While our team was sifting through some old archives this week, we stumbled across an article from our founder, Dr. Willke.
Though written in 2006, this blast from the past is as relevant today as it was the day he wrote it and we wanted to once again share the wisdom of Dr. Willke:
If Roe is Corrected
What will happen if Roe and Doe were actually reversed? More than two-thirds of the states have legally repealed their pre-Roe laws or have amended them to conform to these two decisions. Only four states have enacted post-Roe laws that would prohibit some or most abortions throughout pregnancy. Federal courts have declared three of these, Louisiana, Rhode Island, and Utah, unconstitutional. If the feds were removed from this picture, they would probably again be able to protect preborn life. South Dakota has just enacted a trigger statute, which will go into effect if Roe and Doe are overturned.
Of the less than one-third of the states that have not repealed their pre-Roe laws, most would be ineffective in preventing abortions, either through their direct language, by court interpretation, or would allow abortion because of mental health. These include Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, Alabama and New Mexico. State constitutional limitations in MA, MS, NY, NM, VT, AZ and WV would likely allow abortion.
In summation, only 7 states – Louisiana, Michigan, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Arkansas – would have laws that are probably enforceable if Roe and Doe were overturned. These states account for less than 10 percent of the total population of the United States. ln the balance of the states and the District of Columbia, abortion would remain legal, probably throughout pregnancy.
These rather grim facts cause a great deal of dismay to many pro-life people. Some may throw their arms up and in effect say, “All of this work for all of these years, and now we still don’t have much.” Let’s hope that it does not discourage pro-lifers for, in fact, reversal of these Supreme Court decisions would be a marvelous and momentous happening. It would be the absolutely essential first major step in returning protection to the unborn. For without it, we have only been able to make small, incremental advances for the past 33 years. If Roe is reversed, the federal courts will finally be removed from the equation. Then the decision goes back to the voters, to the people in each individual state. Laws can be passed and state constitutions can be changed to protect the unborn.
Some states, particularly in the South and Midwest, would undoubtedly pass new laws within the next year or two, substantially or almost totally protecting the unborn. Other states would narrow the time abortion can be done from 9 months down to three. Others would pass more protective legislation such as spousal consent, age limitation, or more stringent requirements for abortionists. These would reduce the number of abortions. In some states there would be roadblocks such as a pro-abortion Speaker of the House who would bottle up a protective bill. But that situation might only be temporary until the next election. He might be replaced and the will of the public would truly govern. Finally, of course, there would be states, on the east and west coasts particularly, that would retain state-paid abortion-on-demand. Yes, they could become a Mecca for abortion to those living in states with protective laws, but that is a far better situation than what we have now. This will not happen overnight. It will take time, but then time is on our side, because then the law will be a great teacher.
Protective laws, pro-abortion activists argue, would only drive abortions underground; women would bleed and become infected from back alley abortions, and that abortion would still be the order of the day. That didn’t happen in Poland after a national pro-life law was enacted and caused abortion to basically end. Yes, there were some women who crossed the borders, but basically none of the dire predictions materialized. I would predict the same would happen in the United States. Slowly our population would be reeducated, not just to the fact that abortion is wrong, or that it hurts women. Americans will slowly but surely see the advantages to ending abortion and once again respecting innocent human life. Our culture has suffered beyond comprehension because of this disrespect for human life. The abortion culture has infected everything it has touched. Slowly this would dissipate.
Then our ultimate goal could be realized. There would be an ample majority in enough states to persuade Congress to see the necessity of protecting all unborn life. Then, someday in the foreseeable future, Congress would pass a federal human life amendment and there would be enough states to ratify it.
This would be the end of the story. Your author does not expect to live to see this, but his children probably will. However, the key that must be turned in the lock to begin this process is the reversal of Roe vs Wade.
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