In a new op-ed from the New York Times today to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, American Bridge 21st Century Co-Chair Cecile Richards slams the cruel, extremist, anti-choice agenda the Republicans have been pushing for decades. Richards highlights the fact that “80 percent of the country believes abortion should be legal under any or certain circumstances.”
According to Richards, “the Roe decision not only made abortion in the United States extremely safe, it led to higher earnings, increased education levels and greater participation in the work force for generations of women, particularly Black women.” However, through their repeated attacks on reproductive health care, it is clear that “the erosion of reproductive rights is a result of raw, bare-knuckled politics, of a minority exercising their power over a majority.”
The New York Times Opinion: I Underestimated the Boundless Cruelty of the G.O.P.
By: Cecile Richards
Key Points:
- “This could well be the last anniversary of Roe. Ever since the Supreme Court established a constitutional right to abortion through that decision, 49 years ago on Saturday, Republicans have been chipping away at reproductive rights. Now, the court is poised to overturn the decision once and for all — fulfilling a longstanding dream not just of fringe elements of the Republican Party, but also of its leadership. I know, because I was one of the leading faces of the movement trying to stop them.”
- “The Roe decision not only made abortion in the United States extremely safe, it led to higher earnings, increased education levels and greater participation in the work force for generations of women, particularly Black women.”
- “If they uphold Mississippi’s unconstitutional ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, 26 states would be either certain or likely to implement their own bans. We know what life there will look like, because Texans are living it right now. Amna Dermish, a doctor in Austin, recently described to me what it felt like to have to turn away patients just a few days past the limits Texas has imposed on abortions in the state. She called it ‘a moral injury. To have to do that several times every single day is unbearable.’”
- “Still, not all hope is lost. Despite years of punditry and sensationalist headlines, the myth that Americans will always be divided on this seemingly intractable issue is just that: a myth. According to Gallup, 80 percent of the country believes abortion should be legal under any or certain circumstances. And last year, American Bridge 21st Century, in partnership with Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Emily’s List, found that a majority of the voters polled (71 percent of women and 64 percent of men) felt Republicans were “out of step with their own views” on abortion. That may be because women from all walks of life have abortions — no matter their religion, socioeconomic status or political affiliation.”
Read the full op-ed here.
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Published: Jan 22, 2022 | Last Modified: Jan 25, 2022