Abortion Issues

9

Historical Investigation

An Investigation into Contrasting Views on the Abortion Issue from the 1960s to 1990s

Citation Style: MLA
Word Count:

Table of Contents
A. Plan of Investigation...........................................................................................................Page 3
B. Summary of Evidence...................................................................................................Pages 3-5
C. Evaluation of Sources.....................................................................................................Page 5-6
D. Analysis.........................................................................................................................Pages 6-8
E. Conclusion..........................................................................................................................Page

Plan of Investigation This historical investigation evaluates the following question: To what extent was the conservative anti-abortion movement of the 1980s and 1990s successful in neutralizing the rise of the liberal pro-abortion movement of the 1960s and 1970s? In order to determine the success of conservatism in the 1980s and 1990s, conservatism and liberalism will be evaluated in terms of the social climates of the time periods concerning the abortion issue. In this evaluation, the sources used include a video, articles, and a pamphlet. Two of these sources-- The Facts Speak Louder than ?The Silent Scream?, a pamphlet published by Planned Parenthood in 1985, and a Chicago Tribune article, "Timeline of abortion laws and events."--are evaluated for their origins, purposes, values, and limitations. However, this historical investigation will not evaluate the effects of conservatism in relation to any issues outside of abortion. Likewise, the years before 1960 and after 1999 will not be factored into the evaluation of the question.

B. Summary of

Despite the best counter efforts of pro-life supporters, abortion made its way onto the TV screen as an everyday topic (Rosenberg). Additionally, with the support of a substantial portion of the medical community, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America was quick to publish a pamphlet that largely discredited The Silent Scream (Planned Parenthood). However, the pamphlet was unsuccessful in calming pro-life activists, who rallied behind The Silent Scream, using it as a tool to sway people to their cause (Mehren and Cuniberti). Anti-abortion groups only grew as time went on, violence beginning to break out in the early 1990s, especially in abortion clinics (?Timeline?). 1993 marked the first time that an anti-abortion advocate grew violent on such a large scale, when Michael Griffin shot abortion doctor David Gunn outside of an abortion clinic in protest (?Timeline?). There were many more radical protests of abortion, both in 1993 and later on, but that only provides further evidence that the pro-abortion movement was still alive and ongoing