Roe V Wade英文及中文.docx
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RoeVWade英文及中文
Roev.Wade
Roev.Wade-ThenandNow
ByJanetBenshoof
OnJanuary22,1973,theUnitedStatesSupremeCourtstruckdowntheStateofTexas'scriminalabortionlaws,findingthattherighttodecidewhethertohaveachildisafundamentalrightguaranteedbytheU.S.Constitution.The7-2decisioninRoev.WadewouldhaveanimmediateandprofoundeffectonthelivesofAmericanwomen.BeforeRoe,itisestimatedthat"between200,000and1.2millionillegallyinducedabortionsoccur[red]annuallyintheUnitedStates."1Asmanyas5,000to10,000womendiedperyearfollowingillegalabortionsandmanyotherssufferedseverephysicalandpsychologicalinjury.2
Topreventwomenfromdyingorinjuringthemselvesfromunsafe,illegalorself-inducedabortions,women'sadvocatesspearheadedcampaignstoreversecentury-oldcriminalabortionlawsinthedecadesprecedingRoe.Duringthe1960sand1970s,amovementofmedical,publichealth,legal,religiousandwomen'sorganizationssuccessfullyurgedone-thirdofstatelegislaturestoliberalizetheirabortionstatutes.
Roev.Wadeisalandmarkdecisionthatrecognizedthattherighttomakechildbearingchoicesiscentraltowomen'slivesandtheirabilitytoparticipatefullyandequallyinsociety.Yet,theSupremeCourt'sdecisioninRoewasfarfromradical——itwasthelogicalextensionofHighCourtdecisionsontherighttoprivacydatingbacktotheturnofthecentury.Thedecisionisgroundedinthesamereasoningthatguaranteesourrighttorefusemedicaltreatmentandthefreedomtoresistgovernmentsearchandseizure.Infindingthattheconstitutionalrighttoprivacyencompassesawoman'srighttochoosewhetherornottocontinueapregnancy,theHighCourtcontinuedalonglineofdecisionsrecognizingarightofprivacythatprotectsintimateandpersonaldecisions——includingthoseaffectingchild-rearing,marriage,procreationandtheuseofcontraception——fromgovernmentalinterference.
TheDecision
Inits1973decisioninRoe,theSupremeCourtrecognizedthatawoman'srighttodecidewhethertocontinueherpregnancywasprotectedundertheconstitutionalprovisionsofindividualautonomyandprivacy.Forthefirsttime,Roeplacedwomen'sreproductivechoicealongsideotherfundamentalrights,suchasfreedomofspeechandfreedomofreligion,byconferringthehighestdegreeofconstitutionalprotection——"strictscrutiny"——tochoice.
Findinganeedtobalanceawoman'srighttoprivacywiththestate'sinterestinprotectingpotentiallife,theSupremeCourtestablishedatrimesterframeworkforevaluatingrestrictionsonabortion.TheCourtrequiredthestatetojustifyanyinterferencewiththeabortiondecisionbyshowingthatithada"compellinginterest"indoingso.Restrictionsonabortionsperformedbeforefetalviability,thatistheperiodbeforeafetuscanliveoutsideawoman'sbody,werelimitedtothosethatnarrowlyandpreciselypromotedrealmaternalhealthconcerns.Afterthepointofviability,thestatewasfreetobanabortionortakeotherstepstopromoteitsinterestinprotectingfetallife.Evenafterthatpoint,however,thestate'sinterestintheviablefetusmustyieldtothewoman'srighttohaveanabortiontoprotectherhealthandlife.
ImmediatelyfollowingtheRoedecision,thosewhodidnotwanttoseewomenparticipateequallyinsocietyweregalvanized.ThefarrightinitiatedapoliticalonslaughtthathasresultedinnumerousstateandfederalabortionrestrictionsandcontributedtoachangedSupremeCourt,ideologicallybentonevisceratingRoe.Therighttochoosebecamethetargetofnotonlythereligiousright,butalsoright-wingpoliticiansandjudgeswhousedtheRoedecisiontoattackthe"judicialactivism"oftheSupremeCourtanditspurportedfailuretoadheretothetextoftheConstitutionandthe"ori
ginalintent"ofitsframers.ThisbacklashreacheditspeakduringthethreetermsofPresidentsReaganandBush.Beginningin1983,theU.S.solicitorgeneralroutinelyurgedtheSupremeCourt,onbehalfofthefederalgovernment,tooverturnRoe.Inaddition,whenappointingSupremeCourtjustices,ReaganandBushusedoppositiontoRoeasalitmustest.Duringthistwelve-yearperiod,fivejustices-O'Connor,Scalia,Kennedy,Souter,andThomas-wereappointed.Notoneofthesefive,whostillconstituteamajorityontheCourttoday,supportsthe"strictscrutiny"standardofreviewestablishedbyRoe.
TheDismantlingofRoe
ShortlyaftertheRoedecision,statelegislaturesbeganpassinglawsinhopesofcreatingexceptionstoitoropeningupareasoflawthatRoedidnotdirectlyaddress.Nootherrighthasbeenfrontallyattackedandsosuccessfullyundermined,andallinthecourseoftwodecades——thesametwodecadesthatsustainedadvancesinotherareasofwomen'srights,includingeducationandemployment.
Teenagerswerethefirstsuccessfultarget.In1979theCourtendorsedstatelawsthatrequiredparentalconsent,aslongastheywereaccompaniedbyacomplicatedsystemwherebyminorscouldasserttheirprivacyrightsbyrequestingahearingbeforeastatejudgeonwhethertheywere"mature"oranabortionwasintheirbestinterests(Bellottiv.Baird)。
ThenextassaultonRoewasdirectedatlow-incomewomen.In1980theHydeAmendment,whichprohibitedMedicaidfromcoveringmostabortions,wasupheldbytheSupremeCourtbya5-4margin(Harrisv.McRae)。
TheCourtabandonedtheneutralityrequiredinRoe,findingthat,forpoorwomen,governmentcouldpromotechildbearingoverabortion,solongasitdidsobymanipulatingwomenthroughpublicfundingschemes,notcriminallaws.
DissentinginCityofAkronv.AkronCenterforReproductiveHealth(1983),JusticeO'ConnorcalledforaradicalerosionofRoeandproposedthatalesserstandardofconstitutionalprotectionforchoicebeestablished,calledthe"undueburden"standard,inplaceofthe"strictscrutiny"test.By1989,afterthearrivalofJusticesKennedyandScaliaandtheelevationofWilliamRehnquisttochiefjustice,therewerenolongerfivevotestopreservereproductivechoiceasafundamentalconstitutionalright.TheCourt'srulinginWebsterv.ReproductiveHealthServices(1989)demonstratedthisnewrealitywhenfivejusticesexpressedhostilitytowardRoeindifferingdegreesandessentiallycalledforstatestopasslegislationbanningabortioninordertotestthelaw.
Threeyearslater,inCasey,thestrictjudicialscrutinyestablishedinRoewasfinallyabandonedinapluralityopinionofJusticesO'Connor,KennedyandSouter.AlthoughtheCourtsaiditwasnotoverturningRoe'scentralpremisethatabortionisafundamentalright,theCaseydecisionreplacedtheoriginal"strictscrutiny"standardgoverningotherfundamentalrightsfortheweakandconfusingundueburdenstandard.Thisopenedthedoortoahostofstateandfederalcriminalrestrictionsdesignedtosteerwomenawayfromabortionandtopromotetherightsofthefetusthroughoutpregnancy.Over300criminalabortionrestrictionshavebeenenactedbylegislaturesinthepastsixyearsalone,noneofwhichwouldhavebeenconstitutionalundertheoriginalRoedecision.
TheFourPillarsofRoe
TheRoeopinionwasgroundedonfourconstitutionalpillars:
(1)thedecisiontohaveanabortionwasaccordedthehighestlevelofconstitutionalprotectionlikeanyotherfundamentalconstitutionalright;
(2)thegovernmenthadtostayneutral;legislaturescouldnotenactlawsthatpushedwomentomakeonedecisionoranother;(3)intheperiodbeforethefetusisviable,thegovernmentmayrestrictabortiononlytoprotectawoman'shealth;(4)afterviability,thegovernmentmayprohi
bitabortion,butlawsmustmakeexceptionsthatpermitabortionwhennecessarytoprotectawoman'shealthorlife.
OnlytwoofthefourRoepillarsremaintodayasaresultoftheSupremeCourt's1992decisioninPlannedParenthoodofSoutheasternPennsylvaniav.Casey.Thisdecisionistheculminationofasteadydeclineinconstitutionalprotectionfortherighttoprivacy.Awoman'srighttochooseisstillconstitutionallyprotected,however,the"strictscrutiny"standardwasjettisonedinfavorofalesserstandardofprotectionforreproductivechoicecalled"undueburden."UnderCasey,stateandlocallawsthatfavorfetalrightsandburdenawoman'schoicetohaveabortionarepermitted,solongastheburdenisnot"undue."Nolongerdoesthestatehavetobeneutralinthechoiceofabortionorchildbearing.Nowthegovernmentisfreetopasslawsrestrictingabortionbasedon"morality,"acodewordforreligiousanti-abortionviews.Statesarenowpermittedtodisfavorabortionandpunishwomenseekingabortions,eventhosewhoareyoungandsick,withharassinglaws.
Roeinthe21stCentury
In2000,eightyearsaftertheCaseydecision,theCourtagreedtohearanothercasethatopenedupRoeforreexamination.Duringthatperiod,PresidentClintonhadappointedtwojustices,GinsburgandBreyer.ThefirstchallengetoRoeinthe21stcenturycameintheformofaNebraskabanonso-called"partial-birthabortion"broughtbytheCenterforReproductiveLawandPolicy.ThelanguageoftheNebraskaban——andthecookie-cutterversionspassedin30states——wassweepingandbroad,andcouldhaveincludedvirtuallyallabortionprocedures,eventhoseusedintheearlyweeksofpregnancy.Publicly,however,supportersofthesebanscamouflagedthisfactbyusingatermmadeupbytheNationalRight-to-Life
Committee——"partial-birthabortion"——andpretendingthatthebansweredesignedtopreventdoctorsfromusingoneparticularprocedure.
Ina5-4voteinthecaseStenbergv.Carhart(2000),theCourtstruckdowntheban,fin