# "Jane Roe" wants Roe vs Wade overturned **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 17, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556 "2003-06-17T21:48:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/21 "2003-06-18T03:05:17Z")
Regardless of her feelings today, they are irrelevant to the merits of the 1973 case. As the Supreme Court said in PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SOUTHEASTERN PA. v. CASEY (1992): > [@](#): > > No evolution of legal principle has left Roe’s doctrinal footings weaker than they were in 1973. No development of constitutional law since the case was decided has implicitly or explicitly left Roe behind as a mere survivor of obsolete constitutional thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/22 "2003-06-18T03:41:05Z")
Just ot of curiosity, has her child ever spoken out on the abortion issue? Is it even known where the child is now? Now _that_ would be a fascinating interview. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/23 "2003-06-18T04:21:25Z")
How interesting and ironic…women who regret having gotten pregnant have the choice to change their minds, but the woman who brought about that right can’t act on her regret… ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/24 "2003-06-18T04:40:27Z")
The Norma McCorvey situation is doubly ironic…not only did the woman whose case guaranteed abortion rights not win that case until it was too late to abort, she eventually jumped the fence and joined the other camp. Objectively, her turnaround on the abortion issue is no more significant than any other woman’s change of opinion on the subject. It only seems so to our subjective viewpoint because of her connection to the case. Incidentally, she’s been pro-life for years. It’s only her bringing her case to repeal the ruling that’s news here. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/25 "2003-06-18T05:29:34Z")
Staunch pro-lifer. It’d sure be nice to see Roe overturned (and I really do think it WILL be, someday), but I don’t think this particular scenario is how it will come about. We don’t have the Supreme Court for it … Yet 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/26 "2003-06-18T06:21:10Z")
And may whatever god is actually in charge of things grant never… ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/27 "2003-06-18T11:58:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmkeller \* > …women who regret having gotten pregnant have the choice to change their minds, but the woman who brought about that right can’t act on her regret… Sure she can act on her regret. She can protest and speak and pray all she wants. But she can’t show up 30 years later and demand that the courts destroy firmly-established constitutional principles simply because she has changed her mind about where she stands. ---
**Author:** ![jeevmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@jeevmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevmon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/28 "2003-06-18T13:04:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Huerta88 \* > \*\*Well . . . careful with that one. > > On that same rationale, the S.C. could arguably have declined jurisdiction for want of a live case or controversy between the plaintiff and defendant at the time the case was before the Court for decision. \*\* Well, possibly. I’m a bit far removed from my constitutional law classes (six years and counting), but I seem to recall that a case or controversy doesn’t become moot if it arises from a situation that is capable of repetition while evading review. Pregnancy/ abortion would be the classic case. There’s at most a nine month time frame in which to work. If birth mooted the case, appellate review of laws relating to pregnancy would effectively be foreclosed, since no case gets up that quickly unless it involves a pending and undecided Presidential election. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/29 "2003-06-20T19:07:17Z")
> [@](#): > > A federal district court has dismissed a request by the former plaintiff known as “Jane Roe” to reconsider the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion 30 years ago. > > Norma McCorvey, who joined the anti-abortion fight 10 years ago, filed the “motion for relief from judgment” Tuesday, asking the court to reopen Roe v. Wade and conduct a wide-ranging inquiry into scientific and anecdotal evidence she says shows abortion hurts women. > > The court dismissed McCorvey’s request late Thursday, saying it wasn’t made within a “reasonable time” after the 1973 judgment. [http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/apwire/story.cfm?xla=apwire&xlb=1&xlc=1013380&xld=1](http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/apwire/story.cfm?xla=apwire&xlb=1&xlc=1013380&xld=1) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/30 "2003-06-20T21:51:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lissa \* > Jumping ship to the “other side” isn’t uncommon. I’ve read that the woman who founded MADD now works for Anheiser-Busch, lobbying for lower drunk-driving penalties. May we get a cite on that, please? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/31 "2003-06-20T22:16:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*May we get a cite on that, please? \*\* While it’s not A-B…it’s close enough. > [@](#): > > The Beer Wholesalers Institute, a trade group representing 3,200 distributors across the United States, in February hired an unlikely adviser to its board: **Cindi Lamb, a founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)** who lost her seven-year-old child to a drunk driver. [http://www.unhooked.com/sep/alcindus.htm](http://www.unhooked.com/sep/alcindus.htm) ---
**Author:** ![ElJeffe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ElJeffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElJeffe)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/32 "2003-06-20T22:28:17Z")
As someone who’s weekly pro-choice but strongly federalist, I would love to see RvW overturned. It was one of the worst examples of legislating from the bench, and abortion should be something that’s up to the state. That being said, Ms. Roe doesn’t have a chance in hell, and I think this is a stupid and frivalous way to try and get the ruling changed. Jeff ---
**Author:** ![ElJeffe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ElJeffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElJeffe)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/33 "2003-06-20T22:38:44Z")
That should read “weakly pro-choice”, not “weekly”. Somewhat different meaning. Heh. Jeff ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/34 "2003-06-21T00:08:34Z")
Thanks, but that’s certainly a far cry from “campaigning to lessen drunk driving penalties.” ---
**Author:** ![Guybud5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Guybud5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guybud5)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/35 "2003-06-21T03:38:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SnoopyFan \* > \*\*Staunch pro-lifer. It’d sure be nice to see Roe overturned (and I really do think it WILL be, someday), but I don’t think this particular scenario is how it will come about. > > We don’t have the Supreme Court for it … > > Yet 🙂 \*\* It’ll be so nice when women can bleed to death by vaccum cleaner, back room abortions like they did in the lovely years before Roe vs. Wade… Oh for the good ole days. Not that it will come to this. In our world, its much more ethical to force women to endure the pregnancy so they can leave the baby in a trash filled dumpster like Yahweh intended. Wait… I forgot… he doesn’t care about the sinners who got pregnant in the first place anyway. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/36 "2003-06-21T16:41:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guybud5 \* > \*\*It’ll be so nice when women can bleed to death by vaccum cleaner, back room abortions like they did in the lovely years before Roe vs. Wade… Oh for the good ole days. > \*\* I’m really getting tired of this. How many times must this old chestnut be trotted out? [The myth of massive back alley abortion deaths](http://www.roevwade.org/illegalmyths.html) ---
**Author:** ![Tekneek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Tekneek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tekneek)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/37 "2003-06-21T16:49:46Z")
Pro-Lifer, eh? I hope you have a consistent opinion on the death penalty, as well. I am so tired of THAT contradiction. It doesn’t matter what this woman says she wants today. That does not change the law of the land. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/38 "2003-06-21T17:14:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tekneek \* > **Pro-Lifer, eh? I hope you have a consistent opinion on the death penalty, as well. I am so tired of THAT contradiction.** Wow, let’s just keep those chestnuts rolling. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/39 "2003-06-21T17:25:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bob Cos \* > \*\*Wow, let’s just keep those chestnuts rolling. \*\* lesse here now… Yer a bunch of misogynists…yeah that’s it! (with small penises to boot!!) There are no anti choice women. If there are…they’re under some mind control thing from their repressive husband. You only care about life INSIDE the womb…once it’s born you could care less. And of COURSE you only care about the birth mother so far as she is an incubation chamber. You could give a shit about her otherwise. How am I doing so far? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_Hicks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Ben\_Hicks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben_Hicks)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556/40 "2003-06-21T17:38:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Pro-Lifer, eh? I hope you have a consistent opinion on the death penalty, as well. I am so tired of THAT contradiction. > > It doesn’t matter what this woman says she wants today. That does not change the law of the land. I’m pro-life and anti the death penalty…except when used judiciously against people who exhume tired Chestnut ‘arguments’. I’m happy with my level of consistency. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jane-roe-wants-roe-vs-wade-overturned/182556.md?page=3)