Letter to the Editor: Weddington’s speech full of ironies

Letter to the Editor
April 29, 2004, Page 6
To read a review of Sarah Weddington's presentation, click here.

Dear Editor,

A number of ironies accompanied the appearance of Sarah Weddington to the Doane campus, where she recently spoke as an exemplar of “leadership.”
Weddington, of course, was the lawyer for Martha McCorvey, otherwise known as “Jane Roe,” in the famous Roe v. Wade decision (1973) that forced the morality of abortion-on-demand on all states and locales throughout the country.
Perhaps the major irony of the build-up to Weddingron’s engagement was the slogan “Some leaders are born women.” Yes, provided that they are born at all, which is increasingly problematic because of people like Sarah Weddington.
It is also noteworthy that McCorvey had a rather abrasive falling-out with Weddington after the Roe v. Wade case was settled. McCorvey was a tough-talking woman from a lower class background who, according to her own testimony, was merely “used” by Weddington to get a case started.
She was not the type of person that is well-liked by feminist elites, and was quickly “dropped” by “pro-choice” leadership. Her central position in the Roe v. Wade case did not prevent the pro-choice leadership from forbidding McCorvey to speak at pro-choice conventions.
In essence, Weddington made her fame and earned her “leadership” credentials from crass opportunism and subsequent disdain for the woman who made it all possible. How that translates into exemplary “leadership” is a question that should be addressed.
Also ironic is the fact that Martha McCorvey is now a “pro-life” activist, and speaks openly about the various manipulative and class conscious elitism of Weddington and her companions who pass themselves off of advocates for womens’ rights.
Perhaps Doane should invite McCorvey to speak sometime, to give us (as Paul Harvey would put it) “the rest of the story.”

Richard Terrell
Professor of Art