The Pre-Roe Pro-Life Movement in Minnesota and New York

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Chapter 3: The Post-Roe Shift: Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Redirect and Progress at Home, While Founders Move Onward and Upward The New Wave of a Post-Roe Debate: MCCL’s Accomplishments After a “Day of Infamy in American History” 1 The United States Supreme Court handed down the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions on January 22, 1973, changing American law and the abortion debate for nearly forty years, and counting. The justices who held the majority opinion in Roe v. Wade argued the Texas abortion statute that prevented first trimester abortions violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. 2 Additionally, the less familiar Doe v. Bolton decision ruled the multiple requirements in Georgia’s abortion statute (that abortions must be conducted in hospitals, approved by the hospital’s board committee, and that the woman seeking the abortion must be a citizen of Georgia) all violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as well. 3 With these decisions came a great wave of many more to come, and with increasing frequency. While the twentieth century Supreme Court heard and ruled on only five cases relating to abortion prior to 1973, it saw three in 1973 alone, fourteen more in the remaining years of 1 Marjory Mecklenburg, quoted in “Court’s Ruling on Abortion Hit,” UPI, Seattle Post Intelligencer, A5, 29 April 1974, ACCL Records, Box 27, Folder: ACCL Admin File: M. Mecklenburg 1973-76 (1), Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. 2 Palmer, 321. 3 Ibid., 91. 43
the 1970s, and an additional thirteen in the 1980s. 4 The January 22, 1973 decisions caused activists on both sides of the issue to burst with renewed and increased enthusiasm. Some, like historian Suzanne Staggenborg, argue the anti-abortion movement was in fact spurred to greater action by the decision than were its pro-abortion opponents after Roe. Staggenborg argues that “[a]lthough anti-abortion groups had been active before 1973, the legalization of abortion provided a tremendous spur to the…movement as it lobbied to overturn or block implementation of the Court ruling…[T]he war was continuing on new fronts.” 5 The most prevalent new front for the pro-life campaign was the national stage, where pro-life groups pressured Congress for amendments outlawing abortion. For example, pro-life activists received a 1976 victory in the form of the Hyde Amendment, which eliminated taxpayer funding for abortions. On the local level, Roe boosted pro-life forces like MCCL to pressure state legislatures to publicly oppose the decision. On an even smaller scale, state groups picketed and protested in front of abortion clinics and hospitals to block the implementation of abortions in individual communities. 6 Beyond the borders of Minnesota previously discussed, for example, prolife activist Thomas A. Licciardi delivered a petition of 7,200 names to the Riverside Hospital in Boonton, N.J. after it started allowing abortions in alignment with the Roe decision. 7 Riverside soon returned to its previous restrictive policy, out of fear of losing 4 Ibid., 370-1. 5 Suzanne Staggenborg, The Pro-Choice Movement: Organization and Activism in the Abortion Conflict (New York: Oxford University Press, 1991), 58. 6 “Fraser’s abortion stand draws fire in St. Joseph,” The St. Cloud Daily Times, No. 64, 26 August, 1978, page 1, given to author from personal archives of Mary and Robert Joyce. 7 Jeffrey A. Tannenbaum, “A New Cause: Many Americans Join Move to Ban Abortion; Legislators Take Note,” The Wall Street Journal, 2 August 1973, page one, ACCL Records, Box 7, Folder: NRLC – States Program Comm, 1973 (5), Gerald R. Ford Library. 44
Page 1 and 2: Abortion as a “Medical Problem Br
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Acknowledgements
Page 5 and 6: Abbreviations ACCL - American Citiz
Page 7 and 8: this first neighborhood grassroots
Page 9 and 10: in New York, California, and Colora
Page 11 and 12: is a unique and important one to te
Page 13 and 14: major factors led to MCCL’s victo
Page 15 and 16: Well before Blackmun’s 1972 Mayo
Page 17 and 18: Chapter 1: The Pre-History of the C
Page 19 and 20: practice. The law as it stands is t
Page 21 and 22: would have functioned independently
Page 23 and 24: instances also increased awareness
Page 25 and 26: threat of abortion criminalization
Page 27 and 28: the actions of new twentieth-centur
Page 29 and 30: of the MCLTP. 3 In the early 1970s,
Page 31 and 32: from the Great Depression in its se
Page 33 and 34: underestimated his opponents, as MC
Page 35 and 36: who shared a “communitarian ethic
Page 37 and 38: However, the Council did not offer
Page 39 and 40: issue-based and activist politics f
Page 41 and 42: Blake and Fred Mecklenburg and lobb
Page 43 and 44: yet united front against abortion l
Page 45 and 46: anti-abortion movement, but also be
Page 47: emerging organizations across the c
Page 51 and 52: When news of Roe and Doe broke, MCC
Page 53 and 54: their efforts prior to the decision
Page 55 and 56: the part of state groups and create
Page 57 and 58: physical space in Minneapolis and r
Page 59 and 60: 58 of them were enacted. 37 Even fo
Page 61 and 62: looms as a menace to all mankind an
Page 63 and 64: War.” 56 President Gerald Ford di
Page 65 and 66: the 1976 Republican Party Platform,
Page 67 and 68: should be noted that pro-life activ
Page 69 and 70: with us.” 81 Needless to say, by
Page 71 and 72: ecord of being vindictive.” 90 Ca
Page 73 and 74: decades of involvement. Yet before
Page 75 and 76: nationwide effort organized by the
Page 77 and 78: in drastic (at the extreme, irrecon
Page 79 and 80: and increase political effectivenes
Page 81 and 82: willing to be window dressing - no
Page 83 and 84: Warren Schaller, and others to form
Page 85 and 86: women, which would become the speci
Page 87 and 88: On multiple levels, ACCL became a p
Page 89 and 90: multi-issue approach was a tactic a
Page 91 and 92: asserted, “often a few key people
Page 93 and 94: Lampe, and others) split to form AC
Page 95 and 96: nomination. Jefferson’s tactics w
Page 97 and 98: administration. 82 Lampe took over
Page 99 and 100:
and was also a member of Planned Pa
Page 101 and 102:
As previously explored, Mecklenburg
Page 103 and 104:
million; Schweiker’s stance and a
Page 105 and 106:
Almost immediately after her appoin
Page 107 and 108:
The last straw came when Mecklenbur
Page 109 and 110:
on the national scene cautiously, m
Page 111 and 112:
abortion debate she encountered as
Page 113 and 114:
Conclusion Supreme Court Justice Ha
Page 115 and 116:
legislatures, and celebrated occasi
Page 117 and 118:
ecognized nationwide as “one of t
Page 119 and 120:
Bibliography Archives and Interview
Page 121 and 122:
Gorney, Cynthia. Articles of Faith.
Page 123:
Press, Eyal. Absolute Convictions:
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The Pre-Roe Pro-Life Movement in Minnesota and New York

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