. Wade
Wikipedia: Norma McCorvey - a.k.a. Jane Roe
CNN: Interview with Norma McCorvey - An interview with the Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade fame. I was surprised.
[tags]roe v. wade, abortion, abortion rights, philosophy, law, culture[/tags]
(no image, hopefully for obvious reasons)
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t say I understand why this is such a popular topic for so many people. People cast votes for president based on this, or at least they claim to do so. Abortion in some cases is probably murder, but those cases (late-term abortions on demand) are so rare as to be insignificant. There were, for example, 1,032 late-term abortions performed in America in 2003 out of about 1 million abortions.
What do you mean, Adeel? If you’re “pro-choice” of course you’re going to care. If you feel it’s an inalienable right, whether or not you are going to need it yourself is a non-issue (and if I was a non-voter I’d still be upset if you took away my right to vote). If you’re “pro-life” you’d become so disgusted at the thought of an atrocity being committed to an innocent baby-to-be that’s sanctioned by law and accepted by society. It’s a topic as divisive as any and an indicator of a person’s values. We don’t have that much to go on when it comes to assessing who’d make a better leader (most people have a hard time evaluating a person’s track record), so we try to understand their values. Of course, abortions are happening, so are same-sex marriages, both protected by the constitution, but it’s still a relevant matter all over the globe. Do you think it should no longer be a hot topic because it’s already settled or because you think its ethicality is obvious?
It shouldn’t be a hot topic because it’s not that important. For every late-term abortion in America, of which only a portion are for reasons of convenience, there are 40 fatal car crashes.
I think abortion is abhorrent in many cases, but it’s not one of the most important issues to me, or even close. That goes for those that are “pro-life” as well as “pro-choice”.
As for people who consider “reproductive choice” or the “right to choose” to be paramount, well, they’re as delusional as those who consider every abortion to be murder.
The vital importance of being pro-choice is the recognition of the individual’s ability to make that choice for herself in that situation, regardless of the ultimate decision. This particular issue is highly bound in the regulation of women’s bodies, and the myths surrounding women who do get abortions as being reckless, sullied, and unworthy of love and support. The potential ramifications of Roe v. Wade being overturned – or any other government-sanctioned revocation of choice – are extremely detrimental to women and men.
It is a paramount issue for those who realize that it is more than an abstract concept.