Roe v. Wade at 30: Is there anything new to say?
There are enough articles, editorials, and op-ed pieces today on the 30th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that it might take another 30 years to read them all. We're linking to several of the better pieces—and to those simply published by the largest-circulation publications—today, as well as posting some of Christianity Today's own articles on Roe v. Wade.

Most articles seem to suggest that prolife and prochoice activists have nothing in common. "In the 30 years since the court announced one of the most contentious opinions in American life, the battle lines remain firmly entrenched, to the point that opponents and supporters of Roe find virtually no room for agreement, even on interpreting [court] decisions," the Chicago Tribune reported yesterday.

Well, the two sides do have a few things in common, note a few papers. Both the National Right to Life Committee and NARAL Pro-Choice America "have become multimillion-dollar operations," says another Tribune article. "Each camp splits its time among lobbying Capitol Hill, arguing in court, publishing educational material, and participating in elections with campaign contributions, advertising, direct mail, door-knocking and phone banks. The organizations are divided into multiple components able to accept tax-deductible, non-tax-deductible and political action contributions."

And as a result, says a USA Today editorial, the actions of such combatants has only marginalized both sides from mainstream America. "Thirty years of experience show that the most progress in ensuring that abortion is legal, safe, and increasingly rare comes from pursuing compromises, rather than defending extreme positions at all costs," ...