Right to Privacy
What You Didn't Know About Roe v. Wade
Matt Kiernan
Issue date: 2/1/10 Section: Features
January 22, 1973 was a day that changed the character of the United States forever, and my guess is that many of you have no idea what I'm talking about. It wasn't a war; it wasn't that the world trade center became the tallest building; it wasn't even the Watergate scandal. This change was something that affected the very personality of our nation: Roe v. Wade. The decision in this legal case allowed for the legalization of abortions in the United States. Ever since this decision, our country has been on a cultural and moral decline. The precious gift of life that God so lovingly gave us now means absolutely nothing. These numbers on abortions from Chris LaRock show how little we value life: "2.8 babies are aborted every minute, 166.7 every hour, 4,000 every day and 1,460,000 every year." Yet, it was not Roe v. Wade that created this disrespect for life. Roe v. Wade was the pinnacle, but our problems began much earlier in 1965 with the court case Griswold v. Connecticut.
Griswold v. Connecticut was the Supreme Court's ruling on whether or not a married couple could use contraception. The Supreme Court decided that they did not want to interfere with the marriage of husband and wife. To back this decision, the Supreme Court coined the phrase "right to privacy". The phrase "right to privacy" in the context that we know it today is not in the constitution. The only meaning it was given was that the government should not interfere within the rights of a married couple inside their own bedroom.
Pope Paul VI, the pope during the Griswold v. Connecticut ruling, made a prediction about the effect this decision would have. He predicted that this would be the start of a complete loss of the meaning of life. Unfortunately, he was absolutely right. From the beginning of the use of contraception, life has become less and less valued. After Griswold v. Connecticut, new cases faced the Supreme Court claiming that it wasn't fair to allow contraception only in marriages. Eventually the "right to privacy" spread to incorporate the use of contraception for all people.
Griswold v. Connecticut was the Supreme Court's ruling on whether or not a married couple could use contraception. The Supreme Court decided that they did not want to interfere with the marriage of husband and wife. To back this decision, the Supreme Court coined the phrase "right to privacy". The phrase "right to privacy" in the context that we know it today is not in the constitution. The only meaning it was given was that the government should not interfere within the rights of a married couple inside their own bedroom.
Pope Paul VI, the pope during the Griswold v. Connecticut ruling, made a prediction about the effect this decision would have. He predicted that this would be the start of a complete loss of the meaning of life. Unfortunately, he was absolutely right. From the beginning of the use of contraception, life has become less and less valued. After Griswold v. Connecticut, new cases faced the Supreme Court claiming that it wasn't fair to allow contraception only in marriages. Eventually the "right to privacy" spread to incorporate the use of contraception for all people.
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