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In 1973 the United States Supreme Court ruled on one of the most important cases of our time, Roe v. Wade. The Court found that "the unborn have never been recognized in the law as persons" and that a woman’s right to privacy covers the abortion decision. In conjunction with Roe v. Wade, the Doe v. Bolton decision handed down the same day as Roe v. Wade.
Setting up the trimester framework, the Roe decision seems to allowed states to pass protections for women and unborn babies in the second and third trimesters only. However, Roe declared that states are not allowed to pass protective laws when an abortion is required to preserve the life or the "health" of the mother. The Doe v. Bolton decision, meant to be read with Roe, defined the "health" exception so broadly as to encompass virtually any reason. Thus, Roe and Doe together permit abortion at any time and for any reason.
The aftermath: More than 50 million unborn children have been aborted
Since the 1973 Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions, more than 50 million unborn children have been killed by abortion in the United States.
Even today, in addition to the devastating loss of life due to Roe and Doe, the effects of these decisions have left a significant mark on American society. More than three decades after the decisions were handed down, the cases remain highly controversial. For example, when new judicial nominees are considered, how they may rule on Roe if it were to come before the Court for reconsideration weighs heavily in the discussion and debate surrounding their confirmation.
If Roe v. Wade were to be overturned by the United States Supreme Court, each state would be charged with devising its own individual policies regarding abortion. Unfortunately for Minnesota, if Roe v. Wade falls we would still have abortion on demand because of a Minnesota Supreme Court decision, Doe v. Gomez (1995), which found a supposed absolute "right" to abortion in the Minnesota Constitution. In that decision, the Court also required taxpayer funding of abortion.
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