40th Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade Decision Legalizing Abortion

[Franzl]

How could they possibly have lost more than they gained? Abortion has been legal nationwide for 40 years.

[Franzl]

it seems as if abortion throughout most of the country is legal in name only.

cite?

I imagine this might be the background:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2009/06/02/no-choice-87-of-us-counti_n_210194.html

Which is a problem, although "legal in name only" is an exaggeration.

[Franzl]

How could they possibly have lost more than they gained? Abortion has been legal nationwide for 40 years.

All the momentum since the decision has been on the side of those seeking to restrict access as opposed to expanding it -which was not the case before.   Abortion may be legal -but it has gotten to the point that it has become merely technically legal for most of the country.  On the ground, it is as if the decision was never rendered.   

But how is this worse for abortion rights than if it were still illegal and we were fighting to have it legalized?

That's like saying capitalists should ask themselves whether they've lost more than they've gained because a one-sided debate launched by a socialist minority wants to change things.

[Franzl]

it seems as if abortion throughout most of the country is legal in name only.

cite?

I imagine this might be the background:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2009/06/02/no-choice-87-of-us-counti_n_210194.html

Which is a problem, although "legal in name only" is an exaggeration.

Can we assume since they used "percentage of counties without" and not "percetage of women living in counties without" the numbers are nowhere near as bad as 87%?

I'm sure that's true, but a large number of women have difficulty accessing abortion services, I think it's fair to say. Whether that number is 30% or 87%.

[Franzl]

I think the answer is no, but I do think abortion rights advocates should adjust their strategy. Publicizing stories of real abortions, working to reduce the need for abortion in non-coercive ways and then calling out 'pro-lifers' who won't cooperate to do that, and reaching out to the younger generation to lead the fight are all necessary.

The argument that abortions are "needed" (with the exception of life-of-mother) is a false premise and a red herring.

Says you. Some people believe there are multiple legitimate reasons that one might "need" an abortion.