ROE v. WADE
2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the Row v. wade descion, a decision that pro-life supporters say is the cause of millions of prenatal babies’ deaths, and pro-choice people say is an affirmation of their rights in the Constitution. The case gave the state and Supreme Court a good fight for three years, but in the end,. Roe v. Wade made it possible for people to have abortions within the first trimester of a pregnancy despite state laws.
Norma McCorvey became pregnant in the year of 1969. Norma’s marriage had failed, and her mother and stepfather were raising her five-year-old daughter. McCorvey did not want to continue her pregnancy. Since Texas law prohibited abortion except to save the mother's life, McCorvey started to look for someone willing to perform one illegally; though it was a failed attempt. She had met Sarah Waddington and Linda Coffee, who were two attorneys interested in changing the state’s abortion laws. Norma agreed to become "Jane Roe" in a test case. Years after the trial, McCorvey came forward under her own name.
Norma faced two difficulties. First, Texas had passed its abortion law in 1859. Like similar laws passed in other states, it did not target the women attempting to have abortions, but rather the surgeons who performed them. Therefore, McCorvey might not have "standing to sue." Second, the case could have become irrelevant if McCorvey delivered her child or carried the child for too long, making an abortion unsafe. Despite the difficulties, Linda Coffee filed a complaint with the Dallas Federal Courthouse listing Henry B. Wade, the Dallas District Attorney, as the defendant ("Roe v. Wade: 1973").
Once the district court of Texas ruled in McCorvey’s’ favor. In 1970, the court case was brought to the Supreme Court. On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court issued its decision with a 7-to-2-majority vote in favor of Roe stating, “The State cannot exclude the right of privacy of the people”. The decision was based on the State’s restriction from limiting the liberties of its citizens according to the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court deemed abortion a fundamental right of privacy in the United States Constitution thereby declaring that the state does not have the right to intervene prior to fetal viability. Thus, the states cannot pass a law that prohibits abortion during the first trimester; the time the court decided a fetus was viable. In the Roe decision, the court added that the primary right being protected was the physician’s right to practice medicine freely without the influence of the state ("Row v. Wade").
Many people still are for and against the decisions made in the case. Forty years after the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Roe v. Wade, significantly more Americans want the landmark abortion decision kept in place rather than overturned, 53% to 29% respectively. Another 18% have no opinion, (“Corwin, E.S….”) though the court case seemed like it would never end, it amazingly ran through the state court and the Supreme Court with decisions in Roe’s favor both times. It is remarkable that one woman could change a law and a country.
Bibliography:
"Row v. Wade." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Jan. 2013. Web. 26 Jan. 2013.
"Corwin, E.S.; Chase, H.W. and Ducat, C.R., Eds.: Edward S. Corwin's Constitution and What It Means Today: 1978 Edition." Corwin, E.S.; Chase, H.W. and Ducat, C.R., Eds.: Edward S. Corwin's Constitution and What It Means Today: 1978 Edition. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2013.
"Roe v. Wade: 1973." Women's History. Gale: Cengage Learning, 1997. Web. 26 Jan. 2013.Women's History. Gale: Cengage Learning, 1997. Web. 26 Jan. 2013.
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"A trip to never be forgotten"
By: Joe Kalmakoff
October 1, 1896
Today, I found out about a major gold rush in the last frontier, people say that gold is everywhere; it will make you richer than your wildest dreams, so I sold my house, and sold my car, and quit my job. I am scheduled to leave on the next ferry in a week’s time. I will sure miss Atlanta.
October 5, 1896
Okay, I just got done purchasing all the supplies I will need to make do in Dawson City. This gold rush discussion between all the elders and the young folk is going crazy; the elders say it’s foolish for everyone, and me, in my generation to give all we got for nothing, but I told my grandma that I would be back, and I’d be richer than ever.
October 13, 1895
It’s 12 o’clock, and I’m still on the boat. We are traveling up the river ever so slowly. I asked the captain when we would reach Dawson city; the captain was puffing on his cigar; he said nothing. As the cabin zeroed out with smoke, tears streamed down my cheeks; I was struggling for air. After I got done with the captain, I returned to my quarters.
October 15, 1895
Today, I met the most odd-minded man; he went by the name of Soapy Smith, he claimed he was going to run the gold rush, so I got in good with him and told him when he takes over, cut me in on it too.
October 16, 1895
Today, I woke up early, and there was a thin layer of fog hugging the river, the sun peaked over the mountain; truly a beautiful morning. Alaska is a magnificent place. I am eager to get to the Klondike. Due to the scarceness of supplies, two gentlemen scraped over the last cup of coffee; one of them was almost beaten to death, but by some little thread of luck there was an M.D. on board; the man only needed stiches.
October 22, 1896
The boat quit moving today. We are going against the current, so we’re floating down the river smooth and swift. The captain said we must help to bring the boat to the side of the river to tie up and gather wood because wood is what produces power to turn the paddle wheel to get us up to the Klondike. It took us about six and half hours for all of us on board to gather enough wood to continue our journey along the long body of water.
October 27, 1895
It is nighttime and Soapy Smith is my neighbor, and I know for a fact that he has no cabin mate, and no one went to visit him at this hour. Soapy was talking with himself, as bizarre as it was; he wasn’t making a whole lot of sense. The clock struck two a.m. and all the wall hangings shifted from side to side as the boat hit little waves. Even if he was crazy, he had good ideas and I knew we’d take over the town of Skagway with a golden fist.
October 30, 1896
Today, we made it halfway to the Klondike and the suspense was killing me. We passed Skagway and Soapy Smith jumped boat. He said he would write me a letter in a couple weeks, and I would head down to Skagway to fulfill our plan we came up with on a sunny day earlier this month.
November 13, 1895
For weeks, it’s been hard trying to dig and slough for gold, through dirt in the winter storms. Several people I know have gotten frostbite from working too many late nights in the bitter cold. With ice forming on my mustache and goatee, it stands as a brief reminder for me to work harder.
November 26, 1895
After a seven-day, drinking binge, I felt ill and needed medical attention, cold shivers shoot up my back due to the cold winter ground that I lied on, below me that’s when the mail lady had delivered a granular envelope. The envelope said: “
Dear Clifford Joseph Harris Jr.
Hello there, it’s Soapy Smith. How have you been? I’ve been good, I am still in Skagway just down river, and I am wanted in two other cities. I do not expect a letter back due to the law, but it would be nice to see you sometime soon because I am getting so much gold here. I can’t tell you how I get it, but business is booming! I bought you a round trip ticket from Dawson to here, and I expect you to be on the riverboat. It will arrive there October 3rd, so you better mine like a mad man.
Sincerely,
Soapy smith
December 2, 1896
For the last couple days, I have been mining, I pulled in 20 Oz.’s of gold, now its time to go to Dawson. The ferry Soapy mentioned came one day early, so franticly I had packed all of my stuff.
December 7, 1896
It is a really sunny day; I’m on the deck of the steamboat with a pitcher of iced tea enjoying the sun. I heard racket going on in the deck below me, a loud shriek came from a woman, ”he’s been shot!” Then I heard a splash in the river.
December 19, 1896
I had to spend my first night in Skagway on the boat all because Soapy Smith was too drunk to pick me up, and I didn’t know where to go. I got into a little scrap with these two hoodlums, and they took all of my money. I’m so overwhelmed with anger.
December 25, 1896
Today, I had finally met up with Soapy Smith, and when I first saw him, I ran up to him. As he approached, I balled my fist ready to explode. I punched him and he stumbled back then hit the ground, laid down like a rug. After, we talked and got a drink and I bought a couple pairs of clothes. Later, Soapy said that he was going to show me the place where he had stashed all of his gold and money.
December 31, 1896
A fresh blanket of snow had gently been laid over the town of Skagway. I was able to see little bunny rabbits all over the place, but most everybody had left the town to go on a little hunting trip. As the last bit of people left, Soapy told me to rummage through all the houses and take what looked valuable, and so I did.
January 5, 1896
I just got out of Skagway Prison and the officers withheld all of my belongings. I was subjected to police brutality. I’m hurt pretty bad, with a broken rib, fractured arm, and a throbbing black eye. Never again will I ever trust Soapy Smith.
January 7, 1896
Tonight is a snowy night and I plan to kill all of Soapy Smith’s gang with six pistols and two knives, I expect to get hurt, but it will be worth it. I have devised a cloth-like material, as a type of body armor, so if I get stabbed or shot it will slow the bullets down and/ or the blade.
January 8, 1896
After I killed Soapy’s gang, I was stabbed in the back, but it wasn’t very deep. I wanted money so I came up with a disguise, the blue parka bandit. I robbed everyone in Skagway. The only person I ain’t robbed is Soapy Smith, who I will kill when I’m ready. I plan to murder him in the passing week.
January 12, 18996
My wounds are infected, and they are getting blood poisoning. It’s slowly working its way up my arm, and it’s causing terrible throbbing pain all through my body.
January 19, 1896
I looked for Soapy Smith to take me to all of our loot, which I wanted. I planed to kill him. Soapy and me met up at a local saloon and discussed my riches over a shot of booze; but he had not told me where it was, so I asked soapy to show me where it is. He said “by the river”. I told him to take the lead, and Soapy was drunk, he claimed it was under an old-waterlogged double-ended boat. I had checked under the boat, Soapy’s share was under there as well. So I shoved him into the freezing river, as I limped away he cried out,” Help me you bastard”. As his voice faded going down river, I stopped dead in my tracks, felt the cold breeze blow across my face and I listened to the calming sounds of Alaska, then continued on making my way to my dogsled to pick up my loot. I got a native guide to take me to the nearest train station. I know I’m not going to live that much longer, and that’s why I’m sending my ledger to you grandmother; along with all my loot I had worked so hard for.
Joe Kalmakoff - 11th Grade
In my middle school years, I once stayed up for two whole days all by myself. After I told everyone in school that I had done so, it made everyone else in school want to do the same thing. It was tragic. More than a third of the school was absent, and the rest were getting sent to the principal’s office for back talking to teachers and copping an attitude. When I passed through the crash bar doors of hell the next morning there was like nobody in my class, and it was fun. By third period, I had to go see the principal in her office.
The principal told me that almost everyone who stayed up the night before told the principal that it was all my fault that they stayed up. As I sat down in the hard, straight-back chair, I felt the heat radiate off the chair from the last person who had taken the same seat. She asked me if I had stayed up with all the other kids, I replied, “no, ma’am”.
The interrogation led on for another twenty minutes or so. After telling her everything I had told everyone else about staying up, I had to write a one and a half page paper on why staying up was a bad decision for everyone and present it to the whole school during the next assembly.
That Friday, my time to “shine” had come; the principal had introduced the reading of my paper and everyone, gave me a round of applause, thus beginning the slow walk to the podium that they had placed for me to give my speech. I was sweating bullets; for the next five minutes, I said nothing due to the 600 or more people who sat there staring at me.
Then, the principal came up to me and whispered in my ear saying, ”What’s wrong Joe?“
I replied, “Nothing, I am just really scared.”
As she laughed, she said,” Don’t be scared, they’re all just like you ”
“Isn’t there anything you know to help me with this?
“Just picture them all naked. “
I looked at her in an ‘Are-you-serious?’ face. Then I started to read my paper as I walked around the gym, pacing back and forth with the microphone in my left hand. About a third of the way through my paper, I decided to make my way back to the podium. After I had finished my paper, there was a treacherous pause. The thought that ran through my mind was that I messed up my paper, and it didn’t sound good to everyone else. Then thunderous applause drowned-out the principal speaking into the microphone.
All I did the rest of the day was smile, surprised that I had overcome my fear. Now, I read all my papers with pride. Still to this day I look back and laugh at all the mistakes I made in the past, but if I hadn’t stayed up late, mistake or not, then I wouldn’t be the same person I am today. Even though I could have done some things better, I will always thank the principals at Wasilla Middle School for giving me the opportunity to overcome my fear of the spotlight.
The principal told me that almost everyone who stayed up the night before told the principal that it was all my fault that they stayed up. As I sat down in the hard, straight-back chair, I felt the heat radiate off the chair from the last person who had taken the same seat. She asked me if I had stayed up with all the other kids, I replied, “no, ma’am”.
The interrogation led on for another twenty minutes or so. After telling her everything I had told everyone else about staying up, I had to write a one and a half page paper on why staying up was a bad decision for everyone and present it to the whole school during the next assembly.
That Friday, my time to “shine” had come; the principal had introduced the reading of my paper and everyone, gave me a round of applause, thus beginning the slow walk to the podium that they had placed for me to give my speech. I was sweating bullets; for the next five minutes, I said nothing due to the 600 or more people who sat there staring at me.
Then, the principal came up to me and whispered in my ear saying, ”What’s wrong Joe?“
I replied, “Nothing, I am just really scared.”
As she laughed, she said,” Don’t be scared, they’re all just like you ”
“Isn’t there anything you know to help me with this?
“Just picture them all naked. “
I looked at her in an ‘Are-you-serious?’ face. Then I started to read my paper as I walked around the gym, pacing back and forth with the microphone in my left hand. About a third of the way through my paper, I decided to make my way back to the podium. After I had finished my paper, there was a treacherous pause. The thought that ran through my mind was that I messed up my paper, and it didn’t sound good to everyone else. Then thunderous applause drowned-out the principal speaking into the microphone.
All I did the rest of the day was smile, surprised that I had overcome my fear. Now, I read all my papers with pride. Still to this day I look back and laugh at all the mistakes I made in the past, but if I hadn’t stayed up late, mistake or not, then I wouldn’t be the same person I am today. Even though I could have done some things better, I will always thank the principals at Wasilla Middle School for giving me the opportunity to overcome my fear of the spotlight.
Wild West by Joe Kalmakoff (Grade 10)
In the “Wild” West, there were cowboys, white pioneers, Indians, and outlaws. when the home stead act was passed, cattle ranchers, cowboys and pioneers entered the west and lived on the plains, moving the Indians onto reservations. Outlaws wanted money and wanted it quick. They’d rob stagecoaches, trains, banks and people. To connect settlers to the east coast, the pony express, the telegraph, and the transcontinental railroad were created, making the country whole for the first time.
When the home stead act was passed in 1862. The pioneers entered the west and lived on the plains; the roaming Indians were a disturbance, so the U.S. government decided to put them on reservations. As settlement sped up across the West after the Transcontinental Railroad was completed, clashes with Native Americans of the Plains and southwest reached a final phase. The U.S. military's mission became to clear the land of free-roaming Indians and put them on reservations.
Most outlaws in the West robbed stage coaches, banks, and people. For example, in 1863 a stage coach was robbed by six masked bandits, $60,000 was taken (today that’s equal to about 1 million dollars). After the bandits cracked the safe, they took all the money and then buried it. But before they could spend any of their money and gold, they were shot dead by the U.S Calvary. At the time, it was rumored that Joseph "Jack" Slade, the Station Master was the leader of the gang. Even though the stage line suspected Slade, they could not prove it, and so they just fired him. Uncharacteristically, the bad-tempered Slade, left without any problems. There were many similar outlaws during this time period.
Two innovations important in the West were the Pony Express & the telegraph. The Pony Express was basically a mobile post office with horses. In 1858, Michael and Karson, owners of the Pony Express, were already in the freighting business with more than 4,000 men, 3,500 wagons, and some 40,000 oxen. At $5 for half an oz. of mail, Mike and Karson hoped to win an exclusive government mail contract, something that did not come about.While the Pony Express and the telegraph were important, the most important innovation in the West was the Transcontinental Railroad. The First Transcontinental Railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the (“Overland Route") was a railroad line built in the United States of America between 1862 and 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and the Union Pacific Railroad. The two tracks connected its Eastern termini at Council Bluffs, Iowa & Omaha, Nebraska with the Pacific Ocean at Oakland, California on the eastern coast.Good life in the West wasn’t easy, but people still managed to deal with all the problems. The cowboys had to deal with the outlaws. The pioneers had to deal with the roaming Indians but they put the Indians, on reservations. the three things that really helped the growth in the West were the Transcontinental Railroad, the telegraph, and the Pony Express. They were great milestones in the acceleration of the growth of the West. The Wild West tied all the states together, and made the two coasts one nation.
"American Old West." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 24 Mar. 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Old_West>.
When the home stead act was passed in 1862. The pioneers entered the west and lived on the plains; the roaming Indians were a disturbance, so the U.S. government decided to put them on reservations. As settlement sped up across the West after the Transcontinental Railroad was completed, clashes with Native Americans of the Plains and southwest reached a final phase. The U.S. military's mission became to clear the land of free-roaming Indians and put them on reservations.
Most outlaws in the West robbed stage coaches, banks, and people. For example, in 1863 a stage coach was robbed by six masked bandits, $60,000 was taken (today that’s equal to about 1 million dollars). After the bandits cracked the safe, they took all the money and then buried it. But before they could spend any of their money and gold, they were shot dead by the U.S Calvary. At the time, it was rumored that Joseph "Jack" Slade, the Station Master was the leader of the gang. Even though the stage line suspected Slade, they could not prove it, and so they just fired him. Uncharacteristically, the bad-tempered Slade, left without any problems. There were many similar outlaws during this time period.
Two innovations important in the West were the Pony Express & the telegraph. The Pony Express was basically a mobile post office with horses. In 1858, Michael and Karson, owners of the Pony Express, were already in the freighting business with more than 4,000 men, 3,500 wagons, and some 40,000 oxen. At $5 for half an oz. of mail, Mike and Karson hoped to win an exclusive government mail contract, something that did not come about.While the Pony Express and the telegraph were important, the most important innovation in the West was the Transcontinental Railroad. The First Transcontinental Railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the (“Overland Route") was a railroad line built in the United States of America between 1862 and 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and the Union Pacific Railroad. The two tracks connected its Eastern termini at Council Bluffs, Iowa & Omaha, Nebraska with the Pacific Ocean at Oakland, California on the eastern coast.Good life in the West wasn’t easy, but people still managed to deal with all the problems. The cowboys had to deal with the outlaws. The pioneers had to deal with the roaming Indians but they put the Indians, on reservations. the three things that really helped the growth in the West were the Transcontinental Railroad, the telegraph, and the Pony Express. They were great milestones in the acceleration of the growth of the West. The Wild West tied all the states together, and made the two coasts one nation.
"American Old West." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 24 Mar. 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Old_West>.
Excerpt from a ledger
For many years, Sherwood had a generous king; he became friends with everyone. As time passed, this man became forgetful, not trusting who was around him; then, he was murdered. The tragedy struck the hearts of the townspeople; it felt like they had lost a close friend.
The king knew this day would come, so he had trained a young boy to take his place. This little boy became the successor to the king’s throne; What no one knew was that the boy would use his new power to oppress them.
Meanwhile, deep in the woods, a group of boys lead by a boy named Robin, chose to rebel against their parents, and they formed a gang that robbed stagecoaches that trailed through the forest, killing anyone that got in their way. The relentless gang had been successful on all of their robberies, but the next one would change Robin’s life forever.
Even though robin was the leader of the gang, the boys had used to get what they wanted, by beating the people half to death only for their money.
He told all the boys to gather around the white oak.
“After this last robbery, I shall not be joining you in anymore to come.”
Twelve of the boys walked away in disappointment, but one boy, Jack, remained in front of Robin. Jack asked
“Why do you wish to quit what we are doing?”
Robin ducked his head, acting like he hadn’t heard. Jack grabbed robin by the collar and struck him in the nose, sending Robin to the ground. Jack mounted Robin and continued to beat him. As Robin lay on the ground, he saw a hooded figure approaching in the distance.
As jack cocked back to throw another punch,
“Stop, what you are doing?” the hooded figure called out
Jack refused to listen, so the hooded figure unslung his bow, dispensed an arrow from the quiver mounted on his back, sited in the bow, and fired. The arrow whistled through the air and penetrated Jack’s right shoulder with a dull thud.
Jack dismounted with a cry and fled into the woods, sobbing, and holstering his arm. The hooded figure approached Robin.
“Why was he beating you?” the cloaked figure interrogated.
Robin couldn’t say a word; the pain from his forearm was too great for him to even let out a squeak. Robin’s vision swam, and the forest around him changed from gray to blue, then from blue to black.
When Robin awoke, he found himself in a hollowed-out tree. Curious about his surroundings, Robin searched through a bag on the ground, he was cautious about the noise he made. Robin removed and opened a black book; halfway through, he found a page that read: “ The days are getting colder and the search seems to never end for my son Robin Thereon.”
At the bottom of the page, Robin saw water stains, which made the pages stick together. Robin was shocked by what he had read. Robin heard a noise and glanced up to see the hooded figure walking through the base of the giant red oak. As he dropped his quiver, he snatched the book from Robin’s hands. He raised his hand, about to strike,
“Stop!” Robin shrieked, “I’m the one you’re searching for.” The man dropped to his knees.
“Robin…is that you?”
Robin found that he was staring into the eyes of his father.
Tears of joy stream down his cheeks. Both he and his father heard pitter movement outside of the red oak tree, so his father quietly took his knife out of his satchel and stood ready by the opening, only to discover that it was just a squirrel seeking out food among the fallen leaves. His father drew back in laughter.
“Son, we must return to Sherwood and find your mother. She fell ill when she saw you had left us. Now, she longs for you to finally arrive home.”
Four nights passed before they reached the outskirts of Sherwood. Robin smelled a horrible stench that made his stomach turn. Coming from a pond by the gate that enclosed the town where the last rightful heir to the throne usually summered. Robin asked, “If the king doesn’t come here, then where does the King go around this time?”
His dad replied, “No one knows where King John goes, he keeps it a secret, along with many others,”
“Hmm…how does he afford to go on all these outing every year?” Robin asked.
Before his dad could reply, the king’s knights were clearing a path for the king’s royal chariot, so it could exit the town. The noise from the white, well-muscled, matching horses and chariot roared as it passed, but quickly faded away as they neared the cottage where his father and mother had lived for 35 years.
“What have you been doing while I was gone?” Robin asked. “You can’t tell anyone, but I have been slipping into the castle at night and stealing money from the king’s royal chambers, and giving back to the people. The group I have gathered, plan to go in the day after tomorrow. Robin, would you like to join us on our next outing?”
“Why doesn’t anyone overthrow the king?” They heard pounding on the door. Robin’s father answered the door. When Robin’s mother walked in and saw Robin, she burst out in tears.
That night Robin, his father, and his father’s gang fled in the dark and traitorous forest to breach the east castle wall, as it is the most unguarded. They approached the east wall only to discover that one of the men had forgotten rope, a futile key to squeeze their way in to the castles guard system.
With four people out of the eight dressed like King John’s guards, while the other four sneak into the king’s chamber as the imposters kept watch. As they dressed up to distracted the guards, Robin and his father paired up and branched off to King John’s chambers. As for the other pair, they snuck off to the armory to gather weapons so that the town could better protect themselves.
Robin and his father opened the treasury door; there was all the money and jewels anyone could ever ask for. Robin in the mean time gathered anything he could and put it into his pouch.
After they took all the loot they could, they crept out, but the four imposters could not get away because they were wrapped up in conversation with the guards that stationed at the inside gate. After several impaction minutes, Robin’s father threw a lit bottle of alcohol over the wall and caught fire to the haystack causing a distraction. Finally, the other four broke free and went the other way, climbing back down the east wall. Robin led on into the dark, and desolate part of Sherwood Forest.
As they stashed the loot under a dead, hollowed out red oak tree. Later that night Robin went back and got the loot and while everyone was sleeping he distributed the money among the whole town. Then Robin left the town and bought a new house on the prairie. In the first month that Robin and his family had moved there, a treturious gang sent by King John, and they had killed both of Robin’s parents. So Robin took action and went off to the town of Sherwood and stayed with the gang that were friends with his father, When he had arrived there he was going to seek out the roughest and toughest people at the local Pub, wondering if anyone knew where the king would be so Robin may drive his blade through King Johns heart. But that dream was short lived after he had fallen deeply in love with a beautiful lady named Priscilla. Soon after they had met they had started a family on the prairie. Their son had grown up to be a well-mannered young man, and when Robin and Priscilla grew old; Carlile (there son) took great care of them. They have been happy ever since.