Hard Choices, Lost Voices

Plot

In a powerful indictment of the battle over abortion rights, Donald Judges charges that the conflict has polarized society, dehumanized its participants, distorted Constitutional law, warped the courts, and created an unfair and arbitrary allocation of rights. His clearly written, thorough investigation of the controversy begins by tracing the sociological, medical, historical, and legal backgrounds of abortion, with equal attention to the arguments of pro- and anti- forces. He then considers the Supreme Court's response to the constitutional elements of the abortion question, beginning in the Court's early years, moving to the crucial Roe v. Wade decision, and examining later cases up to the present. The Court's decisions, Mr. Judges concludes, serve neither side well and help further to roil our society. His balanced perspective on the major issues in the abortion debate, his fair-minded treatment of the opposing positions, and his suggestions for a new path toward resolution make this the outstanding book on the subject—for the committed, the concerned, and the undecided.