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

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down 04/22/04

• Thumbs up to the women’s tennis team for beating Morningside 6-3.
• Thumbs up to bringing a magician to campus.
• Thumbs up to Mitch Vernon for being GPAC and NAIA Region IV player of the week.

• Thumbs down to poor attendance at Sarah Weddington’s speech. She deserved a bigger audience.
• Thumbs down to a limited number of free tickets for the magician.
• Thumbs down to the hassle of housing

Review: Women possess qualities to lead

Mandie Craven
Staff Writer
April 22, 2004, Page 5

Women’s Rights activist Sarah Weddington shared her personal experiences in leadership positions with Doane students and the Crete community Tuesday evening.
“I believe leadership is the ability and willingness to leave your thumbprint on something that is important to you,” Weddington said.
A comfortable atmosphere was felt as the audience entered the auditorium. Weddington used anecdotal references throughout her conversation with the audience. With the addition of eye contact, minor giggles could be heard throughout her speech.
Weddington went to law school in Austin, Texas, where she was one of only five women in her class.
She served in the Texas House of Representatives and then in the White House, as the General Council of Agriculture under President Jimmy Carter.
Weddington’s biggest claim to fame is arguing the winning side of Roe v. Wade in the U.S. Supreme Court. Weddington described how she felt during that time and how it helped mold her into the leader she is today.
Weddington gave insightful words of advice of how to become a better leader, using examples from her life. She referred to a ski trip she took where, when she got to the bottom of a hill without falling, an instructor told her: “The only people who are ever good will always go faster than they can control. But those who fall down will learn better.”
“I like practice,” she said. “It means you don’t have to be perfect.”
Weddington said she became a leader in women’s issues primarily because they were limiting and they were interesting to her.