The Lawyer Who Got Abortion Legalized Has A Strong Message For Us About Trump

In 1973, Sarah Weddington represented Norma McCorvey, a woman prevented by Texas law from getting an abortion, in the famous Roe v. Wade case. As a result, it became illegal for states to ban abortion. But now, at 71, she fears for our reproductive rights under Trump's administration. "I think everyone who cares about the Roe v. Wade issue and other reproductive rights is very concerned about what will happen," she told NBC. 60% of Trump supporters believe the Roe v. Wade decision should be overturned. The President himself has said he'd appoint Supreme Court justices who are against abortion. While his next appointment of a judge to replace Antonin Scalia likely won't make a difference, several appointments over time could, Harvard Law School professor Mark Tushnet told NBC. Weddington explained that views on abortion rights are more divided along party lines than they were during the case. "There are far fewer outspoken pro-choice Republicans today than there were back in the '60s and in the early '70s," she said. "There were a lot of Republicans for choice, a number of Republican members of the state legislatures and Congress who were pro-choice." She mentioned former President Gerald Ford as an example. Roe v. Wade aside, Weddington is concerned about state-level laws that lead to waiting times, closed clinics, and restrictions on how far into a pregnancy you can get an abortion. "Women will have to go across state lines," she said. And that, of course, is what they did before Roe v. Wade."

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Looking for more stories about the continuing fight for reproductive rights? Watch Shatterbox Anthology’s “Lucia, Before and After” above. This short film from director Anu Valia takes an unflinching look at the barriers to choice still faced by women across the United States.

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