From: dking@raul.nas.nasa.gov (Dan King)
Subject: Re: The eternal pessimist
Organization: NAS Program, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 19:15:02 GMT


In article <1992Nov7.195300.28670@cs.yale.edu> rescorla@rtnmr.chem.yale.edu (Eric Rescorla) writes:
 
>I am aware that there is much rejoicing now that Bush has lost
>the presidency, but I find myself somewhat less than thrilled.
>Consider the issue of abortion. There are two primary threats
>to the continued availability(note choice of words) of abortion
>in this country.

>1) The possibility that Roe would be overturned, leaving abortion
>control back to the states.
> Two steps have been taken to prevent this occurring.
> a) Presumably, Bill Clinton will be able to appoint Blackmun's
>    replacement, stopping--though not reversing--the Court's
>    slide into conservativism.
> b) Presumably, the FOCA will pass and Bill Clinton will sign it. 
 
Couple of points.  While the fight over the Supreme Court is 
very important, the federal court system is much larger than 
just the Supremes.  There are some 900 life tenured federal 
judges.  The administration appoints these positions as they 
become open with just minor interest by congress.  The Reagan
Bush administration has appointed 60 some percent of these 
positions.  However, about 100 of these judges have been waiting
for a non religious right controlled administration to come to 
office, before they retire.  Clinton upon his inauguration
will be able to appoint about 100 federal judges.  
 
The administration also has heavy influence over federal 
departments such as the National Institutes of Health, the FDA,
and the Center for Disease Control.  All these organizations 
have become highly politicized over the last 12 years in the 
religious rights fight over reproductive freedom.  The Reagan
Bush administration had no problem turning these departments
over to the religious right.  Reagan/Bush/Religious Right
have also been working on de-funding Title X organizations
such as Planned Parenthood in their war against reproductive
choice.  All this should change with the new administration.
 
>2) Harassment of local abortion providers is making many of them
>  choose to stop performing this service. Bill Clinton's election
>  does nothing to remedy this situation. 
 
Now that it is fairly clear that the Religious Right has lost the
political fight, I would assume this is the direction they will
next attempt.  This is were the next fight will be staged.  Generally
the religious right has been able to recruit fetus fanatics, who
will sacrifice much of their life for this cause.  The pro-choice 
movement has not fought with the fanaticism of the fetus fanatics.
Initially there was this assumption the Supremes would protect the 
right to choice and now it appears to be an assumption this 
administration will.  

One way the Clinton administration can relieve some of this problem
is to un-politicize the FDA and get RU-486 approved.  RU-486 will
reduce the ability of the fetus fanatics to get involved in a 
woman's private decision.  When a woman can go to her gynecologist
and get a pill and a shot to terminate a pregnancy, there will 
be no clinic for the fanatics to harass women at.  There will
still be a need for the clinics, but fewer and fewer women would
require such a public method of procuring an abortion.

>Comments?
>-Ekr
 
Dan King
Newsgroups: talk.abortion,talk.politics.misc,alt.politics.elections