Center for American Progress

Anti-Abortion Movement Made Gosnell’s Crimes Possible
In the News

Anti-Abortion Movement Made Gosnell’s Crimes Possible

Jessica Arons describes three things we can do to protect women from predators such as Kermit Gosnell going forward.

Only Kermit Gosnell is to blame for the heinous crimes he is alleged to have committed against women seeking abortions, but the tactics and policies of the so-called “Pro Life” movement gave him the opportunity to do so.

While most people thought we said goodbye to “back alley abortionists” when the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, the case that made abortion legal throughout the United States in 1973, anti-abortion activists have worked concertedly over the past 40 years to make abortion as difficult as possible to obtain even if they haven’t been able to officially overturn Roe. Their unfortunate success has meant that for a significant portion of women in this country, often the most marginalized, the promise of safe and legal abortion offered in Roe has never been realized.

The above excerpt was originally published in Politix. Click here to view the full article.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.

Authors

Jessica Arons

Director, Women\'s Health & Rights Program