The Extraordinary Woman Behind Abortion Legalization in Usa

One of the most contested issues in the USA is abortion. It is a great vote catcher for politicians and has the power to make or unmake political careers. Though technically and medically abortion means any pregnancy not resulting in live birth, it is induced abortion by human intervention what is the hot issue.

In 1973, the US Supreme court ruled that a Texas law, which made abortion illegal except when it saved the life of the mother, was unconstitutional and abortion became legal in all 50 states of USA.

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The Real Identity of the Mother in Roe v. Wade

Norma Leah Nelson, now Norma McCorvey, a part Cajun, part Cherokee Indian girl was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. Her TV repairman father was not very close to her. Her website tells of her current status, beliefs and activity.

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Extraordinary Life Story of Norma McCorvey or Jane Roe

Norma’s background and life story is extraordinary. With a fortune-teller prostitute for a grandmother and a raving alcoholic for a mother, her role models were extraordinary.  

Norma is raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, lives at home and works at a gas station. Suddenly at 10, she steals money from the gas station to run away from home. This lands her in reform school.

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A nun and another male relative from her mother’s side rape her. To escape her lot, at 16 she marries Woody McCorvey, an unsettled steel worker. He turns out to be violent and beats her. Then Norma comes home to mummy to give birth and raise her child. Mummy tricks her daughter’s custody from her. Years of alcohol and drug abuse follow. Another pregnancy by another man and the father raises the child. Norma moves on.

 At 21, she becomes pregnant again by yet another man. Two lawyers, wanting to challenge Texas’s anti-abortion laws put her in the centre of Roe v. Wade using the name of Jane Roe. On 22nd January 1973, the Supreme Court rules that abortion is legal in all 50 US states.

Jane Roe Becomes a Lesbian

Norma meets her lesbian partner Connie Gonzales, when she catches Norma shoplifting groceries. They live together for over two decades and give newspaper interviews about their lives.

Then she writes her autobiography I am Roe. Some people shoot at her house in 1989 and try to kill her. She escapes to Northern California alone for a year. Coming back, she gives up drugs and they get steel plated front doors.

Jane Roe Becomes a Catholic and Joins Pro-Life

In 1995, Norma meets Rev. Phillip Benham of Operation Rescue and reverses her position on abortion, stops advocating pro-choice and joins the Pro-life camp. She joins the Roman Catholic Church on a nationally broadcast TV event and stops being a lesbian. 

Jane Roe’s reversal is very embarrassing for the pro-life camp. Linda Coffee, who along with Sarah Weddington represented the plaintiff’s in the Roe v. Wade case explains that “Perhaps she may have felt left out by some of the pro-choice groups in connection with the ongoing debate.”  This seems to echo in Norma McCorvey’s (Jane Roe) own statement “They could have been nice to me instead of treating me like an idiot,” she said and added that she now prays for pro-choice leaders.

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Abortion Debate Rages on Constantly

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Currently, about 45-55% support and 40-49% oppose abortion in the US (depends on the poll). The main argument for pro-life is religious and the concept of fetal right is primary. The core supporters are Christian fundamentalists and many may typically oppose Euthanasia, gay and lesbian rights, human cloning and human embryonic stem cell research but often paradoxically tolerate death penalty.

The pro-choice movement sees abortion as being under reproductive rights, women’s rights and larger issues of improving life situations and eradicating poverty through education, supporting parent’s right to birth planning, larger population control initiatives and efforts to control epidemics like HIV.

Arguments on both sides are equally serious and weighty. The issues are extremely complex with far reaching consequences and the debate rages hot.

Ironically, Jane Roe or Norma McCorvey never had an abortion.