Keeping Silent on Abortion
Judge Irving Kaufman hit the nail on the head when he said about Roe vs. Wade: “Constitutional meaning is dynamic, not static. And the Constitution has passed to a new generation of Americans whose conception of freedom includes at least some inviolable sphere of private choice” (Commentary, Sept. 20).
Because it is virtually certain that Roe will be overturned, Congress should be looking for an abortion solution that approximates the public mind. Nearly 70% of Americans support a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy, whereas related issues such as federally funded abortions, fetal viability, parental notification and whether individuals would themselves seek abortions leave Americans about evenly split.
The key constitutional issue in Roe vs. Wade is American self-determination, our absolute right to amend laws in accordance with the realities of a dynamic society. Congress has failed the American people on abortion by showing little stomach to take a high-profile position on a high-profile issue, opting instead to keep the focus on the courts.
MICHAEL A. SCOTT
Glendora
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