Roe VS Wade, The Symbol

A few days ago when Eric Alterman said:

...the Roberts nomination seems to mean we should plan on saying goodbye to thirty-two years of life under "Roe," which is not entirely a bad thing, even for pro-choice advocates. After all, Bush did terrific with unmarried women without college educations. It would be helpful, politically (and democratically) for them to learn just what it was they were voting for. There's a much longer argument to be made here, about how judicially-created and enforced liberalism has weakened its cause and alienated its potential supporters while not gaining terribly much in real world terms.

it started a firestorm among the Pro Choice people. Alterman suggested that the impact of overturning Roe VS Wade would be minimal. In USA Today Laura Vanderkam makes the same point.

I don't know whether the Supreme Court, with Roberts, will overturn Roe. I do know it won't matter much if it does.

You see, for all the rights rhetoric, abortion is not an abstract concept. It's a medical procedure requiring a doctor willing to perform it. In states where abortion is frowned upon -- the states likely to ban abortion if Roe is overturned -- abortion providers are already more rare than purple Volkswagen Beetles. Most abortion providers, understandably, prefer to practice in states where people support them, i.e., states where abortion won't be banned.

This reality means that however much energy is spent on Supreme Court nominee battles, a Roe reversal wouldn't change the country's total number of abortion providers much. In fact, a year after Roe is overturned, it would be the rare woman who would notice any difference in her life at all.

I'm sure this will re-kindle the firestorm.


Roe VS Wade is a symbol with little practical impact after 30 years. It is a symbol to both the Pro-Choice and the Anti Abortion factions. While symbols are important they come with a cost. The cost of Roe VS Wade has been very high for the rest of the progressive/liberal agenda because the Republicans have turned the symbol into victories and firm control of the federal government while the Democrats have been unable to take advantage of the symbol . The cost of Roe VS Wade includes a war in Iraq, the bankruptcy bill and tax cuts for the very wealthy. OK, I'm not a woman so I can't understand the importance of the symbol but I can understand the cost of that symbol to all Americans. If Roe VS Wade is overturned the Republicans will lose the symbol that put them in power. Roe VS Wade was important 30 years ago but it's done it's job so the impact of it being overturned will be slight to the pro choice movement. If it is overturned the Social Conservatives will finally be able to feast on the Republican's carrot and they will find it isn't nearly as nourishing is they had thought it would be.