Citation

Hern WM. Conscience 1998; 18(4): 26.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Catholics for a Free Choice)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12178882

Abstract

For several years prior to the US Supreme Court's decision in Roe vs. Wade, the author of this account, the Director of the Boulder Abortion Clinic, had been working for the legalization of abortion. After the decision was announced, he thought that the political problem surrounding abortion had been solved and that the only remaining problem was how to implement the decision through the development of rational policy and safe standards. Another challenge he recognized was the social legitimization of abortion services. In 1973, he helped open the first free-standing nonprofit abortion clinic in Colorado and performed all of the abortions. In 1975, he opened the Boulder Abortion Clinic, which soon became the site of anti-abortion demonstrations and violence. Anti-abortion harassment contributed to the dissolution of his marriage, and the windows of his office were shattered by gunshots. Operation Rescue officials publicly called for his assassination, and one of his colleagues was, in fact, killed. Thus, the Roe decision had a personal impact on this physician's life that he would never have anticipated.

Language: en