Washington Merry-Go-Round

WASHINGTON – The nation has changed since the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion. Maturing social mores spawned the women’s rights movement and eliminated taboos that had suppressed open discussion and education about human functions, nature, and desires. Advances in science simultaneously improved birth-control options and increased fetal viability. But Roe was never a pro-abortion decision; it was a pro-choice decision.

In the process, Roe simultaneously inflamed the prolife movement, making the decision the primary wedge issue separating liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans. This more than any other factor led to the political polarization the nation faces today, a polarization so significant that bipartisanship gave way to congressional gridlock.

In this process, Roe created some ironic bedfellows. Pro-life advocates were generally pro-gun and pro-death penalty advocates.

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