Roe v. Wade and the Right to Privacy

[noamnety]

I am surprised at how many people here either don't understand the basis of Roe v. Wade, or are completely dismissive of it.

The underlying premise of it is that women have a right to privacy, and are allowed access to an abortion regardless of the reason, because the reason itself is a private matter.

Having to fill out government-mandated forms stating that you want an abortion because you were raped or because you had sex with a family member is a violation of that ruling.

Having to tell your employer that you need to sign up for an abortion insurance rider violates that privacy. A woman should not be in the position of having to file papers with her employer informing them that she is sexually active. She should not be in the position of having to file papers with her employer to let them know she would personally want an abortion if she got pregnant.

"This right of privacy, whether it be founded in the Fourteenth Amendment's concept of personal liberty and restrictions upon state action, as we feel it is, or, as the District Court determined, in the Ninth Amendment's reservation of rights to the people, is broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy. "

The amendment doesn't just restrict access to abortion - the legislation requires women to forfeit their constitutional right to privacy under the 14th amendment in order to use their (government mandated!) insurance for abortions.

Women who have had birth control failures have the constitutional right to privacy.

Women who have not used birth control have the constitutional right to privacy.

Women who have been raped have the constitutional right to privacy.

Women who think they might become sexually active in the future have the constitutional right to privacy.

Women who want access to safe legal affordable abortions in the future should they ever need it have a constitutional right to privacy.

All of those are undermined in this amendment. The government has neither a compelling need nor a right to demand that information before deciding whether or not to provide health care services to a woman.

[flor-de-jasmim]

1. This is the clearest statement of the most relevant issue I've seen. THANKS!

[sharesunited]

2. Roe also held that the state has a compelling interest in the life of the unborn.

At SOME point in the pregnancy.

Is the only information needed to determine when that interest arises calendar based information?

[earthboundmisfit]

3. K&R

times a thousand.

[golddigger]

4. K&R

[chimpymustgo]

5. Game, set and match! GREAT post. K&R.

[chimpymustgo]

6. Kicking. This is important.