{"id":5879,"date":"2022-04-21T03:38:37","date_gmt":"2022-04-21T03:38:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/?p=5879"},"modified":"2022-07-05T22:09:45","modified_gmt":"2022-07-05T22:09:45","slug":"our-bodies-ourselves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/2022\/04\/21\/our-bodies-ourselves\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Our Bodies, Ourselves&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Our Bodies, Ourselves&#8221;, Experiencing the Impact of Roe v. Wade<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>By Jade Heenehan<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Women had finally won control of their bodies in the crucial realm of reproduction&#8221; (H. W. Brands,\u00a0<em>American Dreams<\/em>, p. 180)<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aHjjfQOPkRs\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6155\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wypr.org\/show\/midday\/2022-05-03\/the-end-of-roe-v-wade-analysis-of-the-scotus-leaked-draft-ruling\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6155\" class=\"wp-image-6155 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/SCOTUS_protest-300x199.png\" alt=\"Pro-abortion potests\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/SCOTUS_protest-300x199.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/SCOTUS_protest-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/SCOTUS_protest-451x300.png 451w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/SCOTUS_protest.png 874w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6155\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pro-abortion protest outside of the Supreme Court in Washington D.C. on May 2, 2022 (Photo by Alex Brandon, AP Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the past few nights, pro-choice protestors have been flocking to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. They were reacting to a draft majority opinion from the Court that was leaked on May 2, 2022. The leaked preliminary opinion would overturn the court\u2019s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade (often shortened to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) decision. Justice Samuel Alito, the author of the preliminary opinion, claims <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cwas egregiously wrong from the start.\u201d[1]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> At least four out of eight other justices agree with Alito. Many women are remembering the debate, and backlash, over being given control over their own bodies nearly 50 years ago when <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was decided and abortion was legalized throughout the U.S. These women that have experienced the ruling are now, 49 years later, watching the possible overturning of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">passed in early 1973, my mother, Roxanne M. Rudy was 17 years old and living in Hartford, Conn. Briefly mentioned in H. W. Brands&#8217; book, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American Dreams<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">decision was seen as women finally gaining control over their bodies.[2]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> However, as Brands mentions, there was controversy about this decision that continues to this day.[3]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There were many protests against abortion and reproductive health clinics like Planned Parenthood in Hartford. While growing up, she came to believe women should have a choice over their bodies. Rudy didn\u2019t understand why \u201cnobody else had seen the light.\u201d[4]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Despite being a liberal city and the state capital, not every Hartford resident agreed with the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">decision. Rudy recounted how after the decision; her Catholic high school had tried to have \u201ceveryone sign a petition saying how awful Roe v. Wade was.\u201d[5]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Roman Catholic Church, and thus Rudy\u2019s school, has long taught abortion is a mortal sin. Rudy quietly did not sign the petition, and no one noticed, but many other students did.[6] Although many girls would later benefit from the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> decision, they were still signing the petition, perhaps due to how they were raised, or from the pressure from their teachers and\/or peers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6141\" style=\"width: 212px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhregister.com\/business\/article\/New-Haven-s-Planned-Parenthood-celebrating-11322864.php#photo-13308447\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6141\" class=\"wp-image-6141 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/New-Haven-202x300.jpg\" alt=\"Estelle Griswold in from of New Haven Planned Parenthood\" width=\"202\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/New-Haven-202x300.jpg 202w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/New-Haven-690x1024.jpg 690w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/New-Haven-768x1140.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/New-Haven-1035x1536.jpg 1035w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/New-Haven.jpg 1150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 202px) 100vw, 202px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6141\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Estelle Griswold in front of Planned Parenthood in New Haven, CT (Photo courtesy of New Haven Register)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like Rudy, there were those who supported women being <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">allowed control over their reproductive systems. A year before <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a Gallop Poll found that 64% of Americans believed \u201cthe decision to have an abortion should be made solely by the woman and her physician.\u201d[7]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In the 1960s, many organizations were trying to decriminalize abortion. They were fighting against statutes enacted by legislatures, many over 100 years <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">old.[8]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A national movement had yet to develop, but four states \u2013 New York, Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington \u2013 had begun to repeal their abortion laws.[9]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> But these four states represented only a small portion of the nation\u2019s popular opinion.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were times when the two sides over reproductive rights came to a clash. The polarization over the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> decision has helped to split parties and the country even further apart. Nearly 40 years after the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> decision, David Brooks, a conservative <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New York Times<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> columnist, claimed the decision\u2019s author, Justice Harry Blackmun, \u201cdid more inadvertent damage to our democracy than any other 20th-century American.\u201d[10]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There were anti-abortion protesters calling for Planned Parenthood to shut down. Despite the other family planning and women\u2019s health resources, Planned Parenthood provides, \u201cit was seen as the group that brings abortion into your community.\u201d[11]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There have been many disputes between Planned Parenthood and Republican-controlled state governments. Republicans often tried to cut \u2013 and often <\/span>succeeded in cutting \u2013 funding to Planned Parenthood in an effort to shut it down.[12]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Republicans, like President Donald Trump, declared \u201cI want to defund [Planned Parenthood] because of the abortion factor.\u201d[13]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> However, closing Planned Parenthood removes access to other reproductive and healthcare benefits like access to oral conception, pap smears, and \u201cjust anything that had to do with women\u2019s health.\u201d[14]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Although abortion is one of Planned Parenthood\u2019s services, many detractors see it as the only service it provides.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A year after the Roe decision, Rudy attended a counter-protest to keep open Hartford\u2019s Planned Parenthood clinic. After the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">decision, Planned Parenthood \u201cangered people\u201d and the efforts to close Planned Parenthood increased.[15]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Threats were sent to Planned Parenthood workers daily and screamed at when they entered and left work. \u201cMurderer\u201d can often be heard being yelled at by protestors at Planned Parenthood workers and visitors. At the protest, Rudy recalls being \u201cscared out of my mind.\u201d[16]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The atmosphere was tense, and nerves were on edge. Many people were screaming and shoving. The fear Rudy felt that day makes her think that \u201ceven though they said they really respected life, \u2026 if they could have, they would\u2019ve hit any one of us with a two-by-four across the forehead.\u201d[17]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The atmosphere was hostile and threatening, and while rocks and paint were thrown at opponents, the violence was minor and no one was injured.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Words were not the only way to express people\u2019s beliefs at the Hartford protest. Many people wielded signs to further their cause. Some anti-abortion protestors \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">have these pictures of [what they claimed] an aborted fetus looked like but the kid looked like he was ready for kindergarten.\u201d[18]<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rudy didn\u2019t carry any signs but many others did to further support their cause. Pro-choice members chanted \u201cour bodies, ourselves,\u201d taken from a book title[19]. Written in 1970 by the Boston Women<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6148\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stltoday.com\/news\/archives\/photos-abortion-protests-since-1973\/collection_311379b0-7b73-57dc-ac95-0bb35a900be1.html#1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6148\" class=\"wp-image-6148 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/1973-300x262.jpg\" alt=\"Anti-abortion protest in 1973\" width=\"300\" height=\"262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/1973-300x262.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/1973-768x669.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/1973-344x300.jpg 344w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/1973.jpg 990w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6148\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A priest and fellow anti-abortion protestors outside the Reproductive Health Services in Missouri (Photo courtesy of St. Louis Post-Dispatch)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Health Book Collective, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our Bodies, Ourselves <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mentions many female reproductive health topics like menstruation, pregnancy, and even abortion.[20]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Similar to the chant used today, \u201cmy body, my choice,\u201d this saying was used to support the idea that a woman should be in control of her own reproductive system, often against anti-abortion groups.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Hartford protest was mostly peaceful but things were still thrown. Rocks were thrown from both sides as emotions ran higher during the anti-choice protest. It further escalated when anti-abortion protestors threw paint at the pro-choice demonstrators. Rudy quipped that \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">paint stores did really well in their red paint [sales] for the weeks to come.\u201d[21]<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The paint represented the blood of the fetuses killed by abortion. Anti-abortionists <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cwould throw red paint, [say] \u2018you\u2019re murdering,\u2019 \u2018murder,\u2019 \u2018blood on your hands,\u2019\u201d Rudy recalled.[22]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Emotions and anxiety were running high between the two sides and continued to until the Hartford Police came and told the crowd to disperse.[23]\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now 66, Rudy is watching as control over her \u2013 and now her daughters\u2019 \u2013\u00a0 reproductive rights are being decided again. Pro-choice protests have been happening more frequently as anti-abortion laws are passed in areas like Texas and Missouri. There were also Women&#8217;s Marches that began in January 2017, when President Trump took office, to protest his victory in the election. During these Women\u2019s Marches, Planned Parenthood volunteers and workers often marched and waved signs to show support for women and pro-choice laws. Although Rudy has not been a volunteer with Planned Parenthood for over 20 years, she still vehemently supports their cause. Seeing the right to abortion being discussed once again, Rudy believes \u201cwe are going to see a lot of tragedy.\u201d[24]<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6160\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2019\/05\/23\/politics\/abortion-religion-views-alabama\/index.html\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6160\" class=\"wp-image-6160 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/Abortion-clash-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Anti-abortion and pro-choice protestors clash\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/Abortion-clash-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/Abortion-clash-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/Abortion-clash-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/files\/2022\/04\/Abortion-clash.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6160\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anti-abortion and pro-choice protestors clash in front of the Supreme Court, 2016 (Photo courtesy of CNN)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0The importance of Roe v. Wade is briefly touched upon in Brands\u2019 book. The controversy Brands foresaw is truly being seen now as political parties are even more polarized than before.[25]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The split between them is making abortion more a fight between parties than beliefs. This division has increased tensions and led to more intense violence during protests. In the 1970s, Rudy \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pretty much knew [anti-abortion protestors] were going to call me names, yell, and throw paint at me, maybe a rock or two.\u201d[26]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> But recently there has been an \u201cupsurge in violent crimes, in people driving their cars into groups of protestors, the proliferation of handguns.\u201d[27]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Rudy says that she \u201cwould think twice\u201d to protest but fears the nation will be going back in time.[28]<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Showing public support for pro-choice laws to state legislatures and the Congress is necessary to defend \u2013 and perhaps soon, restore \u2013 women\u2019s rights to their bodies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fifty years later, as reluctant as she might be, Rudy might have re-fight a battle she, like so many others, thought was won and settled long ago. Now she is looking to once again return to protest against anti-abortion groups to help keep choice an option. Or to restore it for many women, if the Supreme Court votes to overturn <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roe<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as is widely expected.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Footnotes<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"csl-bib-body\">\n<div class=\"csl-entry\" data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[1] Gerstein, Josh, and Alexander Ward. \u201cExclusive: Supreme Court Has Voted to Overturn Abortion Rights, Draft Opinion Shows.\u201d POLITICO, May 3, 2022. https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/05\/02\/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473.<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[2]\u00a0Brands, H. W, <i>American Dreams: The United States since 1945<\/i> (New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2010), 180.<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[3]\u00a0Brands, <i>American Dreams<\/i>, 180.<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[4] Roxanne Rudy, in-person interview, audio recording, April 23, 2022.<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[5] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[6] Roxanne Rudy, email interview, May 12, 2022<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[7]\u00a0GREENHOUSE, LINDA, and REVA B. SIEGEL. \u201cBefore (and After) Roe v. Wade: New<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">Questions About Backlash.\u201d <i>The Yale Law Journal<\/i> 120, no. 8 (2011): 2028\u201387. http:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/41149586.<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[8] \u201cRoe v. Wade: Its History and Impact &#8211; Planned Parenthood.\u201d Planned Parenthood, 2014. https:\/\/www.plannedparenthood.org\/files\/3013\/9611\/5870\/Abortion_Roe_History.pdf.<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[9] \u201cRoe v. Wade: Its History and Impact &#8211; Planned Parenthood\u201d<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[10]\u00a0GREENHOUSE, LINDA, and REVA B. SIEGEL. \u201cBefore (and After) Roe v. Wade: New Questions About Backlash.\u201d<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[11] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[12]\u00a0Lawrence, Hal C., and Debra L. Ness. \u201cPlanned Parenthood Provides Essential Services That Improve Women&#8217;s Health.\u201d <i>Annals of Internal Medicine<\/i> 166, no. 6 (2017): 443. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7326\/m17-0217.<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[13] Watson, Kathryn. \u201cHow Trump Is Doing on His Campaign Promises as He Launches His Reelection Bid.\u201d CBS News. CBS Interactive, June 18, 2019. https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/how-trump-is-doing-on-his-campaign-promises-as-he-launches-his-reelection-bid\/.<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[14] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[15] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[16] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[17] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[18] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[19] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[20] Pingolt, Maggie. The Embryo Project Encyclopedia, June 21, 2013. https:\/\/embryo.asu.edu\/pages\/our-bodies-ourselves-1973-boston-womens-health-book-collective#:~:text=The%20book%20examined%20women%27s%20reproductive,the%20original%20pamphlet%2Dstyle%20publication.<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[21] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[22] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[23] Email interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[24] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[25]\u00a0Brands, <i>American Dreams<\/i>, 180.<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[26] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[27] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\"><\/div>\n<div data-csl-entry-id=\"448946c6-07cd-3ad2-89fe-cfd0f21ef6e9\">[28] In-person interview with Roxanne Rudy<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Interview subject<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Roxanne Rudy, age 65, retired ESL and special needs teacher. A former volunteer at Planned Parenthood in Fort Worth, Texas during the 1970s.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Audio recording with Roxanne Rudy, Madison, NJ, <span class=\"TextRun SCXW23259999 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW23259999 BCX0\">April 23, 2022<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: What was it like growing up in Hartford, Connecticut?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: At that time, in the 1960s, 1970s Hartford was, and obviously still is, the capital of Connecticut. It was, as I recall it, a great place to grow up. There were neighborhoods that were very distinct. There were neighborhoods where a lot of people were immigrants. It was a town of growing immigration. There were Ukrainians, which is what I [am]\u2026 It was very much a city dominated by [Catholics]. Most of the people I knew, the mothers stayed home, and the fathers went to work. A lot of people were blue collar workers, some were white collar workers. But generally speaking, it was, what we consider to be a traditional neighborhood, traditional families.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: So, you talked about how Hartford, Connecticut was conservative. How do you think that played into Roe v. Wade after it occurred?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: Well for a lot of people it got them very worked up because suddenly women could have abortions, which didn\u2019t translate as something that could potentially save a woman\u2019s life or save whatever. It was \u201coh my gosh, women have now been on this rampage to the women\u2019s movement. Now they have the pill and now they have an abortion. Oh my gosh, everything that has been considered proper is going to fall apart.&#8221; However, in my family, it was not that way. As I look back, my family was probably a little bit different&#8230; My mother in many ways was a traditional woman, she was very religious&#8230; [But] she said, what had always bothered her was at that time, women\u2019s worth was what their uteruses could produce. She said that\u2019s a bunch of nonsense.\u00a0My grandfather was absolutely determined that his daughter would have a college education, which she got, and he made certain from the day that my sister was born, and a few years later, when I was born, that he had set up a bank account to make sure that at least some money would be set aside for our college educations. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: So that\u2019s your personal experience. How do you think your community\u2019s experience was?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: My community\u2019s experience was not good, as far as I was concerned. The experience was not good, as far as I was concerned, as far as I knew I should say. In 1973 I was in high school. I went to public schools for elementary school but &#8230; I went to a Catholic high school and when Roe v Wade came out, shortly after there was this activity or whatever in the high school to have everyone sign a petition saying how awful Roe v. Wade was. I thought \u201cwait a minute, I\u2019m not going to sign this\u201d, and I didn\u2019t.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: Was the topic abortion, even before Roe v. Wade, a taboo topic that wasn\u2019t discussed?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: Oh absolutely, yes. That was a taboo topic, sex was a taboo topic. In 1966, \u2026 there was no such thing as planning your children. At that time, it was not uncommon that some of my classmates had 9, 10, 11 siblings.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: After Roe v. Wade happened, now that abortion was brought under public scrutiny, how did Hartford react?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">:<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">There were a lot of Catholics, and birth control was absolutely forbidden. Yes, we had a couple of colleges there, which you would\u2019ve thought added to the progressive attitude but even when I got to college, in 1974\/75, [abortion] was still whispered about&#8230; You had the law, but in my opinion, 85% of the community was still astounded that sex could be discussed.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: After Roe v. Wade happened, do you think there was more push to close Planned Parenthoods?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: Oh, definitely! The whole idea that Planned Parenthood was coming into communities [angered people], it didn\u2019t matter that it offered any other number of reproductive health services from pap smears to just anything that had to do with women\u2019s health. It was seen as the group that brings abortion into your community.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: Which Planned Parenthood did you do your counter protest at?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: In Hartford, when I was a freshman in college. One of the women that I worked for, her daughter, several years older than me, was a nurse at a Planned Parenthood. I remember that this women, on several occasions, was extremely worried for her daughter\u2019s safety. They would regularly get phone calls [saying] \u201cyou\u2019re going to be bombed\u201d, \u201cyou\u2019re going to be burned down\u201d, \u201call you murders are going to die today\u201d.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: At your counterprotest, did you see anyone that you recognized? Either protesting [against Planned Parenthood] or counterprotesting?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: I didn\u2019t no, mostly because I was scared out of my mind. The protesters looked really mean, they looked like they really wanted to hurt us. Even though they said they really respected life, I think if they could have, they would\u2019ve hit anyone of us with a 2&#215;4 [plank] across the forehead and not cared if we died. It was truly scary.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What were some things that the protesters were saying to your counterprotest or just Planned Parenthood in general?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: Murders. [Also] that Planned Parenthood encouraged sluts; they might have said encouraged loose behavior&#8230; If you were going to Planned Parenthood, supported Planned Parenthood, believed that it should exist, you were a murder. It didn\u2019t matter, we needed to be stop. Even the idea of birth control, the idea that you could prevent a pregnancy so that abortion wouldn\u2019t be needed was wrong. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: So, you said you were scared, and it was terrifying. Did anything ever get thrown? Were there signs?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: Oh yes! They would have these pictures of [what they claimed] an aborted fetus looked like but the kid looked like he was ready for kindergarten. It was ridiculous. But it didn\u2019t matter because emotions were running high. Yeah, they threw things. They threw rocks, paint. That was a big thing, the paint stores did really well in their red paint for the weeks to come. They would throw red paint, [say] \u201cyou\u2019re murdering\u201d, \u201cmurder\u201d, \u201cblood on your hands\u201d, \u201cwhen you stand before the throne of God, you\u2019re going to have to answer for you standing in front of Planned Parenthood doors\u201d. It was really emotional. It was emotional and vicious&#8230; [The protestors] would grab you and shuffle you. I remember a woman walking by on the street and they grabbed her. She was like \u201cwhat are you doing?! I\u2019m going to work\u201d. She wasn\u2019t even trying to get into Planned Parenthood. That is how high the emotions were. There was no logic and reason.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: You were so vehement for pro-choice due to how you were raised. Do you think this is just how people were raised?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: I do, absolutely. It really is because I think it becomes part of your identity. For some people I suppose it was some sort of Heaven-sent crusade. But I think a lot of people, like my friends in high school, ever gave it much thought. They were taught that it was wrong, and it was wrong. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: Since Roe v. Wade has been an impact in the states so much, now that areas like Texas and Missouri, are putting their own laws on abortion, how do you think this will impact society?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: I think we are going to see a lot of tragedy. I think we are going to go back to the day of self-induced abortions, which is never a good idea. I think we are going to see an uptick in young women, mid to late teens, having children and trying to raise them when they are in no position to raise them much less finish school themselves. I think we are going to see an uptick in children being raised in single family [homes] or poverty which is going to affect us for generations to come. I think we are going to go back in time.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: Do you think that the fear and terror you felt when you were protesting will be replicated with the new youth now after anti-abortion laws are passed?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: Yes. I think we\u2019ve reached a point in our society where extreme violence is the norm. When I stood in front of the abortion clinic in 1973\/74, I pretty much knew they were going to call me names, yell, and throw paint at me, maybe a rock or two. But I never thought anything worse was going to happen, even though they kind of looked like they wanted to when I look back and I was scared. Nowadays, I have to say, I would think twice. With the upsurge in violent crimes, in people driving their cars into groups of protestors, the proliferation of handguns. I fear for this.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: You said your chant back in the mid-1970s was \u201cour bodies, ourselves\u201d, how do you think it has changed to \u201cmy body, my choice\u201d?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: I think it is basically the same. It is a little bit different but still the same. My body, my choice. If I want to have this baby, I will. If I want to prevent a pregnancy, I will. If I want to have sex, I will. I will make an informed decision, I am not incapable, I am not a child, and I know what to do. I think it is about time that everyone realize that.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Email interview with Roxanne Rudy, May<span class=\"TextRun SCXW23259999 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW23259999 BCX0\"> 11, 2022<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: Were there any repercussions since you did not sign the petition for your school?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: I don\u2019t think so. It was passed around in class, so I sort of just handed it on to the next kid without signing it. No one noticed that I didn\u2019t! If I was Roman Catholic and it was passed around in Church, I definitely wouldn\u2019t have been able to get away without signing it. But no, no one noticed that I didn\u2019t sign it, so nothing happened. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Q<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: How did the protest in Hartford end?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: Eventually, after a few hours, the police politely told everyone it was time to call it a day and that we needed to disperse. Which we did. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Our Bodies, Ourselves&#8221;, Experiencing the Impact of Roe v. Wade By Jade Heenehan &#8220;Women had finally won control of their bodies in the crucial realm of reproduction&#8221; (H. W. Brands,\u00a0American Dreams, p. 180) For the past few nights, pro-choice protestors have been flocking to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. They [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4931,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","hentry","category-uncategorized","post_format-post-format-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4931"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5879\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-118pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}