In Roe v. Wade, the United States Supreme Court held (7-2) on January 22, 1973, that excessive state control of abortion violated the Constitution.
The majority opinion was written by Justice Harry A. Blackmun, who argued that the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (“…nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law”) implicitly protected a woman’s right to privacy by prohibiting abortion in most cases. In 2022, the Supreme Court finally overturned Roe v. Wade.
Regardless of where you stand on the morally ambiguous topic of abortion, it’s impossible to deny that the day Roe v. Wade was decided was a watershed moment in American history. Women all over the world celebrate the anniversary of the historic court ruling.
Roe v. Wade, the landmark statute that legalized abortion across the United States, was reversed by the Supreme Court on Friday, June 24, 2022. The ruling overturned fifty years of precedent, making it possible for states to restrict or outright ban abortion in their respective jurisdictions.
How To Observe
See The Related Documentaries If You’re Interested
With your pals, you can have a movie night and watch a documentary on the trial. Documentaries aren’t your thing? Check out any movies that deal with women’s rights or were influenced by this case. Here are some books that we think you’ll enjoy: “Obvious Child,” “Citizen Ruth,” and “Reversing Roe.”
Fund Abortion-Choice Clinics With Your Donations
Roe v. Wade Day would be a great time to raise money for some of the many underfunded women’s clinics across the United States. If you want to help a local pro-choice clinic stay open, you can do so by making a donation, no matter how small.
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Attend A Women’s Clinic As A Volunteer
On Roe vs. Wade Day, you can help a local women’s clinic in more ways than just monetarily. They’ll be grateful for your assistance, and they need it. Simply approach a medical facility and inquire about volunteer opportunities.
History Of Roe Vs. Wade Day
In 1969, a woman called Norma McCorvey, who was 21 years old at the time, found out that she was pregnant with her third child. Norma wanted to terminate the pregnancy, but the laws in Texas made it difficult for her to do so. At first, she intended to take the advise of some of her friends, who told her to claim that the pregnancy was the product of rape. She did this because she believed that the legislation in Texas permitted abortions in situations when rape was involved.
However, the laws of Texas at the time only permitted abortions to be performed if it was possible to prevent the death of the mother. In addition, she made an effort to obtain an illegal abortion, but the institution where she planned to do so was shut down by the authorities.
The challenges that Norma encountered are reminiscent of the lack of control that women had over their bodies prior to the Roe vs. Wade case, when women were forced to lie or break the law in order to have a choice in whether or not to have an undesired baby.
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Norma sought legal counsel from two different attorneys, namely Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington. In the year 1970, Norma’s solicitors initiated legal action on her behalf, using the identity “Jane Roe” to do so. Following the first set of arguments, all seven justices of the court reached the conclusion that the law should be overturned, but they did so for a variety of different reasons.
However, Justice Harry Blackmun recommended that the case be reargued, and on October 11, 1972, the issue was once again argued before the Supreme Court with Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade serving as the defendant. Blackmun’s proposal to reargue the case was accepted.
In a decision handed down on January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that women living in the United States had the constitutional right to decide for themselves whether or not they would have an abortion without undue governmental interference.
The Texas abortion ban was overturned because it violated people’s constitutional rights and was seen as a violation of their privacy. Unfortuitously, the legal process took so long to resolve that Norma McCorvey became pregnant, and she ultimately chose to place her child for adoption.
Facts About Abortion
- Reduced numbers of women are having them. The total number of abortions in the United States has been steadily falling for several years, which may be attributable to the increased availability of contraception.
- Various kinds exist. Abortion methods vary according to gestational age, with medication abortions being the least invasive and surgical abortions being the most.
- Safer than you think. Less than one percent of abortions in the first trimester are complicated, demonstrating the extreme safety of legal abortion techniques.
- About a quarter of all pregnancies end in termination. Every year, abortion ends up terminating around a quarter of all pregnancies.
- In many nations, it is still forbidden. In 26, abortion is illegal under all circumstances, whereas in states with a population above 50, it’s legal only if the mother’s life or health is in danger.
