Living in the Shadow of Roe v. Wade

A friend of mine passed on this question of "What does it mean growing up in the shadow of Roe v. Wade." Here was my reply:

I remember quite profoundly the moment I stopped saying, "I personally would never have an abortion, but I don't think I have the right to impose my beliefs on anyone." It was in the spring of 2000. Two friends and I were walking out of our statistics class, and we were greeted by another friend of ours, "Ruth." Ruth announced with some trepidation that she was pregnant. The first sentence anyone uttered was, "Are you happy?"

Eight years later, I often dwell on that day, because I wonder how our society could have evolved so far as to allow happiness to dictate whether someone can live or die (Ruth was happy, incidentally). I also wonder how I had reached 21 years of age thinking that it was wrong of me to advocate the right of a human to live. Roe vs. Wade not only legalized genocide, it installed relativism as the belief system of choice. We weren't taught absolutes in school, we were taught that everyone's truth was equally valid. Because of this, far more of my contemporaries embrace apathy over empathy. If all positions are equal, why should I bother to understand yours? It's evidenced in the detachment of those of us who live, who shout for change, but are unwilling advocate any position. It's in the "me" attitude that keeps us isolated from one another, rarely bothering to learn our neighbors names, let alone listen to their stories. It's in the neverending pursuit of "happiness" that results in promiscuity, serial monogamy, and insecurity. And for those of us rejecting Roe vs. Wade, it means often being the lone voice at the lunch table, the person known as a "religious zealot," and the "judgmental" one.

In truth, Roe yielded a generation of lonely people--our parents robbed us of siblings and friends, and our Government institutionalized an isolating philosophy. But, as in all things, there is hope. Those of us who have spent all our lives in the shadow of Roe are slowly stepping into the light--we are learning in adulthood the lessons we should have learned as children. That happiness comes in service. That all life is precious. That there is an absolute truth. We are combatting loneliness by banding together, and we will stare down the shadow of Roe. And, in time, the only response to the utterance, "I'm pregnant," will be, "Congratulations!"