Abortion Opponents Protest Roe In Washington, D.C.; Bush Addresses Protesters

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 24 Jan 2008 - 8:00 PDT

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On Tuesday, tens of thousands of abortion opponents came to Washington, D.C. to participate in the annual March for Life, the Washington Post reports. The demonstration marked the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. According to the Post, many of the protesters were youth from religious clubs and church-run schools nationwide (Montes, Washington Post, 1/23). Demonstrators in front of the U.S. Supreme Court listened to speakers who are opposed to Roe, including women expressing regret over their abortions.

President Bush hosted about 200 demonstrators in the White House and addressed the protesters at the rally via a broadcast message (USA Today, 1/23). "You're here because you know that all life deserves to be protected," Bush told the protesters, adding, "As you begin your march, I'm proud to be standing with you." He said that although the number of abortions performed in the U.S. is declining, more than 20% of pregnancies end in abortion, adding, "America is better than this, so we will continue to work for a culture of life" (AFP/Google.com, 1/22). Bush also said that infants "can now survive outside the mother's womb at younger and younger ages," adding that the "fingers and toes and beating hearts that we can see on an unborn child's ultrasound come with something we cannot see: a soul."

A group of several dozen abortion-rights supporters held a counter demonstration organized by the National Organization for Women, USA Today reports. NOW President Kim Gandy in a statement said, "In the last 35 years, the anti-choice groups have grown more vicious, lashing out against" Roe "as part of their ongoing campaign to eviscerate it" (USA Today, 1/23). According to AFP/Google.com, NOW vowed to prevent the U.S. from reverting to the "days when women suffered from health complications after giving birth to 10, 12 or 15 children" or when women "died from illegal abortions in back alleys or dirty motel rooms or were left injured and infertile after botched illegal abortions."

Presidential Candidates' Comments

Several presidential candidates remarked on the Roe anniversary. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who are running for the Democratic presidential nomination, voiced their support for abortion rights. Clinton called Roe the "touchstone of our reproductive freedom," adding that "no one -- no judge, no governor, no senator, no president -- has the right to take it away." Obama said that because of the current state of federal politics, "It's never been more important to protect a woman's right to choose."

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, called Roe "a great American tragedy that has led to the loss of millions of innocent lives" (AFP/Google.com, 1/22). Huckabee also reiterated support for a constitutional amendment that would ban abortion nationwide and endorsed a proposed amendment in Georgia that would declare that life begins at fertilization (Galloway/Gould Sheinin, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/23).

Newspapers Cover Roe v. Wade Anniversary

Several newspapers recently published articles in recognition of the 35th anniversary of Roe on Tuesday. Headlines appear below.

• "Abortion Rights Supporters Vow To Fight Fertilized Egg Proposal" (Slevin, AP/cbs4denver.com, 1/22).
  
  
• "Abortion Rights Groups Announce Campaign Against Initiative" (AP/KPAX-TV, 1/22).
  
  
• "Archbishop Proclaims Day of Repentance, Mourning" (AP/KRJH-TV, 1/22).
  
  
• "Abortion Rights Advocates Hail Roe vs. Wade Anniversary" (AP/WCAX, 1/22).
  
  
• "N. Ky. v. 'Roe v. Wade': Lawmakers, Activists Keep Up Efforts To Oppose Abortion" (Crowley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/23).
  
  
• "Abortion Passions Unabated" (Patton, Florida Times-Union, 1/23).
  
  
• "St. Anthony's High School Teens in March for Life" (Hernandez, Long Island Newsday, 1/23).
  
  
• "Zubik Immerses Himself in March for Life" (Rodgers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1/23).
  
  
• "Rally Takes Cause Beyond Roe" (Perez, Raleigh News & Observer, 1/23).
  
  
• "How Candidates Stand on Abortion Rights," (Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 1/23).
  

Broadcast Coverage

Three broadcast programs on Tuesday reported on the anniversary and related issues. Summaries appear below.

• C-SPAN's "Washington Journal": The segment includes a discussion with Gandy and Susan Muskett, congressional liaison for the National Right to Life Committee, about the anniversary ("Washington Journal," C-SPAN, 1/22). Video of the segment is available online.
  
  
• Fox News Channel's "Special Report with Brit Hume": The program reported on marches by abortion-rights opponents and supporters in Washington, D.C. The segment includes comments from Bush; marchers; Vicki Saporta, president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation; Sen. David Vitter (R-La.); and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) (Bream, "Special Report with Brit Hume," Fox News Channel, 1/23). Video of the segment is available online.
  
  
• NPR's "Talk of the Nation": The segment includes a discussion with Aspen Baker, executive director of Exhale, and Teri Reisser, a marriage and family therapist, about women's experience after having an abortion (Conan, "Talk of the Nation," NPR, 1/22). Audio of the segment is available online.

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