#444 Price of Roe - January 18, 2019
Price of Roe – a New Campaign We mentioned a few weeks ago that a writer from Slate, who favors abortion availability, wrote a paragraph concluding that “The price of Roe is all the progressive change we gave up when Roe helped push the center of American politics to the right.” Below we quote from another person identifying herself as pro-choice who nevertheless sees what a mess Roewas. Of course, we’ve long been making the case that Roe v. Wade wasn’t only a horrific decision, but that it sabotaged peace and justice goals. Yet it makes a difference when this problem is noticed by people who aren’t themselves pro-life. There are people wedded to Roe on principle, but many support it only because they think they’re supposed to, based on the on the political “side” they’re on. As U.S. Supreme Court appointees increase the prospect of a Roe overturn or modification, there may be more quotations like these coming up – and there have always been good quotations on how poorly Roe was decided. We’ll be putting this material up on its own website in the next few weeks, and we’ll have a flyer aimed at fellow peace-and-justice advocates and another aimed at fellow pro-lifers. Once that’s all in place, we’ll ask for your help in spreading the word. Meanwhile, if you know of any other good quotations about the harm Roe has done on other issues, please send them to weekly@consistent-life.org.
New Member Group: New Wave Feminists We recently welcomed a new organization into our network, New Wave Feminists (NWF). Founded by Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa, NWF seeks to make abortion “unthinkable and unnecessary” by supporting women and their empowerment. As their website proclaims, “Let's work towards a culture that tells her ‘You Can,’ ‘You Are Strong Enough,’ and ‘If You Need Some Help - We Are Here,’ because that is what the sisterhood is all about.” Welcome to Consistent Life!
Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa (left), with Cessilye Smith of Abide Women’s Health Services
Latest CLN Blog Post: Two Extra Wills In addition to wills disposing of property, consistent-lifers should have two more. Euthanasia and the death penalty can be connected by taking it personally. A “Will to Live” says we don’t want to be killed through medicine nor medical neglect. This has legal force. Not having legal force, but perhaps being taken into account by prosecutors, is a declaration that you don’t want anyone be executed in the event you’re murdered. We cover how to do this in “Will for Life – Double Down,” by Tony Masalonis and Rachel MacNair.
Quotation of the Week Megan McArdle Washington Post, July 3, 2018
I am myself uneasily pro-choice. . . . It stands to reason that I would be dismayed by the politically electrifying prospect that Roe might be overruled entirely. But I wouldn’t be dismayed. I’d be glad to see Roe go, as quickly as possible. . . . The abortion law is out of step with what the majority of the population wants, and given the seriousness of what’s involved, it is Roe, more than any other opinion, that is driving both the radicalization and the judicialization of American politics, as pro-lifers fight like caged tigers to amend the law through the only avenue left open to them. It might have been reasonable at some point to hope that eventually pro-lifers would accept that Roe is, as liberals are fond of saying, “settled law” and move on to another issue. Nearly 50 years in, however, that hope is borderline delusional.
Responses/News Tips/Questions to share are all welcome. Send to weekly@consistent-life.org.