Controlling Women: What We Must Do Now to Save Reproductive Freedom

The definitive account of the battle for reproductive freedom and how advocates for those rights can fight back against the current assault on Roe v. Wade led by conservative state legislatures and anti-abortion judges. 30,000 first printing.
"While Roe v. Wade is a household name in America, few are aware of the impact of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the Supreme Court's 1992 ruling that preserved but redefined and substantially limited abortion rights, especially for the most marginalized women. Casey rather than Roe has established the constitutional standards that today govern abortion in the U.S. When pundits talk about the reversal of Roe, they really mean the reversal of Casey. Within the next two years and likely far sooner, we are going to lose the protections of Roe and Casey. Through state legislation, the appointment of hundreds of anti-abortion federal judges, and the rapidly changing makeup of the Supreme Court, reproductive freedom has never been in more dire straits. Legal titans Kathryn Kolbert and Julie F. Kay share the story of one of the most divisive issues in American politics through behind-the-scenes personal narratives of the stunning losses and hard-earned victories in landmark abortion rights cases. They chronicle how a convergence of Supreme Court appointments and the strategies of political movements on both sides of this contentious debate have led us to a make-or-break moment for legal abortion in the United States. Most urgently, they propose a bold new strategyfor engaging a fresh generation and broadening the scope of abortion rights supporters"--
This definitive account of the battle for reproductive freedom includes a bold new strategy to safeguard our rights, from two lawyers at the forefront of the movement. Reproductive freedom has never been in more dire straits. Roe v. Wade protected abortion rights and Planned Parenthood v. Casey unexpectedly preserved them. Yet in the following decades these rights have been gutted by restrictive state legislation, the appointment of hundreds of anti-abortion judges, and violence against abortion providers. Today, the ultra-conservative majority at the Supreme Court has activists, medical providers, and everyday Americans worry that we are about to lose our most fundamental reproductive protections.When Roe is toppled, abortion may quickly become a criminal offense in nearly one-third of the United States. At least six states have enacted bans on abortion as early as six weeks of pregnancy&;before many women are even aware they are pregnant. Today, 89% of U.S. counties do not have a single abortion provider, in part due to escalating violence and intimidation aimed at disrupting services. We should all be free to make these personal and private decisions that affect our lives and wellbeing without government interference or bias, but we can no longer depend on Roe v. Wade and the federal courts to preserve our liberties. Legal titans Kathryn Kolbert and Julie F. Kay share the story of one of the most divisive issues in American politics through behind-the-scenes personal narratives of stunning losses, hard-earned victories, and moving accounts of women and health care providers at the heart of nearly five decades of legal battles. At this make-or-break moment for legal abortion in the United States, Kolbert and Kay propose audacious new strategies inspired by medical advances, state-level protections, human rights models, and activists across the globe whose courage and determination are making a difference. No more banging our heads against the Court&;s marble walls. It is time for a new direction.