I read the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling to see what we lost. Everyone should | Francine Prose

What I admire most is how the ruling, at once profound and lyrical, describes the atmosphere surrounding the issue of abortion. It is beautiful

As one more reminder of what we've lost, the text of the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling is unlikely to console us. Even so, I recommend downloading the pdf. In the wake of its overturning, this beautifully written document - which reads like a long form essay - is not only interesting in itself but now seems like another sign of how much has changed over the last half century, in this case for the worse.

Drafted by Justice Harry Blackmun, the ruling includes a clear and persuasive summary of the history of abortion law. At the time of the adoption of our Constitution, and throughout the major portion of the 19th century, a woman enjoyed a substantially broader right to terminate a pregnancy that she does in most States today." It tracks the centuries-old debate over when life begins, and dismisses the argument that a fetus is a person guaranteed the protections afforded US citizens. Throughout, it strikes us as the careful explication and clarification of a law, of legal precedent, unlike Justice Alito's ruling in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health, which seems more like an expression of religious conviction masquerading as an unbiased interpretation of the constitution.