Roe v Wade. The Mississippi Challenge Now Before the Supreme Court

  On December 1, 2021 the Supreme Court heard arguments on the Mississippi law that would effectively gut Roe vs Wade, the 1973 decision that guaranteed a woman’s right to an abortion. This podcast discusses those arguments and some of the issues surrounding that case.  There is a discussion of Roe and also of Casey, the Supreme Court case that allowed modifications of Roe.  There is a discussion of some constitutional principles, of data on abortion, and of public opinion on the issues.  There is also a summary of the arguments by the two sides and of the political implications of whatever comes next.  Let me say this is the most difficult podcast I have ever prepared.  I was very determined to give you an accurate summary of the issues, including the legal terms, the medical terms, and the political arguments.  I had read Roe v Wade at least three times in the past (and had made notes in the margins) and had read quite a bit about the broader issues when I had lectured on the topic.    I started with a body of knowledge that made me feel confident.  But issues kept coming up, and I wanted to get everything right. I am grateful to my wife Jane for her help with medical terminology, and for her remarkable editing skills.  Often the difference between an acceptable talk and a good talk is how carefully words are used.  I hope you find this to be a good talk that is informative. The longer commentary was by Jacob Kahn. The court will probably hand down its decision in the spring, maybe around June of 2022.  Just as we are gearing up for the 2022 mid-term elections. Strap on your seat belts.  (Oops.  A glitch.  I repeated a comment about the derogatory comparison of Roe v Wade with Plessey v Ferguson, the infamous pro-segregation ruling in 1896.  Well, the argument is so offensive, and  irritated me enough that saying it twice is not really that bad.  Anyway, it's only two sentences so it won't slow you down much).