Get the message right on Roe

by | May 11, 2022 | Editor's Blog | 6 comments

If the Supreme Court guts Roe v. Wade, as the leaked opinion implies, then the political landscape going into the 2022 election is almost certainly changed. The election will focus on the impact of that decision and progressives need to take advantage of the new political environment. Instead of focusing on the Supreme Court and what has already been done, they  need to focus on the proposed actions by Republicans and their impact on women’s lives. They need to having more conversations with the American public and fewer protests shouting at justices. 

Already, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says a federal ban on abortion is possible if the GOP gets control of the Senate. A bill in Idaho would ban the use of IUDs. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves won’t rule out banning contraception. Those positions are far outside of the mainstream and could awaken Democrats’ sleepy base. 

As people have noted, the so-called pro-life movement is really just pro-birth. There’s no indication they care too much about the life of the mother or the life the child once it’s born. There’s also no indication that criminalizing abortion reduces its frequency. It only reduces the procedure’s safety. In other words, states that make abortion illegal are only threatening women, not saving fetuses. 

That’s the conversation that needs to happen. Young women need to know that Republicans do not have their best interests in mind. In fact, they want to limit their choices in both health care and life style. They believe that children should be forced to bear the children of their abusers and victims of rape should be forced to give birth to their rapists’ children. And they are poised to pass legislation across the country to ensure it. 

Women of child bearing age could lose their ability to choose when they start their families and, in many cases, may be forced end their educations or careers in order to raise children. The legislation being discussed in Republican circles is deeply damaging to women. Those who suggest that the next Einstein might be aborted have no problem ensuring the next Mae Jemison would never make it into space or the next Jane Goodall never meets the Great Apes. Those are the conversations progressives need to be having. 

The reaction against overturning Roe v. Wade needs to become a political message, not a protest movement. While protests might feel good to those already politically active, there’s not much evidence they translate into votes or motivate those who aren’t already engaged. And while rallying outside the Justices’ houses might be protected free-speech, it probably alienates people who would otherwise be sympathetic to the cause. 

The reaction to Roe should be focused on the impact on women’s lives, not on abortion per se. Too many activists are trying to destigmatize abortion when they should instead be explaining how limiting access to abortions hurts women. Political messages work best when they aren’t muddled. Instead of debating the morality of abortion, focus on how the impending restrictions put women’s lives at risk, impede their social and educational development, and limit their economic freedom. The argument is not about Roe or the Supreme Court. The argument is about women and their lives. Personalize the debate instead of arguing about the morality of abortion or the Court’s decision itself.

6 Comments

  1. Norma Munn

    Many women are doing both. The recent protests are fueled by anger, disgust and fear — not to mention being fed up with having a large portion of the male population telling us what to do. Giving advice is easy. I read several newspapers and blogs over the course of a week. The most striking thing about the articles in the WSJ was not the tenor or content of the writing, but that that it quickly became apparent that there was about a 10 to 1 ratio of men to women who were commenting. AND the comments were definitely sexist or worse. May I give some advice back? Stop complaining and giving advice about what women are doing or not doing about the almost certain loss of all the legal rights that flow from Roe v Wade — start helping by voting against those who continually want to limit my rights.

  2. Michael Leonard

    I’m old enough to remember the joke: If men could get pregnant there would be an abortion clinic on every street corner.

  3. Wully

    How much effect did the Women’s March have on altering the Trump years? Democrats use
    message discipline based on practical, undebatable points (as they did in 2018).

  4. Robin

    I disagree heartily with the idea that protests do not make a difference. We must show up mass numbers so that the radical GOP can see that women make up a huge electorate. The 70s taught us that much, that’s how birth control became a norm, how women stopped being 2nd class citizens who could only get credit through husband or dad. The court had zero problem with anti-abortion protestors showing up in front of doctors, nurses and administrators homes, but cannot live with their own decisions.

    • JoeBeamish

      Robin is right on. Not to mention the fact that, why can’t you do both – protest AND focus on campaign style messaging? Protest is a form of political discourse. As for “alienating people otherwise sympathetic” – so your saying that people who don’t protest and plan on voting will see protesters and assume they support the Democrat in their district and think that maybe they shouldn’t vote for that Democrat (who may or may not favor the protestors or even may or may not be pro-choice) and so they will decide to go ahead and vote for the Republican because they probably are against the protestors?

    • Jennifer Bremer

      Protests can make a difference if they are massive enough and prolonged, but they don’t do much of anything to get out the vote for people who will favor a different course of action. We are in the middle of one of the most important midterm elections ever, when our democracy is on the line. We are in danger of losing the Senate if not the House, not to mention continuing R control of the NC legislature. Working to get out the vote is not as emotionally satisfying as chanting and holding signs, but it’s going to make a lot more of a difference. Control of the NC Supreme Court is definitely on the ballot and we really need Cheri Beasley in the Senate, now more than ever. It’s by no means a slam dunk to get a Black woman elected statewide, regardless of her impeccable credentials. That seat alone could determine control of the US Senate.

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