When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, to provide a constitutional right to abortion, the pro-abortionists were beyond ecstatic. They believed that they had permanently settled the abortion issue in their favour. They did not foresee that there was a flaw in this assumption, which was that the pro-life movement did not evaporate as expected, but would persist with great dedication, growing in strength and effectiveness over the following decades.
The U.S. Roe v. Wade Abortion Decision
This decision by the U.S. Supreme Court had no basis in history as there was no precedent for the court`s conclusion that a woman had a “right” to abortion based on a “right to privacy”. The latter right had never been detected before in U.S. Supreme Court history and its presence came as a surprise. The majority decision was written by Justice Harry Blackmun, who later admitted that the controversial decision was based on the premise that abortion was necessary for reasons of population control. Supreme Court Judge, feminist Ruth Bader-Ginsburg (who was appointed to the court after Roe v. Wade in 1993) also confirmed that the decision was based on the need for population control, a trendy issue at that time. The Roe v. Wade decision was effective in this respect, as it has resulted in the elimination of 63 million lives in the U.S. Roe v. Wade, however, was a political, not a legal decision and has contributed to the undermining of the reputation and legitimacy of the Court. This had occurred previously when, in 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that African Americans were not persons in law, but were merely the property of the slave owner. That decision tainted the court, as has Roe v. Wade.
The Fate of Roe v. Wade
The U.S. Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade in an abortion case to be argued in December 2021. If it does not overturn Roe v. Wade at this juncture, it is clear that Roe v. Wade is now on life support and is not expected to survive for much longer. This is due to the fact that the decision was built on a foundation of shifting sands, by way of a legal fiction for which there was no precedent.
Abortion Not a Settled Issue
Despite the Supreme Court’s decision, abortion has never been a “settled” matter in the U.S. Simply put, the efforts of pro-abortionists, to characterize abortion as only a simple health procedure for women, has failed, as many Americans continue to regard the issue instead as a moral issue with wide implications. It has divided the American public. There is no comfortable middle ground on abortion. It is either right or wrong, and has led to division in the U.S. population as no other issue has done since the American Civil War, which occurred over 150 years ago over the issue of slavery.
Similarly, Roe v. Wade has created an ideological civil war since it is regarded by millions of Americans as discrimination against vulnerable members of the human family. Although the U.S. public is polarized over many other issues as well, such as immigration, religious conflicts, LGBTQ issues, and the climate, the real dividing line remains abortion.
National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL)
NARAL, established in 1969, is the oldest pro-abortion group in the U.S. It had a revenue of about $25 million in 2020. NARAL has acknowledged that Roe v. Wade has only a limited future and is preparing for this eventuality. It has done so by centralizing its organization to better fight the issue by limiting the powers and independence of its eleven state affiliates. The latter, heretofore, have always operated independently, carrying out their own fundraising and strategies at the state level. NARAL now believes that what is needed is better communication and coordination between the state and federal levels. The goal is to ensure that there is a “uniform message” that permeates the debate. Many of the affiliates, however, are furious and have, for the most part, refused to comply with the strategic plan of the national organization. Many workers have resigned from NARAL, which has left it floundering at this significant time.
NARAL’s new strategy of centralizing power stems from the fact that it believes it is losing the online battle with pro-lifers. It has found that the public frequently uses pro-life language, and that internet users are likely to find pro-life content on Facebook and YouTube. This is confirmed by polls indicating that the majority of the U.S. population has shifted its position on abortion and is now more sympathetic to the pro-life arguments.
As a result, NARAL is planning to hire comedians to assist it with its online messaging and is encouraging Hollywood celebrities, by way of their fame and fortune, to support NARAL’s position. Entertainers’ testimonials are not compelling, however, since we know of their many broken relationships, frequent divorces, and their shuffling in and out of rehabilitation for drug and alcohol abuse. They may have fame, but happiness eludes them and they do not serve as positive role models.
The pro-abortionists are also striving to assert that “all women” support abortion and will not tolerate the loss of their access to this entitlement. They held a “March for Women” in Washington, as well as other cities, on October 2, 2021. The name of the march is a misnomer as no pro-life women were permitted to participate in the march. It wasn`t a march to promote women`s rights, but was solely about abortion.
The pro-abortionists further showed their anger at the possibility of overturning Roe v. Wade by picketing the home of Supreme Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh, putting his wife and children’s lives at risk. This was a clear act of intimidation. Even the pro-abortion Washington Post objected to this strategy, declaring that it was over the line.
What happens when Roe v. Wade is struck down?
When the U.S. strikes down Roe v. Wade, individual states will have responsibility for the abortion issue. According to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, it is estimated that at least 26 states will ban abortions. On the other hand, some states, such as New York, Illinois and California, will likely go out of their way to provide abortion without limitations. In 2019, California codified Roe v. Wade and in the same year, New York state expanded the abortion law for all nine months of pregnancy, for any reason until twenty-four weeks’ gestation, and then with broad exceptions after that point. It is expected that, when Roe v. Wade is overturned, these pro-abortion states will be the financial beneficiaries of extensive abortion tourism.
This means that, once Roe v. Wade is struck down, the pro-life movement will still have much work to do. Many battles lie ahead. However, one thing is certain, the pro-life movement will not go away.