Wednesday’s march by anti-abortionists to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade signaled not only a frightening prospect for pro-choicers everywhere, but another instance where President Bush overstepped the bounds of intelligence in public speaking.
The protesters marched down Constitution Avenue and ended at the steps of the Supreme Court, where current Chief Justice William Rehnquist was a dissenter in the 7-2 Roe v. Wade opinion in 1973. The march began with a live broadcast from Bush, who urged Congress to pass a ban on partial-birth abortions this year.
“Respect for the right to life calls us to value and to protect the lives of innocent children waiting to be born,” he said. “I admire your perseverance and I admire your devotion to the cause of life.”
Bush’s words were poorly chosen and highly ironic, considering the history of his office – in hotly contested issues such as abortion, presidents don’t usually jump into the middle of the brawl; even Clinton, who was staunchly pro-choice, didn’t air his position in such a public broadcast. Bush’s words are even more questionable in light of his stances on Iraq and the death penalty. How can Bush support the protection of unborn American children but not those of living Iraqi children? How can Bush be in favor of executing the mentally retarded, but disallow access to abortions for parents whose child might be born mentally retarded?
Perhaps even more distressing than a president totally willing to sign anti-abortion legislation is a GOP-glutted Congress totally willing to write it up and pass it. According to Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R- Mo., who spoke before the marchers on Wednesday, “a Republican House and a Republican Senate bode well for the pro-life cause. We no longer have to count votes to override a veto.” Theoretically, if a liberal judge resigns from the Supreme Court, anti-abortion laws might stand a good chance of being appointed, ending the right of a woman to decide whether or not she wants to have a child.
Doing so would, of course, be political suicide for the GOP, so such laws are not likely to appear in the immediate future. But the passing of other laws, such as the ban on partial-birth abortions, could eventually erode Roe v. Wade and abortion rights.
While pro-life supporters were marching on Washington, counter-demonstrations were held by pro-choice groups such as Planned Parenthood and the Feminist Majority Foundation. If Bush can use his voice to support to those on the pro-life side, Ed Board has no qualms about supporting those who continue to fight for the right to choose.
