“Jane Roe” Arrested Outside Sotomayor’s Supreme Court Hearing
Posted by: Jessica Wakeman
Filed in:
news
6:30AM, Tuesday July 14th 2009
Norma McCorvey, the woman who served as the plaintiff in the Roe vs. Wade decision which effectively legalized abortion across America, was arrested today with anti-abortion protesters outside of Sonia Sotomayor‘s Supreme Court confirmation hearing. Capitol Police told That Washington Post that McCorvey and her pro-life cohorts made it into the chambers of the confirmation hearing and started yelling during Sen. Al Franken’s opening remarks.
As a divorced 21-year-old mother with an unwanted pregnancy, McCorvey sought an abortion in Texas at the same time lawyer Sarah Weddington was looking for a pregnant woman to represent so she could challenge the state’s laws against abortion. McCorvey, who was protected by the pseudonym “Jane Roe” in the lawsuit, ended up carrying her pregnancy to term and giving the baby up for adoption. But Weddington’s lawsuit went all the way to the Supreme Court and eventually became the “Roe vs. Wade” decision. In 1995, McCorvey wrote publicly about her true identity when she published the memoir, I Am Roe: My Life, Roe vs. Wade, And Freedom Of Choice.
But McCorvey, who is now 61, turned sharply against abortion later in her life and has become a public face of the anti-choice movement. In 2007, she appeared in the documentary “I Was Wrong,” and she speaks passionately against freedom of choice and regrets that she inadvertently became the impetus for the abortion movement. [The Washington Post]
TheFrisky.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network
shannac02
wrote on July 14 2009 @ 06:49 am: [report]
My personal beliefs aside, I do think its quite interesting that she has done a full 180 in how she perceives right to choose… I’d love to see that documentary, probably going to netflix it…
I’d also love to know if McCorvey has any female children and how they feel about the right to choose… Interesting, interesting…
Good Coverage! Way to go Jessica!!!!
alexwriterly
wrote on July 14 2009 @ 07:22 am: [report]
I did not know that. Really interesting.
bumbler
wrote on July 14 2009 @ 07:32 am: [report]
It seems a little disconcerting that she changed her mind later in life when she had less of a chance of an unwanted pregnancy. Not to diminish the opinions of those who don’t have a horse in the race but it does seem somewhat convenient.
joyy
wrote on July 14 2009 @ 08:04 am: [report]
Ah yes, because forcing your way into somewhere you’re not allowed to be and then disturbing the peace is SO effective in getting people who disagree with you to change their minds.
McCorvey should move to AZ - apparently our governor just signed anti-abortion bills the other day requiring a 24-hour waiting period for abortion (despite the fact that some state residents have to drive 2-5 hours each way to even get to the provider office in the first place) and expanding laws allowing pharmacists and other practitioners to refuse to do things that are, you know, part of the job the signed up for, on religious OR MORAL grounds. Talk about revoking freedom and putting a bureaucrat between doctor and patient ...
tattooed_redhead
wrote on July 14 2009 @ 08:12 am: [report]
@ joyy - you *can’t* be serious! How can he get away with something like that? Here in Canada we have a Charter of Rights & Freedoms that is law, and no provincial premier can pass any laws that violate it, like those ones you just described most certainly do! Don’t you guys have something like it? Or are your civil liberties more ephemeral? I’m not being sarcastic (I just reread and was afraid I’m coming off that way), I’m really asking. Isn’t there a national ‘standard’, if you will, of codified civil liberties? Or did Dubya get rid of them all? (ok, that was sarcasm. Sort of.)
joyy
wrote on July 14 2009 @ 08:30 am: [report]
@tattooed-redhead - welcome to states’ rights. A good thing in general, but the state I’m in is run by pretty staunch conservatives with truly effed up priorities (no automatic offense meant to anyone playing for the red team, my state leg. just happens to be on crack right now). Abortions are still legal, but to get one in AZ, you now just have to jump through more hoops. Oh, and my governor is a SHE, not a HE. Lovely, ain’t it?
saramarie
wrote on July 14 2009 @ 09:02 am: [report]
Wow this is incredibly interesting…not only did I never know the whole story/person behind “Roe”, but I never knew she did a complete 180. Would be interesting to track down the child she gave up for adoption to see how they feel about everything….
carolee7
wrote on July 14 2009 @ 09:32 am: [report]
@shannac02 —On netflix, she’s also in the documentary Lake of Fire, which is pretty interesting—it covers both sides of the abortion debate and has some.. colorful characters giving their opinions.