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Roe v. Wade lawyer urges continued action at anniversary gathering
Friday, February 02, 2007
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By KERANA TODOROV
Register Staff Writer
Thirty-four years ago, Sarah Weddington was a 27-year-old lawyer who had tried uncontested divorces and little else, when she won the case that legalized abortion in the United States before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Weddington recalled she could not sleep the day before she walked up the marble steps of the U.S. Supreme Court to argue Roe v. Wade, a case that remains controversial today.
Hundred reporters were in the packed courtroom, ready to take notes, she recalled.

“’I hope I find the words that will be helpful,’” she remembered thinking to herself as the Supreme Court Justices marched into the courtroom in their black robes.
These were among the recollections Weddington shared Thursday before 200 pro-choice activists and elected officials at a luncheon at the Meritage Resort at Napa. The lunch was part of a symposium NARAL Pro-Choice California Foundation organized for pro-choice activists in Sonoma and Napa counties.

Weddington, who became emotional when she spoke of her longtime friend and fellow activist Molly Ivins, the liberal columnist from Texas who died Wednesday, urged the audience to continue the work in the pro-choice movement.
“I am historical,” Weddington told her audience. “But you are the future.”

Abortion became legal in California and New York before Roe v. Wade, she also noted.

“If the worst came to happen,” she said, referring to a possible reversal of Roe v. Wade, “we would look again at California.”

“There is so much today that’s really worrisome,” she told the gathering.

After all, the U.S. Supreme Court — with two new members — has yet to rule on two abortion cases heard in November.

While she hinted she expects Associate Justice Samuel Alito Jr. to side with conservative justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, she seemed less certain on how Chief Justice John Roberts will rule.

“I personally believe that (Roberts) is personally opposed to Roe,” Weddington said after the event. “But he said a lot of things that would indicate he’s very conscious of his role as a justice and how that is separate from individual opinions.”

“I’m very cautiously concerned … because until we get an opinion that he’s involved in, we can’t really know.”

After her speech, Weddington signed autographs and posed for pictures with members in the audience.

“She’s part of history,” said retired high school counselor Carol Adams of Healdsburg as she waited to speak to Weddington.

Young women have to have the right to choose, she said. “It’s the choice. It’s a big piece of democracy.”
113 comment(s)

What a farce wrote on Feb 2, 2007 10:28 PM:

" Too bad Weddington made her career from a lie. Jane Roe wasn't even looking to have an abortion. She was played like a pawn by Weddington. And now Weddington thinks its okay to kill a child even though it is viable. When there is no respect for life there you will see the downfall of society. The downfall is all around us, all the rapes, murders, etc, people just don't respect life. "

Nobody Reely wrote on Feb 3, 2007 5:58 AM:

" People should be able to choose to use birth control, so as to avoid having to make another choice. "

GOD wrote on Feb 3, 2007 8:48 AM:

" Abortion is the MOTHER of all holocausts... "

Birth control?! wrote on Feb 3, 2007 10:57 AM:

" Well that's pretty scarry that people think it's okay to use abortion as birth control. "

It's too sad wrote on Feb 3, 2007 12:03 PM:

" How very sad it is that NARAL, Weddington, and the pro-abortion faction in our country think it is all right to kill the unborn. We are walking with the ghosts of those who could have been the doctors, scientists, etc. who might already have found the cure for cancer and all of the other diseases and solved environmental issues. How many geniuses may we have put to death before they had a chance to be born? "

Somebody Really wrote on Feb 3, 2007 2:13 PM:

" What is really so veryr sad is that society fails to teach, support, and reinforce the importance of taking personal responsibility and accountability for the choices we DO make. The choice is to abstain and not become pregnant to begin with. Once a woman is pregnant, there is a second HUMAN BEING who is innocently in the picture. This human being, has no voice and, apparently, has no choice. Isn't is alway better to err on the side of LIFE? "

Suzanne, RN wrote on Feb 3, 2007 5:06 PM:

" So, Sarah Weddington couldn't sleep the night before the Roe vs. Wade case. If I'd been in her shoes, I'd not have slept a wink since. Thanks to her contribution, untold millions of children have never lived long enough to know a good night's sleep, and many of their poor mothers have suffered sleepless nights and years of nightmares over what might have been. America can do far better than offering this "choice". Let's reach out in love to mothers and their babies. "

ausblog wrote on Feb 4, 2007 4:12 PM:

" World estimations of the number of terminations carried out each year is somewhere between 20 and 88 million.(likely 55 to 60) Over 3,500 per day / Over 1.3 million per year in America alone. 50% of that 1.3 million claimed failed birth control was to blame. A further 48% had failed to use any birth control at all. And 2% had medical reasons. That means a staggering 98% of unwanted pregnancies may have been avoided had an effective birth control been used. People have to stop using abortion as birth control. People should be able to choose to use birth control, so as to avoid having to make another choice. I'd like to see effective birth control made available to all who can't afford it. DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN GET AN IMPLANT (in arm) THAT IS SAFE, 99.9% EFFECTIVE AND LASTS FOR THREE YEARS? Implanon is new to the US but has been widely used in Aus for about five years. The only bad report iv'e heard is if your a smoker you can't use them due to increased risk of cardiovascular conditions. Good incentive to give the cigs a miss............ any way my daughter has one, and no problems, no pills to remember,and she is protected from unwanted pregnancies for three years. "

Looking for sanity in an insane world wrote on Feb 4, 2007 8:00 PM:

" We are all pro-choice, just not pro-abortion. We all have a choice whether to indulge in acts leading to the creation of life or not ( except those unfortunate victims of rape) We can all choose whether to act in a mature and selfless way, whether we are ready to bring life into the world and support that life. We can choose to respect our body and not abuse it with contraceptive pills etc, to respect our partner's body and not use it as an object for our own pleasurable gratification. We can choose to act in a way which does not lead to the destruction of life, born and unborn. I wonder if Wedding supports the proposition that the smacking of children under three years old should be prohibited by law. What a strange time we live in. Smacking your two year old, who may just warrant the discipline to form him/her into a useful and sociable being,is a no-no, but killing your even more vulnerable child in the womb is...Yes! legal and to Wedding, acceptable. "

Judge not- wrote on Feb 4, 2007 10:26 PM:

" I struggle with the thought of someone making a decision they don’t understand. If you walk in my shoes you might have an idea but you could never know definitively how I feel or what is best for me. I'm so glad in the land of freedom we have the right to choose. In 1987 I was 17 and a senior in High School. I know I made the right choice for me. Not everyone would have made the same choice or would approve of my choice. That's alright because it was MY choice. I have no trouble sleeping at night. In the same situation I would make the same choice if I had to do it again. It wasn't an easy choice but I do not regret my decision. I don't feel the need to justify my choice to anyone and it remains my private choice. I never told my parents or any part my church youth group. I don't have a problem admitting I do sometimes think about how things might be if I had made a different choice. It only validates my original decision. I had to walk through protesters to get into the clinic. The protesters were the scariest part of the entire process so I continue to pray for those misguided people. I have since had a child with my husband. Our daughter will soon turn five. I hope she never ends up in a situation where she is forced to make a choice. I do want her to have the right to choose and to be safe with whatever her decision. "

ddab918 wrote on Feb 5, 2007 8:19 AM:

" It is regrettable that in this day and age that other people want to legislate what I do to my body and whether I can afford or want to spend my life as a mother, regardless of how the circumstance of my pregnancy occurred. We have the medical know-how to do a very humane abortion and that is all that should be debated, not whether you have the right over my body and my life to tell me that I should have an unwanted baby. Human abortions, that is what should be legislated and that is all. "

Humane to whom wrote on Feb 5, 2007 9:22 AM:

" Abortion is killing a child. It's a child not a choice. There is no humane way to kill a child. It is painful to the baby even if it seems humane for the woman. Try seeing an ultrasound of an abortion. The baby actively trys to get away from the instruments. There are other options if you don't want to be a mother. It's called adoption. Why is there such a stigma aginst women giving their babies up for adoption. In this day and age it's no big deal for a woman to be unwed and pregnant. Can't you be "inconveinenced" for nine short months so you don't have to take the life of another who has no say in the matter? We live in a selfish society, it's all about "me". "

Law Maker wrote on Feb 5, 2007 12:07 PM:

" How DARE the government tell women what they can and cannot do! For the sake of consistency, I don't think the government should tell ME what I can and cannot do with my gun, even if it involves shooting other people - it's my body, my gun, my choice. I don't think the government should tell ME that I can't use heroine - it's my body, my choice. And finally, I really don't think the government should tell ME what I can and cannot do with my car, even if I choose to drive 90 mph in a residential neighborhood - it's my body, my car, my choice. And don't even get me started on the new bill that would outlaw spanking!!!! "

Louisa wrote on Feb 5, 2007 1:37 PM:

" Trying to tidy up abortion with a nice-sounding word like "choice" does not change the basic fact that every abortion stops a beating human heart. Human life begins at conception and is a continuum until death--a biological fact often lost in all of the political debate. As Lady Macbeth so poignantly said, "All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand." "

lifelong napan wrote on Feb 5, 2007 2:51 PM:

" A shame we have such vile people convening in Napa. I'm 20, and thanks to their efforts over 1/3 of my generation has been murdered. Abortion is the greatest evil of our time, and has spawned inumberable other problems as well. "

Respect Life wrote on Feb 5, 2007 9:38 PM:

" Did your Mother choose life for you? Aren't you glad she did? "

Judy wrote on Feb 6, 2007 7:34 AM:

" What about pre-choice? Does God not have a word in all this? After all He is the sole CREATOR of LIFE itself. Let us all remember where we came from and where our home will be someday after we leave here. Life is the natural choice! "

Kevin wrote on Feb 6, 2007 8:29 AM:

" "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness," The basic fundamental principles on which this Country was founded. When the Mother's Right in pursuit of happiness conflicts with the Right of life for her offspring, the Right to life obviously has to take precedence... "

HKnight wrote on Feb 6, 2007 12:49 PM:

" As a pro-choice man, I want to tell Judge Not, that I hear your story and I am on your side. You are right. I support you and your daughter. Many people are clueless as to the struggles of women in unintended pregnancy. They have no clue what's going on within. Otherwise, they would not assume they were "selfish", or any other trivial word they have. For women who choose, whatever the choice, it is NEVER about convenience. That is the lie of the anti-abortion side. And as for you, Nobody Reely: "People should be able to choose to use birth control, so as to avoid having to make another choice." I couldn't agree more. Why don't we all fight for contraception access, which WILL prevent abortions, rather than bans, which only create death from women killed in unsafe abortions. That was the world before Roe. We must prevent that. Leave abortion alone. Rather support contraception access and sex education. "

OH WELL wrote on Feb 6, 2007 12:54 PM:

" So much for individual choice and responsibility. It only matters who chooses to be the moral judge. If the individual is not allowed to decide then someones's superior moral code will dictate choice. There is much lip service given to "free to Choose" when it it comes to what money can buy but none when it comes to the individuals control of their own bieng. "

Margaret Crotty wrote on Feb 6, 2007 1:01 PM:

" Mother Teresa of Calcutta prophesized years ago that a nation which destroyed its young was doomed. Look around. "

Raymond wrote on Feb 6, 2007 1:33 PM:

" I was responsible for three abortions,I am the father of three innocent souls whose lives were terminated because they were "in the way". I pray for these childrens souls as I pray for foregiveness for my shameful cowardice. "

Erin wrote on Feb 6, 2007 3:10 PM:

" I think it's sad that this is a pro-choice site- on which only pro-life people choose to comment- and then won't even put a first name to their words. Birth control does NOT always work- that's why there's abortion. I have a friend who is 18 and pregnant because of a faulty condom. Choice starts with birth control, but it does not end there. "

ok Erin wrote on Feb 6, 2007 8:50 PM:

" You could always choose to abstain from having sex if unprepared to deal with a pregnancy. Novel concept, huh? "

thinkaboutit wrote on Feb 7, 2007 10:37 AM:

" Whenever the abortion topic comes up, there will be letters from people who support it and letters from people who are against it. There will be an occasional letter from a woman who had an abortion and feels she did the right thing, and an occasional letter from a woman who regrets her abortion. Yet, in all these years, what I have never read is a letter from someone who wishes that they personally had been aborted. It seems we place a lower value on other people's lives than we place on our own. "

Andi wrote on Feb 7, 2007 11:11 AM:

" ""There is so much today that’s really worrisome,” she told the gathering." I wonder what that would be? I believe that life is the foundation upon which all other rights exist, how could it be otherwise. If we deny that fundamental right to a living being that we know is scientifically understood to be of the human species, could there be anything more "worrisome"? Perhaps not being allowed to act in a way that just serves Self is what is truly "worrisome" to Weddington. "

Anon. wrote on Feb 7, 2007 1:39 PM:

" MUCH research on how an abortion physically and mentally hurts the woman is ignored for political reasons. If women were given ALL the information, less abortions would be 'chosen'. It hurts the mind, body, and soul to kill your own offspring, no matter how many years you try to rationalize it in your own mind. I regret mine forever, and so do millions of other women. "

Theresa wrote on Feb 7, 2007 2:50 PM:

" "I hope I find the words that will be helpful", Weddington thought, it was reported. I hope that I do too. We all want to be helpful. But the way to be helpful is not to lead a woman to abortion. The way to be helpful is not to pressure her for sex in the first place. The way to be helpful is to not judge her once she is pregnant or to mislead her to believe that abortion is the way to solve the problem, when in reality it will cause her anguish. The way to be helpful is not to use her as a pawn to promote your own political motives but to support her and her child, whether she chooses to keep that baby or put her up for adoption. To be helpful is to offer hope. Abortion kills hope, a child, often a relationship between a man and a woman, and sadly too the conscience of a mother. Don't offer abortion. Offer hope. And help. "

momma forever wrote on Feb 7, 2007 3:08 PM:

" I can personally speak for the effect of abortion .It led to the direct result of my poor choices of becoming a protitute and intrevenous drug user . I was also given the opportunity to know a lovely kind hearted physician who went from delivering babies to killing them . I saw her pain as a result of an illigitmate child born to her spouses mistress led to her killing babies .In the end it was the children who suffered because of adult pain.It was her pain that helped me have empathy and understanding why someone would agree to kill a child . No one who chooses to kill the unborn or born is a well minded person . We need to pray they will heal . "

Suzanne wrote on Feb 7, 2007 3:21 PM:

" Hmmm. In the whole article no mention of Ms. "Roe", who is now a pro-life advocate. I guess she no longer fits the agenda. "

Q wrote on Feb 7, 2007 4:44 PM:

" Andi, Where do These fundamental rights come from? "

A loving dad wrote on Feb 7, 2007 5:12 PM:

" It is clear that the so-called "need" for abortion is not due to lack of contraception, but mostly due to lack of self-restraint. It is usually reckless young men, preying on younger girls who prefer the "choice" to not become responsible fathers. Abortion is just one more form of contraception in a thoughtless, degenerate society. Remember: abortion is not an early delivery of a baby-it is making sure the baby is dead before it is removed from the mother. Like most pro-choicers, I just never thought much about how it is really murder. When my niece was born at barely five months of gestation, it was clear that she was a person, as was a boy I met whose father had raped his teen mother. As a society deteriorates to only include as “person" those who we like, all of humanity suffers. I am certain of this, and it really is not that complicated: abortion is murder! "

momma forever wrote on Feb 7, 2007 6:26 PM:

" I forgot to mention a line I tell people is: yes we all have choices .Sometimes we make the wrong one . "

Pro-life young adult wrote on Feb 7, 2007 8:49 PM:

" 150 years ago, slavery was socially acceptable and protected by law, because slaves then, like un-born children now, were considered less than human. 150 years from now, how will we view abortion, and the people who work so hard to protect it? "

kay wrote on Feb 7, 2007 8:50 PM:

" Miss Weddington states 'there is so much today that is really worrisome", could she be referring to the fact that more than half of all marriages end in divorce,or that std's are at a staggering rate or in the uncurtailed violence in the schools. Can any of these society crippling issues be tied to the fact that our great country has made it legal to kill it's most defenseless citizens? "

defenseless wrote on Feb 7, 2007 11:02 PM:

" All countries kill the defenseless that's why we execute people strapped to chairs and gurnys or tie their hands behind their backs to shoot, hang, inject or fry them. Thats' why we condone torture, starvation, illness and any number of evils of the not yet dead and reserve our morality and sympathy for the unborn "

Napa Native wrote on Feb 8, 2007 12:40 AM:

" I would like to see the Catholic church change its position on birth control. It would give a little more credibility to the church's position on abortion. "

to Kay wrote on Feb 8, 2007 12:50 AM:

" Haha, as much as I'd like to think that's what she is worried about, it is unlikely that good ol' Weddington is concerned about any of that; she only cares that the industry of death which she helped to launch will continue unhindered "

To Napa Native wrote on Feb 8, 2007 6:49 AM:

" You wrote: "I would like to see the Catholic church change its position on birth control. It would give a little more credibility to the church's position on abortion." Birth control is the beginning of the abortion mentality. Prevent *it* (as if a baby is a disease or aggressor) and if that doesn't work, then kill *it*. The Catholic Church opposes contraception because its basis is selfish motives. The Catholic Church is the largest proponent for loving faithful sex. Respect between spouses includes respect of a woman's cycle. If the couple does not want to become pregnant then they exercise restraint until her fertile period is past. Abortion and contraception arise when at least one of the couple doesn't respect the other and makes demands on the other. Up until the 1920s no major Christian religion accepted contraception as moral. Interestingly, abortion became more and more prevalent as contraception became more and more accepted. Contraception and the contraceptive mentality leads to abortion. The Catholic Church will never condone either. "

To defenseless wrote on Feb 8, 2007 6:50 AM:

" You are comparing rotten apples to oranges. The unborn are completely INNOCENT! They didn't ask to be conceived and the only ones acting in their defense are pro-lifers. The ones that you are talking about were given a chance to state their defense. They lost and still had a chance for many appeals. By the way, I am pro-life and I am also anti-capital punishment but your comparison is just totally off. "

to to defenseless wrote on Feb 8, 2007 7:44 AM:

" Apples and oranges are fruit and of course you can compare fruits and vegatables etc. If their is a problem comparing the morality of who lives and who dies based on innocence or guilt then simply do not thik about it. "

to defenseless wrote on Feb 8, 2007 10:28 AM:

" Evil men (murderers, traitors, rapists, etc) deserve to be executed, in some cases as a deterrent to crime, or because they are still dangerous to society behind bars, or simply because of justice. little babies are innocent, and have not forfeited their right to life as have mass murderers. "

Sandy wrote on Feb 8, 2007 1:56 PM:

" TO Napa Native: I'll start taking into account what the Catholic Church preaches when they stop protecting pedophile priests. Abortion is legal and it should stay that way. Women who want an abortion will have one no matter what and it should be be done in a safe medical environment and not in some back alley butcher shop. People who oppose abortion are entitled to their opinion but when it comes to my body and what I do with it, that is no one's choice but mine. "

Napa Native wrote on Feb 8, 2007 2:21 PM:

" Preventing birth with birth control is far less of an issue than killing fetuses. Plus, birth control in the form of condoms would greatly reduce the spread of disease in third world countries, and they pay a heavy price in human lives for church policy. In the United States, 80% of Catholics use birth control...check out the book "Catholicism." The Catholic church needs to realize that changes must be made. As for me, this Catholic will continue to work from the inside to do the right thing. "

to "Napa Native" wrote on Feb 8, 2007 3:01 PM:

" What you are asking for will, as someone else mentioned, never happen. The Church will never contradict itself on a profound moral issue such as this one; even though many such as yourself will strive to "change" Church teachings on morality, there are certain things that God will not permit. He ordained the Church to serve as a moral guide for us all, not to mislead us. "

MORALITY? wrote on Feb 8, 2007 5:18 PM:

" Whats God got to do with it? He, She It does not care, does not feel. Humans envent morality and rights they do not exist out side of humanity. Control freaks always need to invoke God's blessing when they wish to impose belief upon others. "

To to Napa Native wrote on Feb 8, 2007 6:39 PM:

" You said, "The Catholic Church is the largest proponent for loving faithful sex." Does that include the priest/alter boy relationship? Give me a break! There is nothing immoral about a married couple deciding not to have children until they are ready and using birth control until such time. "

Les wrote on Feb 8, 2007 7:54 PM:

" The only thing God has guaranteed is that we can make a choice. If we make the wrong choice, we can atone and be forgiven for our mistake. Who among us will cast the first stone? "

ThinkAboutIt wrote on Feb 9, 2007 6:16 AM:

" You need a license to drive a car, to shoot an animal, and even to catch a fish...yet ANYONE can have sex. But having sex and possibly getting pregnant is the ONLY action of those that bring (or can potentially bring) another life into the world. One aspect of the problem is that far too many create a problem before thinking about the consequences of that problem. Abortion is just another easy fix of a selfishly created "problem". "

Martha wrote on Feb 9, 2007 6:45 AM:

" This lawyer should spend some time really talking to the women at Silent No More who regret their abotions. If she really wants to represent women she should listen to all of them. "

Enough Already wrote on Feb 9, 2007 8:11 AM:

" I'm a Napa resident that now chooses to leaves the valley for ALL medical care. I do this as a result of the circumstances I faced dealing with a community dominated by a Catholic hospital when I needed an abortion for medical reasons (pregnancy would have killed me). Anyone in Napa who seeks an abortion will have to leave the county. All you people who claim to to Christians are so quick to judge others and decide what is best for them based on your own RELIGIOUS beliefs. This is the main reason that separation of church and state is important to this country. I had a legal right to medical treatment & services, which is blatantly denied in this county. This is a personal issue for individual women. NOT ALL OF US REGRET OUR DECISION TO ABORT. Get some therapy and stop forcing your views onto others! Its 2007 for goodness sakes! "

To Martha wrote on Feb 9, 2007 8:55 AM:

" I'm not an advocate for abortion, but I will say this. I got pregnant when I was a teenager and went ahead and had the child and gave it up for an adoption. The idea of someone else raising my child has haunted me ever since. I am 43 years old. In my view the only solution is abstinence until married and birth control for couples not ready for children. "

Napa Native wrote on Feb 9, 2007 10:41 AM:

" The Catholic Church will change its position eventually. Science and evolution are now tolerated. We are no longer banned from eating meat on Fridays. And soon, we will be permitted to use birth control because it will reduce the number of abortions and save lives from sexually transmitted diseases, especially in third world countries...which is where the new customers are. "

So Sorry.... wrote on Feb 9, 2007 10:56 AM:

" Close your eyes and imagine your in your mothers womb... a warm, comforting and secure place, the perfect place to grow. Now tell me, what if YOUR mother desided that this was not a good time for her to have you? Wouldn't you want others to save you from death? It should be required to all those who want an abortion to watch the movie clip, "The Silent Scream". At least you will have a visual and truly know what you are doing to your unborn child if you choose to have an abortion. Yes, the right to choose is every womans choice but you need the non-candy coated version as in The Silent Scream. "

TO SANDY wrote on Feb 9, 2007 11:08 AM:

" You wrote: "People who oppose abortion are entitled to their opinion but when it comes to my body and what I do with it, that is no one's choice but mine"...................sorry, but it's not YOUR body...it's not YOUR body they're aborting.;( "

A Professional Journalist wrote on Feb 9, 2007 11:31 AM:

" Well, this point has not been brought up yet--the reporter of this article is clearly biased, and should aim for more neutrality in her work. Professionalism demands it. The pro-abortion slant of the piece undermines her credibility. "

Napan wrote on Feb 9, 2007 12:01 PM:

" Thank God we don't have any abortion mills in our county. "

momma forever wrote on Feb 9, 2007 12:07 PM:

" Society is viewing pregnancy as a negative as if it is a burden . When a young woman is looked upon as if she is nothing when she becomes pregnant and her child will be a burden to her how does this help ?how is offering to kill her child helping ?. She is told she will not be able to support her child , she will not be able to attend school .How is that a postaive ? It is a lie a total lie .It costs actually very little to raise children .I speak as a mother of 6 . It is all possible . Then we have the excuse of its not the right time by young professionals . I'm in midterm at university or I can't make a career move now .Totally selfish reasoning thats it . When a young woman I knew became pregnant at 17yo I told her what a gift she was given and her first and most important job in this world had nothing to do with money its being a mother .She is doing so well in college becoming an accountant etc. there is no way you could ever convince me her child should have been killed . He was her light her hope her gift not her burden what so ever . "

Berkeley Goddess wrote on Feb 9, 2007 1:27 PM:

" Women are powerful and free. There is nothing wrong with abortion. My cat is more alive than any embryo, and we don't care if cats get slaughtered at the animal shelters. "

Sad wrote on Feb 9, 2007 1:39 PM:

" I have a friend who had a fling with an older family friend. She recently had an abortion while her parents thought she was at a sporting event. She knows it was wrong (she's catholic), but did it anyway. I wish she would have talked with her parents first (they dont know). It was too easy to get the abortion done in a nearby county. When I turn 18, I will be voting for more restrictions on abortion. "

Dear To Martha who got pregnant as a teenager, had the child and gave her up for adoption wrote on Feb 9, 2007 1:40 PM:

" I am also 43. I am so sorry for your pain years ago.You made a courageous and selfless decision. I pray you will receive peace knowing that your choice gave a family a dream come true, and life for your precious child. Your sacrifice was noble, exemplary and very mature for a teenager. May God bless you richly. "

Political Thought... wrote on Feb 9, 2007 1:55 PM:

" Why was the Mayor of Napa present at the function??? Maybe we should see that she does not get re-elected next time. It does not appear that she represents most of the voters of Napa... "

Napan wrote on Feb 9, 2007 4:03 PM:

" The mayor is a disgrace, just like "berkeley goddess". How can one living thing be "more alive" than another? And if that is possible, does it justify murder? No one here cares for your crazy opinions, sent to us from berzekeley. "

Hilary for President wrote on Feb 10, 2007 7:27 AM:

" Thank God we live in a "Blue" state. Jesus lovers love talking about how wrong aboriton is. I think they need to take a field trip down to the thousands of group homes of unwanted children. I think they may have a different view. "

susan wrote on Feb 10, 2007 7:01 PM:

" Where in the world do you find "thousands of group homes of unwanted children". Really, please....because I have worked with those kids and can't remember one of them saying they wish they had never been born. Now you may find a society wishing people did not exist--totally different perspective. Go on down and volunteer a little time. I bet you would be surprised by optimism and hope in the little eyes of those innocent children. They certainly are full of life---graditude like I have never seen in any other socioeconomical background. All it takes is a little time and love on your part. "

early abortions wrote on Feb 10, 2007 10:33 PM:

" I have a distant cousin whose great grandparents were strongly against abortion. Of course, this was passed down to their daughter and to their daughter's daughter etc. Two generations of this family have been completely (and I mean *completely*) dependent on welfare. They are bringing babies into the world without any intentions of supporting them. Yet they won't consider abortions. The first mother had seven children and raised none of them herself past the age of about one years old. They were put into foster care or put into the care of relatives. This person's daughter has now had six children, all different fathers, just like her mother. They beat their children, pulled their hair when they were mad at them etc. One of the babies ended out with a bleeding brain, but the mother gave that child away and continued having more. These people are unfit for parenting yet they continue to bring those poor souls into the world. If you witnessed the living conditions of these poor children, it would make you sick. I personally think that these women should have been sterilized because they are unfit to parent. But society, and probably their families, made them think that it was ok to bring a bunch of babies into this world even though they had no intentions of being good caretakers. don't tell me these children are better off born than not. Have you ever traveled to the slum areas of big cities? Many of these women should be discouraged from having children period, even if it means abortion. However, a morning after pill would be more humane. I think that once an embryo develops a working nervous system, abortion is no longer ok. Earlier methods of pregancy detection would be the best solution so that an embryo could be aborted while it's still a microscopic piece of tissue that has not yet developed a nervous system or a sense of pain. I am sickened by what I see out there, and also by people who oppose the morning after pill and other, quick methods of abortion. I would like these people to take a trip into the world of children who have been neglected, who have not been adopted by a loving family etc., to witness the real world of neglected children. "

to political thought wrote on Feb 10, 2007 11:11 PM:

" Dear "Political Thought" who wrote... 'on February 09, 2007 1:55 PM: "Why was the Mayor of Napa present at the function??? Maybe we should see that she does not get re-elected next time. It does not appear that she represents most of the voters of Napa..." Well, do I need to remind you of what happened when all of you religious righteous "rights" used the pulpit to elect "George W. Bush"? What have we now? How many innocent people have been killed because of what your group has collectively done? Are you proud? And you're complaining about embryos who have never even experienced a breathing moment. What about the people who have experienced a breathing moment? Do they not matter to you? I suppose that breathing adults have no value in your world. And now you're threatening to use your collective strength, undoubtedly pulpit strenth, to influence voters? Let me remind you that George W does not value breathing adults. How dare you assume that you know what the majority of Napan's want. People like you scare the heaven out of me. BTW...I do not even know who the mayor of Napa is. But I hope she get's re-elected in spite of your efforts. "

I.T.O.C wrote on Feb 11, 2007 9:48 AM:

" Over 40 Million children murdered because of this woman. This the worst holacaust in the history of the world. More babies have been killed in American than all the Russians, Chinese, Europeans and Jews killed in World War 11. "

Marie wrote on Feb 11, 2007 5:13 PM:

" Doing something wrong never makes a right. The woman who said that everyone who has an abortion regrets having to do it was insightful. It is what you do with regret that is important. Don't encourage others. Healing is possible through organizations like Rachael's Vineyard. Why make every person of low socioeconomic status have forced birth control and abortions, please understand that is not your job. It will never be a perfect world for either side of the issue---better to follow the laws of God in regard to this. Smoking is legal as well, but I don't promote it for the same reason. We are to take care of our bodies given to us by God--follow his law on this. "

Sandra wrote on Feb 12, 2007 10:20 AM:

" To "to political thought", I haven't contributed to this blog yet because I have a variety of feelings on this issue. Having been given away by my biological mother, I couldn't be more grateful I was not aborted. Yet on the other hand, being a woman myself, I know that this is a very private decision. While I do not think if faced with the decision of choosing abortion I would have ever been able to live with that choice, I find myself reluctant to tell another woman what she should do. I would only hope that she would choose to not abort her child, unless there were extreme medical reasons threatening her life. But that being said, I found myself needing to respond to you. Your post on February 10, 2007 11:11 PM, was quite interesting. You somehow managed to inject your hatred of our President into this discussion. And at the end state "BTW...I do not even know who the mayor of Napa is. But I hope she get's re-elected in spite of your efforts." May I suggest to you that this kind of statemant is a reflection on you. It is a reflection of your ability to jump to conclusions with very little knowledge to back them up. I am not a huge fan of our president myself, but to make the weak analogies that you have between him and the issue of abotion is ludicrous, to say the least. I have found that people who make these emotional responses are the least informed of our society, and the most dangerous. "

to Sandra wrote on Feb 12, 2007 11:06 AM:

" Sandra, I will agree that making a statement about electing a mayor in Napa whom I do not even know was probably not necessary. I do stand by my point, though, that we need to value living, breathing people who are already born. We do not value those who are sent off to war in Iraq. If we valued them, we wouldn't be sending them there to risk their lives for a useless cause. Why aren't people using the pulpit to take care of breathing people who are in harms way right now? And if you do not think that the post I responded to wasn't threatening to use the pulpit to manipulate an elected official, then you need to reevaluate your level of critical thinking. Using pulpit strengh in politics is what's dangerous. Our history is filled with tragic wars fed by those using a religious cause to justify their actions. "

To Marie wrote on Feb 12, 2007 11:51 AM:

" I agree with you, in that the Law of God would perfectly solve this problem. But why don't I see any of you picketing the "root" of the problem? Where are protesters that are united against adultery, fornication, and every form of licentiousness that is so common in our culture? removing some of the leaves will never remove the unwanted tree. This is something that rich and poor across the board can afford! "

to answer your question wrote on Feb 12, 2007 12:22 PM:

" I think people of Judeo-Christian principles do address the roots of the problem--even have buildings built (caled churches and synagogues) where people gather weekly to study these roots. They invite others with signs, billboards, revivals, and yes even peaceful protests at theaters, they boycott strip bars,work with the poor,run shelters for women, have gatherings for men such as Promise Keepers to teach them to protect women from these evils, etc. Isn't this when they are accused of being "closed minded, judgemental, or too organized"? "

Any thought will do? wrote on Feb 12, 2007 12:26 PM:

" Only women should make and enforce the laws pertaining to abortion or choice. Quit asking god to bless President Shrub for any reason, while proclaiming not to be infatuated with him. "

To "Any thought will do?" wrote on Feb 12, 2007 2:13 PM:

" By your logic, only the troops would be able to make decisions about Iraq. Suck it up...we live in a society, which means everyone must compromise a little. Don't be so selfish. "

Sandra wrote on Feb 12, 2007 3:16 PM:

" In response to "February 12, 2007 11:06 AM", I also find your statement, "We do not value those who are sent off to war in Iraq. If we valued them, we wouldn't be sending them there to risk their lives for a useless cause.", short sighted and uniformed when referenced to this war against radical muslims. May I suggest you do a search on "Amin al-Husseini nazi", and "al_Banna nazi"? Maybe if you become more informed on what we are facing in Iraq you will begin to understand why this is not a useless cause. "

any thought will do wrote on Feb 12, 2007 4:49 PM:

" So what does iraq have to do with Abortion rights other than it is one? "

Any thought will do. wrote on Feb 12, 2007 4:57 PM:

" One big defense of the anti abortionists is that we may be killing a Mozart or Beethoven; the same logic applies to Sadam Hussien or Hitler. Gee, we’er all just god’s children. This forum is out of hand. "

to the pro-lifers wrote on Feb 12, 2007 11:12 PM:

" What a bunch of patriarchy! Would you have desperate women go back to coat hangers? Women have the right to reproductive choice.Do you intend to help in any way the women you condem for their choice? "

Benjamin wrote on Feb 13, 2007 12:31 AM:

" Okay, ask any abortion survivor if they wish they were aborted. They won't! Ask them, they love life and are greatful to have an opportunity to share in it. If someone says "I wish I was aborted" then you might call them sick, or mentally ill, right? Tell me, any pro-choice advocate: "Do you wish you were aborted?" Benjamin "

I.T.O.C wrote on Feb 13, 2007 8:34 AM:

" Over 40 million babies killed...! "

to to prolifers wrote on Feb 13, 2007 11:37 AM:

" Why is it so hard for so many of the pro-aborts to understand that the reason we are against abortion is not to "keep women in their place" or any such nonsense, but rather because babies have a right to live? "

I am alive and free! wrote on Feb 13, 2007 8:55 PM:

" The unborn and the dead have no rights. Only the living have rights and then only those rights they are successfully able to exercise. The idea that a woman is only a vessel for the not yet living is absurd and leads to their treatment as “the other.” They are made subject to those who would impose their the external morality upon them, rather than allow them the undeniable right to govern their own bodies. "

to to prolife wrote on Feb 13, 2007 11:43 PM:

" I am not pro abort as you say I am pro-choice.I have the right to reproductive choice and what I do with my body is frankly none of your business.At any rate,your hyper-critical patriarchial judgement does not make for a good case. People will not listen when you come off as fanatical. "

Moderate wrote on Feb 14, 2007 11:47 AM:

" The only people that have rights are those that have the power to protect those rights. I'd like to see some liberals fight for the underdog, like they used to in the old days before they got big and elite. "

coigue wrote on Feb 14, 2007 1:13 PM:

" ok erin wrote: "You could always choose to abstain from having sex if unprepared to deal with a pregnancy. Novel concept, huh?" This is really what the pro-lifers are about: punishing people for having sex. Nice way to think of a baby, as punishment. Why else could they possibly be against the HPV vaccination against cervical cancer? "

pro-life wrote on Feb 14, 2007 3:28 PM:

" Yes, you are a pro-abort, like it or not, because you support abortion. You have the right to do what you want with yourself, you do not have the right to kill the child that is growing within you. Human life should be respected. Once we start down the slippery slope, all is lost; witness the efforts of those who wish to legalize the killing of newborn infants or even toddlers. I mean, if you are going to kill, why not take it to the next level and the next? Look at partial-birth abortion. Those are some frightening views espoused by Mr. "I'm alive and free". So according to him, not just unborn babies, but children, the elderly, the sick etc. have no rights and can be disposed of at will. How bestial. Furthermore, no one who is prolife has said anything of "partriarchy" or "punishment for sex", simply that life begins at conception and should be protected. One shouldn't be having sex if unprepared to deal with the natural outcome; a child. "

I.T.O.C. wrote on Feb 14, 2007 3:45 PM:

" 40 million dead babies may be concept too difficult to understand. Lets put it this way...One sweet little huggable cuddly baby girl or boy sucked into a sink lying there bloody, cold and unloved...is one too many! How can one even conceive of such a vicious death? "

make sense prolife wrote on Feb 14, 2007 10:47 PM:

" ...witness the efforts of those who wish to legalize the killing of newborn infants or even toddlers. Can you quote your source? "

alittle reality wrote on Feb 14, 2007 11:40 PM:

" Sorry to burst your pink bubbles but people are going to have sex and unintended pregnacies.They are not all perfect and pure like you all seem to believe you are here. So say you overturn Roe v Wade, all that happens is abortion goes underground again.Do you truly believe it would end differently? "

TO pro-life wrote on Feb 15, 2007 8:01 AM:

" Yes I do have the "right" to an abortion, the law says I do. If the law were to be overturned (which it won't be) women would still get abortions anyway, just less safe ones. You are fighting a battle that you cannot win. If you are against abortion don't have one, but you have no right to inflict your beliefs on the rest of us. "

Napan wrote on Feb 15, 2007 10:47 AM:

" I suppose we should legalize theft, rape, and all other such things; people still do these things despite prohibitions. Maybe crime we be "safer" if we legally sanction it, hmm? "

pro-lifer wrote on Feb 15, 2007 10:58 AM:

" Actually there is a pretty good chance that Roe v. Wade will be overturned, since it is unconstitutional. Yes there were still abortions performed before it was legalized, but far fewer. Of course people will have irresponsible sex, and I never claimed that I was perfect or pure myself, but we can try to be a moral society that promotes virtue and responsibility instead of selfishness and self-indulgence. Just because you messed up doesn't give you the right to kill a child. Anyhow, there are thousands of families out there who wish to adopt, that is always an option for someone who can't/won't take care of their baby. And finally, some pro-death people who are advocating the taking the abortion mindset to it's next logical step: ethicist Peter Singer, who thinks parents should be allowed to kill their children up until age 3 I believe (maybe it's older, I'm not sure), and Barrack Obama (who I'm sure most of you adore), who believes abortionists should be allowed to kill babies which have already been born. "

Moderate wrote on Feb 15, 2007 10:58 AM:

" You have to draw a line somewhere...where should it be? "

Naparube wrote on Feb 15, 2007 11:36 AM:

" Do we need a law to make everything leagl or illegal? "

I surely hope wrote on Feb 15, 2007 2:59 PM:

" that all pro-lifers here support comprehensive sex education for children, that includes all forms of birth control, and the morning after pill. The most effective way to avoid unwanted pregnancies is information, and access to birth control. That's why Lubbock Texas, with abstinance-only curricula-has the nation's highest teen pregnancy and STD rate. "

Look Carefully, Pro-lifers wrote on Feb 15, 2007 3:54 PM:

" Look at the photo: Jill Techel represents a picture of the Republican of the future "

To Prolifer wrote on Feb 15, 2007 8:48 PM:

" Who are you to make judgments on "irresponsible sex," selfishness and morality? People with your mindset are exactly the reason women turn to abortion in the first place. At age 18, I made the decision to place my newborn for adoption, although nearly 10 years later I am married to the father of this child. My life in no way constitutes "messing up," or any of the other judgmental and self-righteous claims you callously made. I have regretted my decision frenquently over the years and actually wished I had an abortion, in order to avoid the humiliation, invasion of privacy, and implication that I was somehow unfit to be a parent because of my "irresponsibility." My point is that young women, regardless of background, face insurmountable challenges. Your statement is a blatant representation of society's sterotyping of unmarried pregnant young women, and the very reason that abortion is so prevalent. "

Dr. Faustus wrote on Feb 15, 2007 10:43 PM:

" You cannot address abortion without addressing those issues that drive abortion. It’s reasonable to assume that the majority of pro-lifers are Christians with politically conservative values. While moral arguments regarding abortions are compelling, they cannot be the only platform upon which to make a case against abortions. A conservative Christian loses all moral ground when they rail against abortion, but support socio-economic policies that create an environment where abortions become a viable option. No abortions – and no universal health care. No abortions – and no living wages. No abortions – welfare to work (and no daycare.) No abortions – and no public transportation. No abortions – and no free universities. These contradictions make your arguments that we’re killing “geniuses,” “scientists,” and “doctors,” that much more disturbing and laughable. You want to benefit from these potential persons but want no part in helping to form, support, and help with their future – that’s not your problem. It would be difficult to find a clearer example of such tragic irony. "

prolifer wrote on Feb 16, 2007 12:13 AM:

" So what you're saying is that a woman is justified in killing her baby in order to feel good about her self-image? To quote Mother Teresa: "It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." And I beg to differ with you on your last statement. I believe abortion is prevalent in our society due to the moral and social decay of the last 40 years or so. We truly live in a "me-first, if it feels good do it, etc" culture, and with abortion being pushed as simply another medical procedure the result is as inevitable as it his horrific. For me the whole issue ultimately comes down to this: respect for God's law (thou shalt not kill) and respect for the law of the land, embodied in the U.S. Constitution. That document clearly gives primacy to the right to life, ahead of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. No one has the right to take the life in another in pursuit of their version of happiness. "

I.T.O.C. wrote on Feb 16, 2007 9:30 AM:

" I have nothing against abortionists. Soon they will die out because they will have destroyed their own gene pools. This is a good thing. Realistically, people who do voluntary genetic cleansing are doing it for a reason. They alone know that their families dark secrets must never be allowed to perpetuate. They are doing society a favor. But we must fear for the living children of pro choice women. They have to live with the fact that their lives have no value to their mothers and could easily have been ended at their mother’s whim. "

to ITOC wrote on Feb 16, 2007 11:59 AM:

" Ignorance and fear is what makes your argument sound so ridiculous.My children are fine but I am not so sure about you.You may find imposing your will on women in 2007 next to impossible. Someone said it eariler, if you don't want an abortion don't have one,end of story. "

Humanist wrote on Feb 16, 2007 12:42 PM:

" We live in the 21st century in an overpopulated world where the Catholic Church preaches abstinence instead of promoting safe sex. People will have sex no matter what, so why not use current technology (condoms, birth control etc) to prevent AIDS and unwanted pregnancies. Prevention is better than cure. Regarding the abortion issue, women should be able to make their own choices as they always have, only now we have much safer methods of making the choice a reality. "

clarifiation wrote on Feb 17, 2007 9:07 AM:

" To you who are quick to judge Catholics let me explain that at marrigae we enter a convenent with God (not a contract-in a covenent we are assured that God will never abandon us as a couple and He never does).Our bodies cease to be our own, but one with each other and one with God (talk about thrilling!). Abortion is not something we have to stay awake and wrestle with a decision about because we made that decision long before that on that glorious day when we gave everything to Him. We decided that natural family planning will help us to hear His voice as a couple (sometimes we follow the guidelines tightly and sometimes loosely depending on what is going on in our life) and we regret no act of love made.We surrender to the love of Christ and it is intoxicating. It spills over into our life in ways you would not believe. We hear His voice saying, "Feed the poor, take care of the sick, console the sad,etc.". This is good news!!!for the world. So that is our message.You may say, "blah, blah, blah"-no one does that-but yes we do! We invite you to this banquet as well. "

by the way wrote on Feb 17, 2007 11:26 AM:

" People are going to steal no matter what so why make it a law? And by the way isn't a church that says it is wrong way out of line? Pardin me, but that is what you sound like. "

do some research wrote on Feb 18, 2007 5:55 PM:

" Norma McCorvey was the Roe of Roe vs Wade. She doesn't mind her name being used now, especially because she has experienced a wonderful conversion and is happy now that she is exposing the truth about abortion. Norma was guided to say that she was raped so the case would have a better chance of making it to the Supreme Court. Seems Sarah Weddington will do anything for her 15 minutes of fame. I don't know if I would be smiling so big at a luncheon if I were her. "

Moderate wrote on Feb 18, 2007 7:28 PM:

" I would like to see somebody sue the Catholic church for their policies in a court of law. Through international treaties and agreements, we could have a serious impact of the world. "

yeah Moderate wrote on Feb 19, 2007 12:06 AM:

" Ah, good old anti-Catholicism, the last socially acceptable prejudice. "

Moderate wrote on Feb 21, 2007 11:52 AM:

" It's not prejudice...the simple fact is that many catholic policies have had a detrimental effect on modern civilization. Just as a murderer should be put on trial for his crimes, so should a church that kills millions in the third world by not permitting the use of condoms. Adapt or pay the price. "

to moderate wrote on Feb 21, 2007 6:17 PM:

" I saw a cartoon lately that helped me understand this point. The center for disease control recommends a ton of precautions for dealing with contagious diseases--gloves, masks, gowns, etc. Have you been to the dentist lately? To protect themselves they are now wearing a shield over their face, wrapping the part of the light that they adjust in a disposable material that can be thrown away. It takes them forever to cover everthing. Now you are going to give a teenager a flimsy condom and feel secure about your daughter not catching something? Oh please, maybe the Church has to protect you from yourself. Abstinence is the truth. Truth is truth. "

to Moderate wrote on Feb 21, 2007 9:05 PM:

" I would say that it is attitudes like yours that have done and continue to do true damage to society. "

to: moderate wrote on Feb 21, 2007 11:48 PM:

" So you want to persecute people for their beliefs? The Catholic Church does not force anyone to accept its precepts, this is not the middle ages any more. "

Wages wrote on Feb 22, 2007 10:17 AM:

" Someone has turned this into an anti-catholic rant. It is turn away from the truth that the real issue is the murder of 43 million babies by their mothers! Guilt is a powerful motivator. "

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