Factually! with Adam Conover The End of Women's Rights with Mary Ziegler
Jun 4, 2025
Mary Ziegler, a law professor and scholar specializing in American reproductive rights, shares her insights on the alarming implications of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. She discusses how this ruling could signal a broader war on bodily autonomy beyond abortion access. Ziegler explores the concept of fetal personhood and its potential legal and ethical ramifications, highlighting the uneasy intersection with racial dynamics. She emphasizes the need for a more dynamic pro-choice movement to counteract the anti-abortion strategies and advocates for grassroots initiatives to champion women's rights.
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Fetal Personhood as Ultimate Goal
- The anti-abortion movement's ultimate goal is fetal personhood, not just overturning Roe v. Wade.
- They want all fetuses to have constitutional rights from fertilization, affecting many laws beyond abortion.
Unintended Legal Consequences
- Recognizing fetuses as persons legally creates many unintended legal and medical implications.
- Courts and states struggle to apply fetal personhood beyond criminalizing abortion, leading to troubling cases.
Tactical Gain of Anti-Abortion Movement
- The anti-abortion movement gained power by recognizing the high commitment of anti-abortion voters.
- They engaged in broader GOP causes, like voter ID laws and election litigation, to increase political influence.
