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August 1, 2005

NARAL Pres. responds to USA Today

While my rant about Laura Vanderkam’s article in USA Today (which argued that Roe doesn’t matter all that much) was certainly cathartic, it didn’t really take on the gaps in Vanderkam’s analysis. Fortunately, Nancy Keenan did. Check out her letter to USA Today:

Commentary writer Laura Vanderkam presents an extremely optimistic picture of what America would be like if John Roberts were confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court and Roe v. Wade were overturned. I wish her rosy scenario were true, but the reality is far more frightening ("If 'Roe' were overturned," The Forum, Wednesday).

Vanderkam's cursory review of states based on a "red/blue" analysis falls far short of offering USA TODAY's readers a complete picture of the current landscape for women's reproductive rights.

What Vanderkam doesn't share is that 19 states have both anti-choice governors and legislatures that have the votes to outlaw abortion in their states. She doesn't mention that states such as Michigan and South Dakota have already passed laws that could end up at the Supreme Court and put Roe v. Wade at risk. Legislators in places such as Ohio and Virginia are already talking openly of strategies to pass bills banning abortion entirely.

Vanderkam glosses over the frightening reality that there are only four states with reliably pro-choice officials in both the governor's mansion and the legislative leadership.

It is neither safe nor smart to assume that a woman's right to choose will be preserved because most Americans support it. The only way to ensure personal freedom is to keep opponents of it, such as John Roberts, off the Supreme Court. Then, let's work to elect more pro-choice members to Congress, state legislatures, governorships and, ultimately, the White House.

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Posted by Jessica at August 1, 2005 9:25 AM

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