Opinion Pieces Respond To Anniversary Of Roe V. Wade

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 26 Jan 2009 - 1:00 PDT


Several newspapers published opinion pieces about the anniversary of Roe v. Wade on Thursday. Summaries appear below.

~ Kathy Banaszak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Banaszak -- a counselor and volunteer mentor -- writes in a column that antiabortion advocates "understand the enormous sea change ahead under the new administration" and "remain dedicated and ready to engage." She continues, "Despite the 'common ground' rhetoric of late, anyone who pays attention knows that some things are, in fact, mutually exclusive" -- namely President Obama's promise to sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which makes his "'making abortion rare' oratory rin[g] hollow" when one "unpack[s] FOCA piece by piece." Banaszak concludes, "Obama's inaugural address appealed to 'our common humanity.' May the 'better angels' that Abraham Lincoln invoked move our new president to change course and to keep that charge by protecting the most vulnerable members of our human family" (Banaszak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/21).

~ Antoinette Rainone, NorthJersey.com: As the country "celebrates a historic week" with the inauguration of its first black president, "another historic event has gotten lost in the shuffle": the anniversary of Roe, columnist Rainone writes in a NorthJersey.com opinion piece. According to Rainone, both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Obama "called for freedom and equality of all people of all races and gender"; however, only King "extended that call to the unborn." Rainone concludes that King "had a dream. He wanted all God's children to join hands and sing: 'Free at Last.' ... Let's hope our new president can find it in his heart to free our children in the womb" (Rainone, NorthJersey.com, 1/22).

~Gary Bauer, The Politico: Although "[f]ew Supreme Court decisions have had as much of an impact on American life as has Roe v. Wade," there still exist misconceptions about the decision, Bauer -- president of American Values and chair of the Campaign for Working Families -- writes in an opinion piece. These misconceptions include "that the right to abortion has constitutional roots," which "derives from an abstract interpretation of the 14th amendment's premise of liberty and the malleable concept of a right to privacy," according to Bauer. A second misconception is that a majority of Americans support the decision, as abortion-rights advocates have "done a great job convincing many Americans that Roe is simply a synonym for abortion rights and that, if one supports even a limited right to abortion, one must also support Roe." Bauer concludes that abortion-rights supporters and antiabortion advocates should "welcome" the day Roe is overturned, "because it will allow a real discussion about abortion to take place," adding that "in order for that discussion to begin, the misconceptions about Roe must be dispelled" (Bauer, The Politico, 1/22).

~Nancy Keenan, The Politico: According to Keenan -- president of NARAL Pro-Choice America -- the "common ground, commonsense solutions" that abortion-rights advocates hope Obama's administration will pursue include a reversal of "Bush's devastating" reinstatement of the "global gag" rule, as well as funding for the United Nations Population Fund and Title X. In addition, Keenan writes that it is "time for Congress to catch up with public opinion and reverse the failed abstinence-only policy." She concludes, "We must be a movement that, at this critical time in our country's history, forges a new direction to change the tone of the debate over reproductive rights and makes a difference in the lives of women and their families" (Keenan, The Politico, 1/22).

~ Elizabeth Maguire, Raleigh News & Observer: Maguire -- former director of the U.S. federal family planning assistance program and president and CEO of Ipas -- writes that of the "many failed policies of the Bush administration," Obama "should pay special attention to those that have denied women around the world basic reproductive health care." She continues that Obama's "decisive actions," must include rescinding the "global gag" rule; increasing U.S. funding for family planning services in developing countries; and ending bans on U.S. funding for abortion services, which "discriminate against poor women at home and abroad." Maguire concludes that Obama "faces many urgent issues, but few are more critical or touch more people than the need to ensure that the world's sisters, daughters, mothers and wives all enjoy basic reproductive health and rights" (Maguire, Raleigh News & Observer, 1/22).

~ Rick Martinez, Raleigh News & Observer: The March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Thursday "inaugurated a rebirth of the abortion debate, thanks in large part to the election" of President Obama, columnist Martinez writes in an opinion piece. The inauguration of Obama, who "many pro-lifers view … as militantly pro-abortion rights," has "reinvigorated [the] pro-life movement," Martinez adds. He concludes that abortion opponents "should alert the Obama administration that should it choose to make it easier to abort an unborn child, the president will have a tough -- and sophisticated -- holy war on his hands" (Martinez, Raleigh News & Observer, 1/23).

~Julia Duin, Washington Times: The mood is "grim" among antiabortion advocates on the anniversary of Roe, columnist Duin writes in an opinion piece. "Despite rhetoric about opposing factions in the debate working together to help poor women," antiabortion advocates "say it's going to be a long four years," she writes, adding, "Several of [Obama's] new cabinet members are nightmares-come-true for abortion opponents." According to Duin, antiabortion advocates are "betting" that newly confirmed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "won't be at the State Department five minutes before she begins working on dismantling" the "global gag" rule (Duin, Washington Times, 1/22).

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