Abortion

This book focusses on the evolution of the law and medical practice of abortion in England.

David Boonin has written the most thorough and detailed case for the moral permissibility of abortion yet published. Critically examining a wide range of arguments that attempt to prove that every human fetus has a right to life, he shows that each of these arguments fails on its own terms. He then explains how even if the fetus does have a right to life, abortion can still be shown to be morally permissible on the critic of abortion's own terms.

Tatalovich (political science, Loyala U.) continues his studies on moral conflicts in public policy by examining the differences and similarities by which Canadian and US governments, political parties, and activists have addressed the issue of abortion. He discusses the history of the conflict since the 1950s, judicial activism and legislative responses, public opinion, party politics and elections, and federalism and the implementation problem. Having proposed models of a politicized America and depoliticized Canada, he concludes by comparing social convergence and institutional divergence. Paper edition (418-7) $21.95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The history of abortion decriminalization and critical advocacy efforts to improve access in Canada deserve to be better known. Ordinary people persevered to make Canada the most progressive country in the world with respect to abortion care. But while abortion access is poorly understood, so too are the persistent threats to reproductive justice in this country: sexual violence, gun violence, homophobia and transphobia, criminalization of sex work, reproductive oppression of Indigenous women and girls, privatization of fertility health services, and the racism and colonialism of policing and the prison system. This beautifully illustrated book tells the empowering true stories behind the struggles for reproductive justice in Canada, celebrating past wins and revealing how prison abolitionism is key to the path forward.

In the spring of 1970, seventeen women set out from Vancouver in a big yellow convertible, a Volkswagen bus, and a pickup truck. They called it the Abortion Caravan. Three thousand miles later, they “occupied” the prime minister’s front lawn in Ottawa, led a rally of 500 women on Parliament Hill, chained themselves to their chairs in the visitors’ galleries, and shut down the House of Commons, the first and only time this had ever happened. The seventeen were a motley crew. They argued, they were loud, and they wouldn't take no for an answer. They pulled off a national campaign in an era when there was no social media, and with a budget that didn't stretch to long-distance phone calls. It changed their lives. And at a time when thousands of women in Canada were dying from back street abortions, it pulled women together across the country.

Although abortion was officially decriminalized in the United States by the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, perspectives on abortion have always been, and remain today, radically different from state to state and person to person. Religion, access to birth control, the development of women's health care, and institutions such as Planned Parenthood are all at play in the public understanding of abortion. With recent changes in the Supreme Court causing uncertainty for the future of abortion access, the debate between pro-choice and pro-life advocates blazes on. Through this collection of articles, readers will discover stories of women's individual experiences, public protests, and groundbreaking U.S. legislation.

Abortion is a widely debated topic. Some people view abortion as murder, while others argue that abortion is necessary for the survival of women. Readers will be looking at both sides of the argument as this volume explores the deeply polarizing subject.