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Matter of Opinion

Why the Anti-Abortion Side Will Lose, Even if It Wins

Matter of Opinion

New York Times Opinion

Society & Culture, Ross Douthat, News, New York Times, Journalism

4.2 • 7.2K Ratings

🗓️ 14 April 2021

⏱️ 35 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Supreme Court — and its post-Trump conservative majority — is currently deciding whether to take up a case that could be the final blow to Roe v. Wade. Overturning Roe, the 48-year-old decision protecting the right to an abortion in America, would leave abortion regulation up to the states. But some abortion opponents think that’s not far enough and are pushing the movement to change its focus to securing a 14th Amendment declaration of fetal personhood. Ross Douthat wrote about the diverging anti-abortion movement and why both factions are doomed to fail as long as the movement is shackled to a Republican Party that refuses to enact public policy to help struggling families. Michelle Goldberg wrote a response column to Ross’s, claiming his argument was a fallacy. To bring their dueling columns to life, Jane Coaston brought the two writers together to debate the future of abortion protection and restriction in America. Referenced in this episode: Ross’s Sunday Review column “What Has the Pro-Life Movement Won?” Michelle’s responding column, “The Authoritarian Plan for a National Abortion Ban” John Finnis’s article in the Catholic journal “First Things,” “Abortion Is Unconstitutional” Emma Green’s article in “The Atlantic” “The Anti-Abortion-Rights Movement Prepares to Build a Post-Roe World” “Defenders of the Unborn” by Daniel K. Williams Share your arguments with us: We want to hear what you’re arguing about with your family, your friends and your frenemies. Leave us a voice mail message at (347) 915-4324. We may use excerpts from your audio in a future episode. You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of "The Argument" at nytimes.com/the-argument, and you can find Jane on Twitter @janecoaston. “The Argument” is produced by Phoebe Lett, Elisa Gutierrez and Vishakha Darbha and edited by Alison Bruzek and Paula Szuchman; fact-checking by Kate Sinclair; music and sound design by Isaac Jones.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Today on the argument, what happens if the pro-life movement wins?

0:09.7

Sometime this year, the Supreme Court could take up a case that might be the final blow

0:13.7

to Roe vs. Wade.

0:15.6

For 48 years, Roe has protected the right to an abortion in America.

0:20.3

Former President Donald Trump vowed to overturn Roe, and every justice he appointed the Supreme

0:25.1

Court was vetted to do just that.

0:27.1

And the O'Gorsuch was put on the court to do this.

0:29.3

Brett Kavanaugh was put on the court to do this.

0:31.3

Amy Coney Barrett was put on the court to do this.

0:35.6

Overturning Roe would leave abortion regulation up to the states.

0:38.4

It would be a huge win for the pro-life movement.

0:41.5

But some pro-lifers are saying it doesn't go far enough.

0:47.5

I'm Jane Kostin, and today I'm welcoming back my colleagues, Ross Daupert and Michelle

0:51.8

Goldberg, to debate what a post-Roe world would look like.

0:55.9

Later this month, Ross criticized the pro-life movements tactics in a column.

1:00.5

He argued that for the pro-life movement to truly succeed, it needs to expand social

1:05.3

services that would make an abortion free America possible.

1:08.8

Problem is, those same social services are anathema to the Republican Party the movement

1:13.4

has tied itself to.

1:15.2

Michelle called that a fallacy in a responding column.

1:18.4

In her view, the pro-life movement has no interest in making the world a better place

1:22.3

for struggling parents or in changing public opinion.

...

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