Roe v. Wade: Fighting for a right

The 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade -- the seminal court decision legalizing abortion in this country -- was Tuesday, but the battle to protect that right continues on many fronts, locally and nationally. Those who want women's access to abortion repealed have been working hard to chip away at it.

States have used parental consent, waiting periods and even demanding that women get ultrasounds done (in an attempt to dissuade them from proceeding) to make it as difficult as possible for women to have access to the procedure. Another tactic at play -- in our state -- is to not only declare abortions illegal, but to categorize hormonal form of birth control as abortive agents, starting with emergency contraception. Commonly called Plan B, it prevents the fertilization of an egg; it does not abort an already fertilized one.

National Public Radio reports anti-choice activists in more than half a dozen states are seeking constitutional amendments (aka Human Life Amendments), declaring that an egg is defined as human life as soon as it is fertilized. Pro-choice advocates argue (rightly so) that in addition to making abortion illegal, these amendments could limit women's access to birth control, which prevents an egg from being released and/or fertilized.

The amendment hasn't had any traction in Congress, but anti-choice activists are pushing ahead, state by state. Hopefully, people in states such as Colorado and Georgia, where these amendments are in play, will realize that a woman's legal rights are what they ought to be fighting for.