The NPR Politics Podcast The Docket: After A Half Century, Roe V. Wade Faces An Uncertain Future
Sep 29, 2021
Mary Ziegler, a law expert and author of "Abortion and the Law in America", dives into the monumental implications of the Mississippi case testing Roe v. Wade. She discusses the Supreme Court's historical context and the challenges women faced pre-1973. The conversation highlights the politicization of abortion rights and the evolving legal qualifications surrounding them. Ziegler also paints a picture of a post-Roe America, emphasizing the glaring discrepancies in abortion access across states and the ongoing efforts of anti-abortion advocates.
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Illegal Abortion's Impact
- In the 1960s, illegal abortion was a public health crisis, with women facing shame and isolation.
- One woman shared her devastating, lonely experience with an illegal abortion in a 1973 NPR interview.
Shifting Views on Abortion
- The view of abortion as a political or ideological issue has shifted over time. In the early 1970s, it was seen as a medical and legal reform by many.
- The Supreme Court Justices were mainly conservative establishment figures, yet many saw abortion through this reform lens.
Roe v. Wade Framework
- Roe v. Wade established a framework for abortion rights based on trimesters, aiming to settle the issue definitively.
- This framework tied abortion rights to fetal viability (around 22-24 weeks), with the woman's choice prioritized in the first two trimesters.
