A Closer Look At Roe Vs. Wade

Abortion is a highly debated subject both in religious and political forums

. Because so many people have different beliefs on the morality of a woman having the right to abort her pregnancy, it is benchmark issue for political platforms. But more importantly, it is an issue that affects the lives of millions of women every day. One of the most important events in the hotly debated abortion dilemma is the famous Supreme Court case known as the Roe vs. Wade.

This landmark case took place in 1973 and was one of the most controversial and politically important Supreme Court cases. People still reference the results of Roe vs. Wade in political debates around the country.

Roe vs. Wade was the result of one woman's fight to gain the right to abort her pregnancy. Her name was Norma L. McCorvey, a carnival show barker from Texas. In 1969, McCorvey discovered that she was pregnant. Because Texas abortion laws allowed abortion in cases of rape, McCorvey attempted to gain a legal abortion by claiming that her pregnancy was a result of rape. But because there was no police report documenting the case, her attempt failed. After an attempt at obtaining an illegal abortion, McCorvey was eventually referred to two attorneys, Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington.

No longer attempting to claim the pregnancy as the result of rape, the two attorneys filed suit with the U.S. District Court in Texas on McCorvey's behalf. However, the attorneys filed the case under the pseudonym Jane Roe. Representing Dallas County in the case was district attorney Henry Wade. The district court declined to grant an injunction against the laws in place and the case was appealed and sent to Supreme Court. On January 22, 1973 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of "Roe" aka Norma McCorvey. The court decision held that any woman had the right to abort her pregnancy for any reason, but only up until the fetus was viable.

The court defined viable as the ability of the fetus "to live outside the mother's womb, albeit with artificial aid." After viability, abortion could only be performed if the mother's health was in danger as a result of the pregnancy.

This case was monumental in its effects and has played a huge role in the shaping of national politics, especially in dividing the country into pro-Roe and anti-Roe camps. Pro-Roe camps, also know as pro-choice, support the court's ruling. Anti-Roe, or pro-life camps, believe that abortion is morally wrong. Whatever the view, abortion will continue to be a hotly debated moral and political subject.

by: Art Gib

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