It has been 40 years since the U.S. Supreme Court made its 7-2 ruling in the case of Roe v. Wade to establish nationwide abortion rights. This issue is still controversial and is said to be one of the most divisive issues in America.
Some Americans believe abortion is unacceptable, while others believe abortion should be the decision of the individual, not the masses.
The Recorder spoke with individuals on both sides of the issue to get their understanding on why they stand for or against the issue, their thoughts on 40 years of Roe v. Wade, and what’s next in their fight for what they believe is right.
Protecting the innocent
Mike Fichter, president and CEO of Indiana Right to Life said that in 1973, abortion supporters stated that abortions would be rare, however since the Roe v. Wade ruling, over 55 million abortions have been preformed. He finds this sad.
“These children’s lives are being thrown away as if they didn’t matter. We live in a nation that’s built on the fundamental right to the life of each person,” said Fichter on why the abortion issue is so relevant.
Many who take a proactive stand on defending the right to life do so on the basis of deeply held faith – the intrinsic God-given value of human life. Others who claim abortion is wrong do so for moral and constitutional reasons.
The Indiana Right to Life leader said that while he understands the logic then, today advances in technology makes it impossible not to understand there is life in the womb.
Those who are against abortion rights stand behind their convictions that killing in any form is wrong and that no matter the circumstances, there is always an alternative such as government programs, local support networks, and adoption.
Indiana Right to Life’s sole mission is to protect and restore the right to life. They enact that through programs such as a weekly news broadcast, a strong presence in the Statehouse on legislation, rallies across the state, youth outreach and more.
Fichter said abortions are steadily decreasing in Indiana, and added that outreach is especially important to those who are between the ages of 18 and 24, the group with the highest percentage of abortions; and in the Black community due to the disproportionately high rate of abortions being performed.
“This is tragic and something we hope the Indiana Legislature will address in this session,” said Fichter. He went on to say that despite what people may think, studies show that people are increasingly in support of pro-life rights.
Fichter says he is hopeful that abortion will be abolished one day and is waiting steadfastly. For him, that journey begins with the fundamental respect for every child’s life. Progress has been made in education, abortion regulation, and abortion alternative programs across the country. Long-term plans are also in the works for the abortion issue to remain viable.
“We want to totally abolish abortion. We understand that we’re not at that point yet. Until then, we want to constantly be moving the ball forward on the field so that it’s protecting life at a greater degree,” said Fichter.
Health matters
Although Roe v. Wade was enacted 40 years ago, Terry O’Neill, president of the National Organization for Women said that support for the legality of abortion is stronger today and much progress has been made to protect reproductive rights since the infancy of the legislation.
“There is a strong plurality of people who believe it’s a woman’s right to choose the best decision for herself. If abortion is criminalized, women will die,” said O’Neill.
Whether one identifies themself as pro choice or pro life, O’Neill says abortion goes beyond the obvious – it’s a matter of access to health care. Prior to Roe v. Wade, O’Neill stated if a woman had financial resources, she could safely have an abortion. Women without financial means would oftentimes go to an untrained stranger.
O’Neill doesn’t deny that African-American women are disproportionately affected by abortions, but said that Black women lack access to reproductive health care overall including family planning clinics, birth control and STD screenings.
“Our focus has to be on closing the health disparity between white women and women of color. And you don’t close those health disparities by criminalizing abortion. You close them by providing the full range of health care services, including abortion,” said O’Neill.
She maintains that medically appropriate abortion is a safe, medical procedure that is highly common and that one in three women will have an abortion before age 45.
O’Neill said since Roe v. Wade, there have been attempts to stop doctors and medical researchers from providing better means of terminating a pregnancy. She’s grateful for the ruling, which has given way to various types of safe abortions and allowed reproductive rights to become part of women’s equality rights.
She and other abortion supporters observed Roe v. Wade’s 40th anniversary and said the next step in protecting the ruling is making change at the state level, including Indiana.
“Indiana has had its share of assault on abortion rights,” she said. “In almost every state, in the name of stopping abortion, other reproductive services are shut down. This is wrong.”
For more information, call (317) 632-2242 or visit IRTL.org. Contact the National Organization For Women at NOW.org.
Who are Roe and Wade
“Wade” was Henry Wade, the DA of Dallas County, Texas. Norma McCorvey is “Jane Roe,” the pseudonym she assumed to remain anonymous as the lead plaintiff in the case that legalized abortion in the United States.
The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, which handed down its controversial ruling on Jan. 22, 1973. The decision legalized the right to an abortion in all 50 states.
Once an abortion-rights supporter, McCorvey has switched sides. She’s now a vocal anti-abortion activist.
Source: CNN.com
