All language subtitles for Roe v. Wade (2021).en

Doctor. Phil McCombs,
Washington Post.

Thank you. Good to see you.

Thank you
for taking the time.

So, when you take them out,
you don't see anything?

No, you don't see anything.

I-I-I mean, of all the thousands
of second trimester abortions

that I've done, I mean,
maybe I've seen half a dozen.

But didn't it bother you
when you did?

No, not particularly.

It was the end product;

a lifeless,
limp thing lying there.

They have a human form.

Oh, absolutely.

I-I-I'm sorry.
I-I'm a little bit confused.

Uh.

First you said,
"All you see is bloody meat."

Hm-mm.

But now you're saying
you always knew it was a person.

So Doctor,

which one is it?

I didn't know what to say.

I felt I was caught in a lie.

So, you have to understand,
it was the '70s.

The women's liberation
movement was exploding.

Millions of women
were taking to the streets,

and I got swept up in the way.

saying now
that anything after eight weeks

is murder, which I'm all for.

I'm protesting the protesters.

Proverbs 14:12.

"There is a way
that seems right unto man,

but in the end thereof,
the way is death."

Well, sir,
I was in the parking lot

and I saw some people's signs
and I said,

"What's happening today?"
And they said,

"They're protesting
the governor's decision."

I don't want
a bunch of old white dudes

regulating my body.

I want us to stand up

for the innocent lives
of children

that are being aborted
in the womb,

and to stop the bloodshed.

I mean, in proportion,
12-year-olds can get abortions

in public schools
and without parental consent.

That's happened in the States.

In Virginia,
if you have a baby,

they put it on a table
and they ask the parents

do you want it to live a lie.

My life.

my decision!

My life.

my decision!

You have to sacrifice your pawn
to save your queen.

It all started in my 20s.

That's Ruth, my first love.

See, my family was Jewish

so I tried to get them to
warm up to her.

But I had a better chance
of beating my dad at chess.

Check.

Pawns are the soul of a game.

You don't need the queen
to win the game.

Checkmate.

You have to sacrifice
for the greater good.

How could I
have been so stupid.

Maybe we can get married.

No. Not like this. Not yet.

You do know
I love you, right?

I can't take care
of a baby right now.

Oh, that's what you want.

I can't tell
my family about this.

My father won't help.

What am I going to do,
Bernie?

Honey, it's we, and we're
in this together, okay?

Okay.

I would have married her,

but she didn't want that.

So, I gave her $500.
That way, nobody had to know.

I never thought
I would lose Ruth.

I became a doctor

to make sure no girl ever
had to go through that again.

I will give no deadly medicine,
nor suggest any such counsel;

nor give to a woman a pessary
to procure an abortion.

Like most doctors,

I would violate
the Hippocratic oath.

But saving women
was all that mattered.

I know everyone has
their own version of events.

But if you really want to know

how abortion became legal
in our country,

I will tell you the true story

of Roe v. Wade.

I wanted to get abortion
legalized across the country.

Our master plan to do that

started right here
in New York City.

That's Betty Friedan,

the leader of
the women's movement.

You see, we needed her gals
if we had any chance of winning.

Ah-ha. Not again.
Mrs. Friedan.

The Plaza's Oak Room
has a 61-year tradition

of men's only lunches.

Well, well, well.

If it isn't the world-famous
author of The Feminine Mystique,

Mrs. Betty Friedan.

Mr. Larry Lader.

Larry was my best friend.

He was the father
of the abortion movement.

And he was also mentored
by Margaret Sanger,

the founder of
Planned Parenthood.

Now, here's the ugly truth.

Margaret opened clinics
in poor Black neighborhoods

and called it the Negro Project.

The mass of Negroes,
particularly in the South,

still breed carelessly
and disastrously.

The result that the increase
among Negroes,

more than among whites,

is that portion
of the population

least intelligent and fit.

Her goal was to reduce

the Black population,

either through birth control
or sterilization.

She literally wanted to stop
Black people

from having babies altogether.

And Larry continued her work
by launching an organization

to legalize abortion,

and wrote the first nationwide
book on the topic.

Have you happened
to read my book?

Did you prance over here

to have me fawn over
your vanity project?

Cyril here works for the ACLU.

We can have him sue the Plaza
if you like.

A girl should
not expect special privileges

because of her sex,

but neither should she adjust
to prejudice or discrimination.

I-I'm Bernard.

An obstetrician officially,

until they get the laws
repealed.

Cyril is also
the lead counsel

for Planned Parenthood.

So, why are you boys
so worked up about abortion?

Well,
Cyril is gonna head legal,

Bernie, medical.

I would like him
to open up a clinic.

Larry, listen,
I've told you a million times.

I'm not gonna ruin
my reputation over this.

The women need your help.

Opening a clinic
will land him in hot water

like Vuitch.

Exactly. And I'm
much better to you out of jail.

A bunch of disorganized men

are gonna rid this country
of abortion restriction?

No, no, no.
We're not disorganized, okay.

- If Bernie...
- We're looking for

a pregnant girl to
challenge the abortion laws.

If New York falls,
the country falls.

If that doesn't work,
we'll lobby the legislature.

I guess I can provide
medical research

to prove our opinion.

We wanna rally
behind the women's movement

to get the TV media on board.

So that's why you need me.

We need to continue
Margaret Sanger's work.

Oh, well.

Thank you so much
for this explanation.

But abortion
is really not our focus.

You're gonna regret it

when you see Gloria Steinem
and Bella Abzug

hopping on board
and everybody else.

You're our first choice.

Yeah? Why?

Because you're the best.

Betty came on board

and brought
her core of feminists.

We all launched NARAL together,

the National Association
to Repeal Abortion Laws.

Did I tell you?

Did I tell you?

Looks like I started
a revolution.

I mean... I told you,
you should open a clinic.

Well, you know, you're probably
right about the clinic.

But listen, I-I gotta
look after Adele and Joey, so.

Are you not seeing this?

Yeah, but do you really think

we should go for full repeal?

I say we go for
abortion on demand!

Yeah.

Listen, come on.
We don't need to get greedy.

Can't we just do this for health
or if a woman gets raped?

You know, wouldn't it
just be better for that?

We don't need to go for
abortion on demand.

No, no, no.

We have to go
for the full enchilada.

Otherwise, we'll get nothing.

Cyril's correct.

We can't turn a woman's body
into a business negotiation.

You just won
a fabulous trip to London.

It's worth over $1,000.
Congratulations, sir.

Your dinner's in the oven,
if you wanna heat it up.

Thank you, sweetheart.

Like always!

Oh, come on, not again.

Eighteen-hour days?

What's her name?

Betty Friedan.

Come on, you can't take a joke?

What you do isn't funny.

I don't understand. A woman
doesn't support women's rights?

I mean, you should see
what they go through.

Then go be with them.

Women are dying.
I'm saving lives.

I just miss you, that's all.

Okay, you win.

The New York State Senate
today passed one of the nation's

most sweeping
abortion control bills.

Aggregates
and enemies of the bill

brought tremendous pressures
to bear on legislators

on the emotional issue,

and the drama was summed up
late yesterday

in the State Assembly

when one man's vote
made the difference.

As New York's Assembly
passed a bill

legalizing abortions
for any reason,

up to the 24th week
of a pregnancy,

the decision to be made between
a woman and her physician.

But then it became apparent
that the bill would fail

unless one vote was changed.

But I cannot,
in good conscience,

stand here and thwart the
obvious majority of this House.

I therefore request you,
Mr. Speaker,

to change my negative vote
to an affirmative vote.

Completely devastated,

the pro-life senator,
Earl Brydges,

read the Diary of the Unborn.

"My parents don't know it yet,

"I'm as small
as the seed of an apple.

"But it's me already.

"I'm to be a girl.

"I shall have blonde hair
and blue eyes.

"October 19th.

"Some say
I'm not a real person yet,

"that only my mother exists.

"But I am a real person.

"December 13th.

"I'm just about able to see.

"It's-it's dark around me.

"But what I want
more than anything.

"is to see my mommy.

"December 24th.

"I wonder if mommy.

"hears the whispering
of my heart.

"It beats so evenly.

"October 28th... December 28th.

Today my mommy killed me."

The win shocked our opposition.

I mean, no one thought
we would get abortion

legalized in New York.

Especially since the Catholics
controlled everything there.

How does Rockefeller
appoint Cyril Means

to head this committee?

It's a conflict of interest.

He works for Planned Parenthood.

Politicians
are now playing God,

deciding on who has the right
to live and to die.

This is Dr. Mildred Jefferson,
she is the first,

uh, woman to graduate...

What he's trying to say is

I am the first Negro woman
to graduate Harvard Medical.

Ellen,
I run a pro-life women's group.

We, ah, tried to fight this
in Albany.

Feminism is destructive.

I have no philosophical

or intellectual
appreciation for it.

Oh, we're not feminists.

And they used to be
against abortion.

It's not about
women's rights either.

Would you like to head up

a right to life group
that I'm starting?

I could write a few letters.

There's more
that needs to be done.

I could attend some rallies.

Really? That's it?

This will be the National
Right to Life Committee.

Father, I am
still completing my residency

at Boston University.

I will not give them
any more excuses.

I never heard
Rosa Parks give excuses.

I'm sorry about Ellen,
all right.

She's from Long Island.

I will not be used
for the color of my skin.

I do what I do on principle,
like Don Quixote.

Look, first they came
after the Jews,

but we weren't Jewish,
so we didn't say anything.

And then they came
after the mentally deficient.

But we weren't deficient
so we did nothing.

And now they're comin'
after the unborn.

and so you're gonna do nothing?

That's a low blow.

No one is coming for the unborn.

This is akin to slavery,
and you know the topic.

Because I'm Black?

Yes.

This can't come to you
as a shock.

Dr. Haven,

perhaps the board
could consider...

The decision has been made.

I've been in medicine
for 20 years.

Dr. McConnell will be
our new chief resident,

and that's final.

You've chosen Dr. McConnell.

The man can barely get
through an appendectomy.

He's a fine doctor.

This position
is way too precious

to be wasted on a woman.

I'll get it.

Professor Robert Byrn.

Father McHugh
said you were gonna call.

There is not much time,

and Jim said
you wanted to help out.

Well, supposedly

you're the best
constitutional mind he knows.

The only one he knows.

"Any society that's willing to
give up a little liberty

to gain a little security

will deserve neither
and lose both."

Benjamin Franklin.

Susan B. Anthony
said about abortion,

"Awful guilty is the woman
who commits the deed."

No one will be passing a law
to kill the unborn.

Our foundations
are built on natural law.

Are you sure about that?

People can't humanize
what they can't see.

Physicians need to
balance the discussion.

But in order to win,

we need to take God
out of the argument.

Nathanson's clinics
are performing

a thousand abortions per week.

Nathanson?

Dr. Bernard Nathanson,
the obstetrician.

The self-proclaimed
savior of women.

Sounds more like
an abortionist than a doctor.

The Abortion King,
they call him.

That's why I'm sacrificing
my time and taking up the fight.

I'm a woman.
You have choices.

I understand.

You need to take care
of your children.

No, we don't have any children.

We tried.

So glad you're here.

Look at this.
Have you seen that?

"An unmarried
Catholic law professor."

Now, Larry's strategy

was to always
vilify the Catholics.

So, every time
we leaked a story,

we made sure the writer
identified the bad guys

specifically as Catholics.

I'm always described that way.

You never see them identify
Betty Friedan "a married Jew,"

but us, always "a Catholic."

Could be worse.

Come on.

We're gonna go in here
and over to the left.

Where are the graves?

Where are the names
carved in stone?

Where do we go to pray?

I don't know, Father.

But I do know
that they will never stop

the religious persecution.

Preaching on Sundays
isn't saving babies.

"The fate of unborn millions
will now depend,

under God,
on the courage of this army."

George Washington.

We need to take God
out of the argument.

Your father was a minister.

Yes.

Life begins at conception.

As a physician, I know this.

And so does the Scraper.

The Scraper?

That's what they call
Dr. Nathanson.

I'm in.

I'll have someone
from the Right to Life office

get it up and running
until you can take over.

God bless you.

You know,
it's cheaper to abort a baby

than it is
to keep it on welfare.

Now that it's in the courts,

the interests of the baby will
be taken into consideration.

And now that it is legal
in New York,

Larry really wants me
to open up a clinic.

Does he want to pay
our mortgage?

Larry was right,

and from this point forward,

we were able to carry out
over 70,000 abortions

throughout my career,
making over $20 million.

Maybe this is
worth your reputation.

I guess they could
use your help.

If you're gonna do this,

I need you to do
one thing for me.

Tell me.

Win!

Now
that my business was booming,

I didn't have
enough hours in the day

to take care of all the girls
who wanted abortions.

So, we had to go to London
to learn a faster procedure.

Uh, today, I'll be performing
32 procedures.

Thirty-two in one day?
Impressive.

Yeah,
it's much more civilized now.

What is that machine there
used for?

Well, this is
a suction machine.

The procedure is called
suction curettage.

With this, I can perform
an abortion in three minutes.

That's impossible.
You can't do that.

You can thank the Chinese
for this.

This and firecrackers.

Up until how many months
can you use this machine?

Four and a half,

no problem.

Dilation and evacuation
up to six and a half,

but some doctors
even more than that.

Now, if you're looking
for a nice shirt

while you're in London,

I can recommend
MacCulloch & Wallis.

They get the cut just right.
It is your body after all.

One thing to be careful of
though is,

their guy is a little clumsy
with the needle,

but who cares
if it stings a bit, hmm?

Ah, suction machine, please?

You got it.

The fetus is quartered.

The torso disemboweled.

The head is then crushed
and extracted in parts.

Then the placenta
is scraped off the womb.

The last step of dilation
and evacuation is,

you must reconstruct the fetus

to make sure all the vital parts
have been removed.

Thank you.

Look, if you follow
the New York model,

you're gonna be able to
maximize patients. Okay?

If you need any help...

We have regional centers.

Planned Parenthood has centers
all over the country.

Yeah.

Thank you, gentlemen.

We found a girl in Texas.

Our gal at Planned Parenthood
Dallas, Ginny Whitehill,

organized the whole thing.

Did you get a lawyer
in Texas, too?

A woman, and this is where
it gets good.

Ginny found the perfect one.

No.

Young, inexperienced,
and in need of guidance.

And it gets better.

She works for us.

What are you talking about?

For Planned Parenthood.

No.

She even volunteers
for your group, NOW.

Henry's a civil rights lawyer
but he does adoptions, too.

That's how we found the girl.

Norma McCorvey.
She's perfect.

She was a runaway,

she became an alcoholic,

a drug addict, a lesbian.

She has a criminal record
and a ninth-grade education.

She is just
what you're looking for.

Ginny, this is great.

We need to legalize this
across the country in one swoop.

Fighting state by state
will take forever.

And the lawyers?

Linda Coffee
and Sarah Weddington.

Henry McCluskey was the guy

who not only found
the pregnant girl,

but the lawyers, too.

They are super excited.

Plus.

they desperately needed a job.

Planned Parenthood

needed Texas lawyers
they could control.

And they wanted women.

Sarah and Linda couldn't
get hired anywhere else.

They were the perfect pawns.

You're gonna make
a constitutional claim.

How are we gonna do that?

Between Planned Parenthood,
NARAL, and NOW,

you got a lot of help.

And Norma's background?

Are we worried
that's gonna affect the case?

We'll give her a pseudonym.
Call her Jane Roe.

Calling Norma Jane Roe,

made sure our opponents
would never be able to

find out who she was;
never be able to question her,

and never, ever be able to
find out the truth.

That's genius.

That way, no one will
ever know about her past.

I'll oversee the case.

I'll bring in Harriet Pilpel
from Planned Parenthood.

She's the country's
top constitutional expert.

This is going to
the Supreme Court?

We'll make sure of it.

But, I-I've never even
tried a case.

Don't worry, we have.

Larry liked
to go to St. Croix.

He called them
working vacations.

Okay, Bernie.

He said that's where

he got his best ideas.

- This time, I went with him.
- Look, they do need us.

We were going to celebrate

- winning New York.
- Here's the strategy, okay.

First, we have to get
the media on our side.

That's a good idea, okay.

Second,
they need to know

there's no life at conception.

Yeah, but I'm not really sure
that's accurate.

Well, you're a doctor.

We're gonna need testimonials.

What about
what the other experts say?

We'll make sure no one's gonna
hear what they have to say.

I couldn't
believe what he just said.

Larry wanted me
to bury the truth.

I was really conflicted but.
I went along with it anyway.

Right? Listen.

Most important, every revolution
needs a villain, okay?

Whether it's a dictator
or a king.

People need to see a face,
something to rebel against.

It's easier for them
to perceive.

We need to narrow the focus,
okay,

identify it with a person

or a small group of shadowy,
powerful people.

Don't you see?

In our country there's been
one group associated with

reactionary politics,

behind-the-scenes
manipulations,

and backward ideas.

Wait, not the Catholics again?

Oh, well.
What did I really care?

I mean, although my parents
were Jewish,

I was more of an atheist.

Of course, the Catholics.
Yes!

Norma.

good to see you again.

Come here.

This is Sarah.

So, you're seeking
an abortion?

Yeah, you know
where I can get one?

I'm so sorry, I do not.

How about an illegal one?

No!

Okay, well, Sarah did know

where to get an illegal one.

She had one in Mexico.

But we needed them to say
whatever it took

to get her to come on board.

It was for the greater good.
This was lie number one.

Why the heck not?

Because it's dangerous.

What am I even doing here then?

Mr. McCluskey said
I could trust y'all.

He's great.

We'll still consult
with McCluskey, okay?

I can't be
having no baby, okay?

I got no job, no husband,
no home.

You don't wanna to
put your child up for adoption?

No, I can't
go through that again.

Thank you.

How did you become pregnant
in the first place?

Can I?

Norma, if we are gonna
represent you,

we need to know everything.

Did anything bad happen?

I was, uhm, raped.

Norma may have been suicidal,

but she admitted years later,
she lied about being raped.

Raped?

I'm so sorry.

No woman should ever
have to give birth

to her attacker's child.

Hmm, is the case
gonna be over in enough time?

That's why I'm doing this.

Yes, of course.

Lie number two.

We will do our best to win.

So, what happens
during an abortion?

Does the baby go back?

Like when John Wayne
aborts a mission?

Well, there is no baby.

And ladies and gentlemen,

lie number three.

It's like removing
a piece of tissue.

The baby comes later, Norma.

Much later.

Like passing a period.

So, y'all got
a lot of experience with this.

We're going to file in Dallas.

But I live in Houston.

I know, but I clerked for
Judge Hughes in Dallas

and I know her position
on the topic.

We just need you to read
these papers and sign.

And then, we'll just-we'll
get everything going.

It's all right.
I trust y'all.

Get out! Get out!

Wait.

wait.

They lied to me.

They told me
we would have won by now.

Call them!
Tell them to get McCluskey!

Obviously,

the case didn't
get to court in time.

Ha-ha! Mr. Floyd,
welcome to Dallas.

- How's the Governor?
- He's still reeling

over your Lee Harvey Oswald
debacle.

Well, he should have appointed
me instead of Sarah Hughes.

You'll want to hear this.

Two young lawyers just filed...

Whoop dee doo,
goody for them.

In Judge Hughes' court,
and it's about...

Oh, let me guess, abortion!

You know,
that Sarah Hughes, she...

anything to get at me.

So.

So, these gals,
fresh out of UT Law,

are bringin'
an abortion case to Texas.

Thank you.
I needed a good laugh.

You should be worried, Hank!

About what? Prissy feminists
looking to stir up the pot?

Tolle, come in here.
You need to hear this.

They're causing a ruckus
all over the country.

Any decent lawyer

can try this case
with his eyes closed.

You-you-you argue the case.

Show these girls some good
old-fashioned Texas morals.

It's not about morals, Hank!

Well, that's just ignorant.

Why don't we legalize murder
while we're at it?

Who's this Jane Roe anyway?

Well, she's healthy,
so the baby can't kill her.

So, she can't have
an abortion in Texas.

Why doesn't she move
to New York City?

They're gonna bring up
some women's rights violations.

A woman's right
to kill her own baby?

You're right.

There's no way
anyone with a conscience

could legalize
killin' a child.

And that's why
I prosecuted Jack Ruby

for killing Lee Harvey Oswald.

No judge or jury
in their right mind

would ever let abortion happen
in Texas, ever.

Ever.

I'm Jay Floyd,

Assistant Attorney General
of the State of Texas.

The parties in this lawsuit

have no standing
before the court.

Jane Roe no longer
seeks an abortion.

She has had the baby
or is having it.

Are we gonna let the delay

in the hearing
abort the case?

She may want to
engage in activity

where she'll become pregnant,

and then she may want
an abortion.

The law's whether or not
the party has standing

at the time the issues
are decided in the case.

This statute takes effect

regardless of when
the embryo takes effect.

I mean, at first week?

There have been many arguments

as to when an embryo
becomes a human being.

There have been
many religious groups

that have joined
in that controversy,

and I'm not setting forth
the Catholic faith.

How is that
gettin' you anywhere?

The point is,

the state's interest
is whether or not murder occurs,

and if the embryo is considered
a human being.

There have been
many opinions on privacy.

So, you're saying that if Texas
were to approve abortion,

that it would be considered a
direct killin' of our citizens?

I-I think this is a bad word
in this situation,

although everybody
seems to want to use it.

I haven't come up
with a phrase myself,

but I don't think
privacy is gonna do it.

The State's position is
the right of that child to life

is superior to the woman's
right to privacy.

Then an argument could be made

that an abortion
isn't necessary,

a medical argument because of
the health of the mother.

Any possible change
in the relevant law

is a matter for the state
legislators and not the courts.

First Amendment rights
or Ninth Amendment rights,

I feel that they are
so important that they deserve

special protection.

They involve fundamental
human freedoms.

The State has not tried to
prosecute unfairly, has it?

The State is prosecuting
against physicians.

Do you think the entire
statute should be stricken?

Yes.

- Is the court worried about...?
- Ah...

We worry about a lot of things.
Don't let that worry you.

I think the statute is so bad

that the court just has to
strike it all down.

So, you think 63 years
of unconstitutionality

should've worn everyone's
constitutional patience?

Is that what you're saying?

I think the State
has had plenty of time

to construe this statute.

This was
the judge Linda clerked for,

and she obviously
made her decision

before she even heard the case.

I think the wink gave it away.

I would like to draw to
the court's attention that life

is an ongoing process.

It is almost impossible
to define at which point

life begins or

perhaps even when life ends.

Assuming there is a Ninth
Amendment right to privacy,

does the state have
any compelling reason

to regulate
or modify that right?

I cannot see
any justification for regulation

when the abortion's
being done by a doctor.

The state of the pregnancy
or anything?

The stage of the pregnancy
is pause for concern, um.

You could recognize life
when the fetus is able to live

outside the body of the mother.

It might be dependent on
whether she has money or not?

The young,
those still in school,

those unable to shoulder
the responsibility of a child,

these girls should not be
put through the pregnancy

and should be entitled
to an abortion.

Gentlemen, inside, now!

I told you any decent lawyer
could win this case!

You, Mr. Floyd, are apparently
not a decent lawyer.

The judge's decision
was political;

nobody could've done anything.

You weren't prepared!

You didn't bring in
any medical experts to testify

that life begins at conception!

They said the Constitution
didn't apply to the unborn.

We'll fight the decision, Hank!

Fight? You didn't even
bring in all of the case law.

Dozens that do protect
the rights of the unborn!

You've embarrassed this office.

Sir, if you would just listen
to what I have to say, I could...

Planned Parenthood
in their own words agree,

"Abortion kills the life
of the baby after it's begun"!

Right here in their own damn
pamphlet!

You research this Jane Roe

to see if she's
telling the truth.

Mr. Tolle,
I will deal with you.

Mr. Floyd,
you deal with the Governor.

I will appeal this all the way
to the Supreme Court,

so help me God!

Until the appeals process
is over,

abortion is still illegal
in Texas.

Potter keeps pushing Roe.

I think we should wait.

The Senate has rejected

each of Nixon's
appointments so far.

Who knows how long
this could take.

Obviously, they're just trying
as many cases as they can

while they're still in control.

Your letter to Nixon
did help get your friend

Blackmun on the bench.

Well, I had to do something.

Nothing like that
has happened in 40 years.

At this rate, the liberals
will never let Nixon

appoint any new justices.

It could be
Rehnquist and Powell.

Who the hell knows
where they stand.

What are you thinking, Byron?

Seven judges,
only six are required.

The Supreme Court

has nine justices.

Two had just retired,

and Nixon was fighting
with the Senate

over his replacements.

This is far too. Too sensitive
a matter for seven.

Well, we just decided
the Vuitch case.

I'll bring that up
and we'll-we'll move on.

Roe v. Wade,
in the grand scheme of things,

is not that important.

The Vuitch case!

I don't-I don't see
the correlation.

These people,
they want-they want abortion

for reasons other than
life or health.

They want abortion on demand.

Well, we'll see.

What's all the commotion,
my jurists?

Professor, everyone's talking
about what's happening in Texas.

Is that what's on your minds?

Only fanatics
are against abortion.

Oh, really?

Mother Teresa?

Martin Luther King?
The Dalai Lama?

"It would seem to me
clear as daylight

- that abortion would be a crime."
- Mahatma Gandhi.

Fanatics?

None of them
were getting pregnant.

Regardless, we should have the
right to control our own bodies.

Yes, one should have the right

to do whatever she wants
with her own actual body.

But let me ask you something.

What happens when that body

starts to interfere
with another body?

You mean,
the rights of the fetus?

It is part of our own bodies.

All of your body parts

share the same DNA,
except the fetus.

So, the child, by definition,

is not part of
anyone's body but their own.

But how can you say
it's a life?

It can't live
without the mother.

Well, Dan.

Were you able to feed yourself

without your mother,
the day after you were born?

- Well.
- Not even a one-year-old

or a two-year-old
can take care of themselves.

Dan can't even
take care of himself now.

You think this is funny?

You all protest
the killing in Vietnam.

So, am I confused,
or is this just hypocrisy?

The elderly,

the handicapped,
the incapacitated,

they can't take care
of themselves.

Should we eliminate them too?

What about birth defects?

To kill an unborn child
because of defects

is what the Nazis
used to do to the Jews.

Let me give you a riddle.

The father,

syphilitic.

The mother had tuberculosis.

Of their four children,
one was blind, the second died,

the third was deaf and dumb,

and the fourth
had tuberculosis, too.

If the mother
got pregnant again,

what would you do with the baby?

I wouldn't want my child

to grow up disabled
and suffer.

You would have
killed Beethoven.

Don't you think
that someone's hopelessness

should motivate us
to protect them,

not destroy them?

Is everything okay?

I.I can't take care
of a baby right now.

I see.

And I can't tell
my family about this.

They can't know.

You do know
I love you, right?

I can't take care
of a baby right now.

My life is over.

I'm so sorry, Mary.

The hospital
limits me with quotas.

So, each of you
are only permitted to do

20 abortions a week.

That's like saying I've done
too many gall bladders

but I can still do
hernia repairs.

This is a democratic approach.

To limit a woman's access
to health care?

Staff members should have
equal access to beds and ORs.

I've already
fulfilled my quota.

Dr. Berg won't do abortions,
let me use his.

We can't transfer
another doctor's quotas to you.

Hah, I get this.
I get what's going on here.

This is an attack on us! Why?

Because we were the ones
outspoken on reform?

Yeah, I've heard the whispers
in the locker room

and I've gotten the looks
in the hallway,

the half portions
in the cafeteria,

the sneers
and the nicknames.

This isn't high school.
You can't hurt me.

Because I'm proud of what I do,

and I'm proud to help
the women of this country.

So, if you wanna humiliate me

and call me the Scraper
behind my back,

I'll wear it
as a badge of honor.

Or if you wanna ridicule me
and call me the Abortion King,

I'll wear that title with pride.

Because when a woman
is at her wits' end,

and she has no one else
to turn to,

when she's too frightened
to tell her family

or fears going to the butcher,

when she has to
spend her last dime

to catch the Greyhound

or hitchhike her way
to New York,

when she breaks down in tears
crying out for her savior

and when your God
can't help her, Kenneth.

Who do you think
she's crying for?

I decided to fight back,

so I had Larry call
and leak the story to the press

and feed some of this
good raw meat

to the drooling beasts
in the media.

Yeah. Hi, Kate?

Yes, Larry Lader.

How are you?

I have a story for you.

Hi. I was hoping to
speak to someone

about the quotas
you put on abortions.

It's amazing how the quotas
magically dried up.

Time of death?

And the Medicine section
of Time Magazine

had a three-column spread.

Thanks for getting those quotas
lifted, Your Majesty.

Aw. Thank you, Sire.

Your favorite,
corn flakes.

You know
that John Harvey Kellogg

created corn flakes
as an anti-aphrodisiac.

He believed bland foods
decreased sex drive.

Oh, well.

I hope that's not true,
for Joan's sake.

Did I miss something?

Yeah, your husband's
trivial knowledge.

He also founded
the Race Betterment Foundation

which paved the way
for Margaret Sanger.

Don't eat that.

Huh?

Are you gonna stop me?

Eat up.

Could you quiet them down,
Joan?

Let me show you somethin'.

We need to come up
with a jingle.

Something catchy.

Bernie, what was that song
you told me about?

The one that doctors used to
sing during your residency.

Oh, I can't do that.

- I can't...
- You have a song?

Aw, come on, Bernie.
Don't be shy.

No way, no, no, no, no.

Let it out.

I'm no Stravinsky.
I can't, I can't...

Well, Joan is.
Joan! Joan, help.

Why don't you
get us started.

- I'll join in.
- Ah.

Come on.
Come on, Bernie.

Okay, fine, fine, fine.

Sing it!

Okay. Fine.

♪ There's a fortune
In abortion ♪

♪ Just a twist of the wrist
And you're through ♪

♪ The population of the nation ♪

♪ Won't grow
If it's left up to you ♪

♪ There's a fortune
In abortion ♪

♪ There's a gold mine
In the sex line ♪

♪ Only rabbits
Have those habits ♪

♪ Oh there's a fortune
In abortion ♪

♪ You never bother
The future father ♪

I found the Catholics!

Those Vatican devils,

starting right here
with the big cheese:

Cardinal Cooke,
Father McHugh,

Robert Byrn,
Charlie Rice,

Ellen McCormack,
even Ed Golden.

If we're gonna succeed,
people have gotta be scared!

Well, men are governed
by lines of intellect,

women by curves of emotion.

That's our Catholic strategy,
right there.

Perfect.

Well, these guys have been
scaring people for years!

How are we looking
on the new numbers?

A million illegal abortions
a year;

10,000 die in back alleys.

I completely made that up.

A million illegal
abortions a year?

Ten thousand die in back alleys?
Not even close.

That's like a hand grenade
in a maternity ward.

But we need slogans,
battle cries.

Not statistics.

People trust numbers.

Yeah.

Cyril's right.
People do trust numbers.

But Betty is also right.

People need something
to grab on to,

something to hook
in their brains

that feel like
they're part of the movement.

You want a slogan?

Yeah.

I have a slogan.

It's a woman's body.
It's her right to choose.

We are the pro-choice people.

- That's amazing.
- Pro-choice.

Uh-huh.

Pro... we're pro-choice.

Yes, it's-it's pro-freedom,
it-it's pro-liberty.

Who can argue with it?

They came up with the slogan...
pro-choice.

Pro-choice?

What an evasive, fraudulent
and deceptive term.

According to recent statistics,

over one million women
are having illegal abortions

every year in America.

And over 10,000 are dying

from these back alley
type procedures.

Why aren't we taking
our own polls?

They told the press
that one in three Catholics

are for abortion!

Because
we don't have the money!

Why didn't this Jane Roe

just give the baby up
for adoption?

There is a long waiting list
for white babies.

This was political.

Judge Hughes
kept her hidden.

We gotta get Wade
on the phone.

District Attorney's office,

may I help you?

Robert Byrn for Henry Wade.

What can I do for you, Bobby?

I've got the team here.

The Supreme Court
will hear the case!

Let us know if we can help.

It was time to prepare

for the Supreme Court.

While some focused
on saving lives,

others had no idea
what was coming.

Everyone had their own agenda.

We used Sarah and the lawyers
from Planned Parenthood

to fulfill ours.

Certainties as unquestioned

as the U.S. Constitution
itself, trembled!

All rise!

There
were still only seven justices

because Nixon still
wasn't able to

get his two picks confirmed.

I am completely
out of my depth.

Don't be nervous.

You had the best of the best
prepare you.

You'll be fine.

We will hear arguments

in Roe against Wade.

Mrs. Weddington,
you may proceed.

Mr. Chief Justice,
may it please the court.

The court declared
the Texas abortion law

to be unconstitutional
for two reasons.

First, the law was vague,

and second,
it violated a woman's right

to continue or terminate
a pregnancy.

The Texas law permits
abortions be performed

only for the purpose of
saving the life of the woman.

When this case of yours

was in the district court,

the case of Vuitch against
the United States

had not been decided here.

That is correct.

Now that it has,

do you think that
that disposes of

some of the questions
you're raising now?

Your Honor, I do not.

In the Vuitch decision,

this court was working with
a statute which provided

that an abortion
could be permitted

for reasons of health or life.

Does Texas law,
in other areas of the law,

give rights to the unborn?

In an area such as trusts,
estates, wills or elsewhere?

The Supreme Court of Texas
recently held a case

in which there is action for
prenatal injuries at any stage

prior to birth,
but only upon the condition

that it be born alive.

Mr. Justice, it's an old joke,

but when a man argues against
two beautiful ladies,

they're gonna have
the last word.

As to the-as to the unmarried
pregnant female,

a unique situation arises.

Is her action moot?

It has been recognized
by the appellant's counsel

that she is no longer pregnant.

Of course, if moot,
there is no case or controversy.

- Class action, wasn't it?
- Yes,

but the whole purpose
of class action

is to have a representative
in court.

So, what procedure
would you suggest

for any pregnant female
in the State of Texas

to ever get
judicial consideration?

We can take judicial notice

of the fact
that at any given moment,

there are unwed pregnant females
in the State of Texas.

I think she makes her choice

prior to the time
that she becomes pregnant.

Maybe she makes her choice

when she decides
to live in Texas.

It should've been debated
in Congress, not here.

"Courts are
the mere instruments of the law,

and can will nothing."
John Marshall.

Politicians
don't have the courage

to argue with the legislature.

The right to life

is the cornerstone
of our government.

It's a foundation
of the Constitution.

They were mocking him in there.

I don't even know why
this is in the Supreme Court.

There's no factual record
in this case,

no trial,
no expert witnesses,

no description of evidence,

no expert witness testimony.
It didn't even go through

an appeal!

This is a conspiracy.

They're
laughin' at him in there!

Laughin' at him!

They're not laughin' with him.
They're laughin' at him!

It couldn't have been that bad.

You're a law professor.

He didn't even address
the rights of the unborn

in property law,
probate law,

criminal law, tort law,
the list goes on.

The judges ask him what rights,
if any, do the unborn have,

and he just stood there
and didn't say anything.

I gotta go
before I blow a gasket!

There's no more discussion
for...?

For Roe?

The four justices on the right

with their hands up

voted to legalize abortion,
while the three on the left,

including Chief Justice Burger,
were supporting life.

This made it four to three
in favor of abortion.

Apologize, gentlemen.

In the matter of Roe v. Wade,

I want the case reargued.

Chief Justice Burger was losing,

so he wanted the case reheard

to flip the vote
in favor of life.

Well, besides the obvious,

what's your reasoning?

Four to three in favor of Roe,

it's very close.

We've had
close decisions before.

Because
it didn't go Warren's way.

That has nothing to do with it.

The importance of this issue

merits a full bench treatment.

Of course, Harry.

Because you're Warren's man.

I resent that.

You were
best man at his wedding.

It was my idea to reargue
in the first place.

Harry, you're here because
he recommended you to Nixon.

Enough! We need to wait!

And why is that?
Because this decision

might affect your old pal
Nixon's re-election?

Really, Potter?

Can we rest the egos

and try to get a little work
done, please?

Does anyone else
have an opinion on this?

Yes, I don't see any problem

with rearguing.

Nixon opposes abortion,

so I'm sure his new justices
will follow suit.

Two new justices
voting Nixon's way

will change the outcome here.

Political allegiance
should not affect

how we interpret
the Constitution, gentlemen.

Yes, and with that,

I'm appointing Harry
to pen the opinion.

I'm the senior justice
in the majority.

I've got to agree
with Bill, Warren.

- That's not standard protocol.
- I'm the chief justice.

I determine protocol.

You are trying to control this,
Warren, old buddy.

That is completely unethical.

Aren't you the one
that pushed this case?

All those in favor of rearguing?

They voted six to one

to reargue Roe v. Wade.

There you go. That's it.

Justice Douglas was the only one

to oppose
hearing the case again.

- William?
- Hmm.

Bill.

It's a letter of protest

including my draft
dissent to reargue.

The draft dissent

is a formal letter that outlines
Justice Douglas' reasons

as to why he thought Roe v. Wade
should not be reheard.

And why are you
giving this to me?

Burger abused his power.

I'm the senior justice
after him,

he was supposed to
assign the case to me.

That's already been decided,
okay?

Get off that.

Chief Justice
is going to make sure

that we reargue this case.

The Senate just confirmed
Rehnquist and Powell.

That will flip the decision.

You see, Justice Douglas

supported Jane Roe,

and right now, the vote
was four to three

in his favor to win.

He was afraid if there was
gonna be a reargument

with two new justices,
the vote would flip

and it would be five-four,
and he would lose.

Has Burger seen this?

Not yet.

You cannot
send this letter to the press.

Promise me
you're voting with us.

How dare you!

Promise me now, or this is
going to be published.

You will disgrace the court.

If you don't wanna see that
in the Post,

you need to assure me
that a reargument

will not change your vote.

You need to
make an issue of this.

I don't
understand how a single justice

can order things his way.

Now you know how women feel.

I'm late, I have to
get to the clinic.

I wish you wouldn't spend
so much time at that place.

That place?

Planned Parenthood?

You don't want us
supporting women?

We'll talk about it later.

Okay.

- Andy.
- William.

- You're looking lovely.
- Thank you.

Planned Parenthood?

Planned Parenthood?

Nobody knew Justice Stewart's
wife worked there.

You need to recuse yourself.

Look, Bill.

My wife volunteers there,
not me.

This is a major
conflict of interest.

If word got out.

Please, you need to
control your home.

What Burger did was worse.

He appointed Harry
to write the opinion.

That is a gross
abandonment of protocol.

We were ready
to vote this four-three.

Potter,
here's my letter and dissent.

You know what I resent?

I resent the fact
that Burger thinks

he has Rehnquist and Powell
in his pocket.

They're brand new,

and Burger acts
like he owns the court.

But he has no right to
hold this up for those two.

He wants to make sure
the vote goes his way,

that's why he's
demanding a reargument.

Right.
And that will flip the vote

and we lose five-four.

If we don't sort this out,
fur will fly today.

You see, in the end,

it was Justice Stewart who
leaked the court's internal vote

to the Washington Post.

He wanted to stop the case
from being reheard

because he wanted abortion
legalized.

So, Judge, how's the wife?

Cut the small talk, Bob.

Look, I understand
your wife was a volunteer

for Planned Parenthood.
Is that why we're here?

Absolutely not.

All my decisions have to do
with law and the Constitution.

Now, let's get this over with.

Are you sure you want to
give this to me?

Burger is gonna hit the roof

when he sees this
on the front page of the Post.

Yeah, well, he deserves it.

I wish
you hadn't given me this case.

Have you-have
you seen the Post this morning?

I saw it.

- I saw it!
- Now everyone knows how I voted.

The media
is outrageous.

Media? There's a leak!

The appetite for this nonsense
is only worse.

How long we been friends?

Dayton Bluff Elementary.

It wasn't you, was it?

I'm sorry.

I'm out of sorts.

My family, my own family,
is up in arms about my vote.

They've been
watching television.

I don't-I don't know
what to do, Harry.

Warren.
I question my competency.

Don't.

Your decade of counsel
with the Mayo Clinic,

it will be very helpful here.

I've only been here a year.

We gotta control this, Harry.

It's gotten out of hand.

Do you know
what they're calling me?

Your boy.

They are calling me your boy,
the Minnesota Twin.

I trust you, Harry,
and I need your help.

I need your support here.

I'm on the fence.

Harry, with all this
public pressure,

we've got to get this right.

We're going to be
remembered for this.

Perhaps this is
beyond the authority

of the Supreme Court.

We are the law
of the land, Harry.

We are the law of the land.

Abortion
was still illegal in Texas.

So, every Friday, the flight
from Dallas to El Paso

was booked solid.

They landed

and crossed the border.

It was called
the Abortion Flight.

Planned Parenthood and NARAL

fundraised
at the Playboy Mansion.

I mean, it's kind of
hypocritical

that we exploited women

for women's rights,

but hey, anything
for a good cause.

Larry and I were on a roll.

We were performing
200 abortions a day,

which was making
my clinic 50 grand.

Today, that would be like
half a million a week.

And that's how
I became a published author.

That's so far out.

You know,
Larry here changed the laws

in half the country,
singlehandedly.

Bernie and I own
most of the clinics in New York.

Oh, my god. That's sick.

And how did you do that?

We control the media.

Get real.

We do.

They write
whatever we tell them.

This one time,
we got the New York Times

to publish a poll

on how many doctors
were in favor of abortion.

We said 87% sounded good.

How many doctors again
was that out of, Larry?

About 40,000, I think.

Can you believe
they printed that?

And then, we got them to say

that 60% of Americans
favored abortion.

Why didn't you guys
just do a real poll?

Because
if a real poll was taken,

nowhere near 60% of Americans
favored abortion.

So, we made it up, and the media
didn't even question it.

This is a tactic
of the self-fulfilling lie.

You see, few people
care to be in the minority.

There's nowhere near
a half a million women

- are having back alley abortions.
- Yeah. You see,

if you keep repeating
the big lie over and over again,

it generally
convinces the public.

Well, 10,000 women die
from back alley abortions.

- What?
- Larry, wait.

We made that up, too.

Yeah, those are my statistics
I came up with.

- Yeah!
- You guys lied?

I wouldn't call it lying.

Yeah, it was
for the greater good.

Planned Parenthood,
they also helped.

And no one found out?

Found out?
Honey, the media was in on it.

You see, for example,
if you check out Time Magazine,

we planted four
pro-abortion stories

every year.

So, 1969, and we have it in

March, September,
two in November.

In 1970, February,
March, April, September,

in '71, March, May,
September, November,

and so on and so forth.

We kept doing it.

We also put pro-abortion
stories in TV shows and films.

Yeah, remember that movie...

oh, what was it...
Cabaret with Liza Minelli?

Yes.

Okay, wait!
Time Magazine. Really?

And how did you guys do that?

We used each other as sources.

Should we really be
doing this on Mother's Day?

Exactly.

All right.

How's the rally going, bubalah?

Yeah, hi.

Larry got
commissions by referring women

to abortionists
all over the country.

In Chicago, he even used rabbis
and Protestant clergy

to help find them doctors.

Is my referral there?

With me, as we speak.

Okay, good.

Yeah, I gotta run.

Such a good guy, that Larry,

making sure
the two of you are okay.

I really need to
get this done soon.

I-I recommend
going to New York.

Larry's partner Bernie,
he's terrific.

You don't have anyone
in Chicago?

I can't leave.
What do I tell my husband?

Oh, jeez.

Oy vey,
you're not the husband?

You know it's not legal here.

Please, Rabbi, I-I beg you.

Don't cry, don't cry.

It's okay. It's okay.
Go see Dr. Ketchum.

He's not bad.

And we're not
gonna get in trouble?

Oh, boychik,
I take care of everything.

Okay.

Thank you.

Dozens write
amicus briefs, and we get four.

They lied to Rockefeller

about the numbers on abortion,

and New York fell
just like that.

When you see
a kid out of law school

get to argue to
the highest court in Texas,

and you can't get
a job promotion.

I could have become
a cause célèbre

if I had taken it up to court,

but it's about knowing
the price of the game.

I wouldn't have waited
20 years; I'd have sued them.

It will be easier
for those coming behind me.

You don't always
have to be so strong.

It's not really fair.

Life isn't fair.

It doesn't mean I condone it.

When given a choice of being
kind or right, be kind.

You can be angry, Mildred.

You certainly
have been a role model.

Planned Parenthood
and Larry Lader

are running seminars to set up
clinics across the country.

And not to mention Nathanson.

Oh. Maybe I should
pay him a visit,

doctor to doctor.

Good luck with that.

They're making too much money
off these clinics.

Not to mention the illegal ones.

We have to be willing
to get arrested

for our beliefs
just like they are.

Illegal abortion houses,
that's class warfare.

I'll reach out to the DAs
across the country.

What are you thinking?

Let's see just how many times

they're really willing
to get arrested.

Come on. Let's go.

We had secret abortion clinics

- across the country,
- Get in here.

for girls
who couldn't get to New York.

Part of our referral network
consisted of rabbis

and Protestant clergy
that helped set them up.

Sometimes, we even used
five-star hotels.

Freeze!

Hands in the air
where I can see them.

This is the one.
Right here, guys, right here.

Chicago PD!

Put your gun down.

Hey, watch it!

Stop right there!

Where do you think you're going?

He thinks
he can get out the window.

Stop what you're doing.

Can you cuff him, please.

Hey, stop
what you're doing, Pops.

This is an operating room!
You have no authority here!

Are you okay?

Oh, my god.

The rabbis
and pastors getting arrested

brought down one of our
biggest referral networks.

Is everything okay?

I just hope what we're doing
is making women feel safer.

You should be so proud.

A young woman is arguing

in front of the Supreme Court
because of you.

I thought
I would have had envy,

but all I felt after all of it
was proud of Sarah,

and hope this will open the gate
for women to come.

One of our clinics
was just busted.

Ugh.

Sixteen clergy,
four rabbis, all arrested.

We have to protect these kids.

We have to make sure
they have safe doctors.

These raids can't be setbacks.

We have to keep working
for abortion on demand.

It makes us look like
we're in it for the money.

It's just disgraceful.

No, quit exaggerating, Bernie.

You know what it's gonna do
to me and my family

- and my reputation?
- Oh, this is-this is about you?

Bernie? Is this about you
and the money?

It's not about me.

It's about the girls.

You're not there.

Yeah, okay.
Quit exaggerating, Bernie.

You don't see
all the girls I save.

I became a physician

in the tradition
that obliges society

to expect a doctor
to save lives,

not kill them.

There goes your
Hippocratic oath.

Tell that to Nathanson, Mother.

Dr. King said, "We cannot win
if we're willing to sacrifice

the futures of our children

for immediate personal
comfort and safety."

I am not willing to allow

the concept
of expendable human lives

to turn this land of ours

into just another
exclusive reservation,

where only the planned,

the privileged, and the perfect

have the right to live.

my saying this to you,

we're free.

We finally have the right
to decide what we can do

with our own body.

All right.
Then, will you please get yours

into the kitchen.

- You're just scared.
- I am not scared!

You are, and it's as simple as
gong to the dentist.

As simple as
going to the dentist?

Oh.
I scream, they scream louder.

We raise money,
they raise more.

They have Hollywood
on their side.

Dr. Nathanson, I heard he gave
them $10,000 to air that.

Lewis Powell is from Virginia.

But like another
great Virginian,

Chief Justice Marshall,
Lewis Powell is recognized

by his legal colleagues
throughout the nation

as being a man
who represents not just

Virginia and the South.

He is first and foremost,
a very great American.

William Rehnquist

has been outstanding
in every intellectual endeavor

he has undertaken.

He was graduated
from Stanford University,

Phi Beta Kappa, 1948.

He graduated

first in his class

from the Stanford University
Law School in 1942.

You missed
the more important news!

We got the majority.

We're gonna win.

The two new
justices were conservatives.

So, when we go back into court,

the vote will swing their way
five to four.

We're gonna lose.

I wouldn't count on that.

We still have
a lot of work to do.

I've tried Nathanson's service.
He won't return my calls.

Have you tried heading over
to Planned Parenthood?

I'm not going there
to get lynched.

I'll just head over
to the hospital.

Are you going to go
after the clergy?

I'm gonna go with the industry.

Robert,
no one sees the industry.

It's invisible.

The cause is hopeless
in secular terms.

The effort is only worth it

if it's part of
a larger enterprise:

the reconversion of this nation.

To what?

Faith in God,
respect for His law.

That law being?

Human law, which cannot
tolerate the intentional killing

of innocent human beings.

Yeah, but the separation
of church and state

is in the Constitution.

That's a common misconception.

The Constitution provides
freedom of religion,

not separation.

Our laws are based
in God's principle,

"Thou shalt not kill."

Ellen, you did a great job
organizing this.

Thank you.

The Ninth Amendment isn't
some bottomless pit of rights

that we can abuse anytime
we find a case confuses us.

What part of the Constitution

says that a woman does not
have a right to an abortion?

Freedom to choose - too vague.
Freedom to choose what?

Prove medically
and scientifically

that a new fetus is a-a someone.

Even the doctors say
there is human life.

Human life from
the moment of conception,

in the embryonic state.

Yeah, look.
You're new to the court,

and Mrs. Weddington presents
a thought-out argument

for women's rights.

You've been watching
too much TV.

This case has nothing to do
with women's rights.

Does a woman, a mother,

have the right to kill
her own child?

I'll argue that case separately.

It's not her child, just yet.

Whose child is it?

The mother's? Father's?
The state's?

You've only just been appointed,

and already you're playing into
the hands of public opinion.

Byron, get off your high horse

and make a constitutional
decision.

I am making
a constitutional decision.

She stated on several occasions

that they are dismissing
the Hippocratic oath,

the very oath

that says doctors
need to protect life.

It also states very clearly

that a woman should not be given
an abortive remedy.

That's what you're basing
your decision on,

the Hippocratic oath.

It's not 400 B.C.

The 1948 Declaration of Geneva

as well as the International
Code of Medical Ethics

both clearly state
that doctors must protect life.

From the point of conception.

May I remind you, sir,

you're on the United States
Supreme Court,

not on an international
medical board.

We have an opportunity here
to make things right.

We have an opportunity here
to get things right.

I fear if we vote in favor of

removing the rights
of the fetus,

that we are simply
blowing this whole thing.

Hm-mm.
Roe isn't about right or wrong.

It's about what's stated
in the law.

All due respect, Justice,
if you don't realize that,

you shouldn't be on the court.
Hm?

Church and state are separate
for a reason.

It's God's duty to forgive.

It's ours to rule the law.

This has nothing whatsoever
to do with church and state.

This is strictly
a constitutional matter,

life and liberty.

Or have you forgotten that?

Justice?

Wade got Robert Flowers
to argue.

He was handpicked
by the Texas attorney general.

How you boys and gals doing?

Have you seen how the whole
media supports Weddington?

Well, we better
get to work then.

I created a moot court
based on Griswald and Vuitch.

We can set up and start
to fire questions.

My boys don't need schooling

by a bunch of kids
from New York City.

It's going to be
you and your boys

versus the whole country.

Well, don't tell me,
I know the law!

I know you do.
I'm worried.

"The greatest act of faith
is when a man understands

that he is not God."

Oliver Wendell Holmes.

It might be a good idea, Henry.

I'm listening.

What else you got for us, Bob?

I filed with the court
to become guardian ad litem

to all the unborn children
in the State of New York.

How'd you manage that?

The unborn has rights
in the area of the law

from probate to criminal.

In the Constitution, a person
cannot be deprived due process

or denied equal protection.

- Okay.
- So, the unborn have a right

to an attorney just like
everybody else in America?

It's brilliant!

Larry, you convinced me
to open a clinic,

abortion is illegal again
in New York.

What are you talking about?

I'm gonna lose everything
to that guardian of the unborn.

I wouldn't worry about it.

Guardian of the unborn,

it sounds like a superhero.

How can the Catholics

use the court to make a law?

Well, isn't
that what we're going to do?

You boys are
only in favor of abortion

because it's cheaper
than child support.

Equality!

Let's not forget,

this is also about
population control.

This is about women's rights.

You're still in love
with Margaret Sanger!

What are you talking about?

She opposed abortion.
I read her autobiography.

Oh, the founder of Planned
Parenthood opposed abortion?

She'd be for it today.

She said it was a disgrace
to our civilization.

Quote, "There should be no
killing of babies in the womb,"

end quote.

I founded this movement.

- This is about you?
- Yeah!

This is about
the State of Larry Lader?

Look around you.

Who do you think is winning
your dirty little secret war?

I am looking.
Look what I've created.

Planned Parenthood
and half the doctors

pay you referral fees.

And you have the women
of the world to thank for that!

And how much you getting
from your clinic, Doc?

Equality!

You haven't touched your food.

Hm?

Oh, I'm sorry.
It's this damn case.

Well, which way are you
leaning towards, Dad?

I'm not gonna
get into any of that.

Good try.

Sally's volunteering
at Planned Parenthood.

Stop changing the subject.

Oh, Planned Parenthood, that's-
that's great, sweetheart.

Now, that's the second justice

with a family member
working for Planned Parenthood.

First Stewart's wife,
and now Blackmun's daughter.

Hm.

You know,
it's not only about abortion.

Did you see 20,000 women

marching for equality
in New York?

Twenty thousand,
is that right?

It's about time
we had our own rights.

Do you want your daughter to be
able to become justice one day?

Why...

so you're saying

if I vote the other way,
I'm voting against women?

Yes, you are.

Just listen to her, Dad.
Come on, it's important.

I'm with the girls.

Make us proud, Harry.

I know why you gave me this

but you should've let
Douglas write it.

After my vote hit the media,

my family
almost fell apart over it.

So, you might be
changing your vote

because your family found out?
Or was it the media?

Warren.

You wanted to talk.

Yes, I did.

I wanna see
where you stand, Harry.

I'm hoping
we're on the same page.

Byron, I don't know
what page I'm on.

I'm not even sure we're
reading from the same book.

I just-I'm trying to vote along
the lines of the Constitution.

Does the Bill of Rights
allow a woman

to kill her unborn child?

It's a very simple question.

No, it's not
a simple question.

The question is,
when does a fetus become a life?

At the point of conception,
Harry. When else?

Well, that hasn't been
determined yet, has it?

And if it had, we wouldn't be
having this conflict

in our conversation.

Sure, Bill. Why don't you
just sit down and join us.

What we need to discuss
is the right to privacy.

What?

Listen, our job is to
interpret the Constitution.

Our job is not to create law.

If you wanna make a new law,
you take it up with Congress.

We already ruled on that.
Griswold v. Connecticut.

- Unrelated.
- Absolutely.

- Unrelated.
- Absolutely.

He-he's right.

Right to privacy between
a patient and a doctor.

At minimum, Byron,
it's something I think

we should at least consider.

You take this
into consideration, Harry,

you take the risk
of embarrassing this court

and putting it to a level
it has not been

- since the Dred Scott decision.
- Oh, come on.

Come on, Bill.
So, you wanna enslave women

by denying them
their right to privacy.

Is that it, Byron?

That is not what I said.

Well, that's what
you're implying.

No, it is not what I'm implying.

Wait, guys, guys.
Stop being so dramatic.

And you, you're starting to
sound like one of Nixon's boys.

Don't forget it was JFK
that appointed you.

Yes, and it was Kennedy
that thought

abortion was repugnant
to all Americans.

Here we go again, boys.

Certainly,
we cannot say that there is

in the Constitution so stated
the right to an abortion.

But neither is there stated
the right to travel

or some other basic rights
that this court has held

are under the United States
Constitution.

I suppose that one of
the most important factors

to consider is,
what rights, if any,

does the unborn fetus have.

That is correct.

I have a question.

Is it critical to your case
that the fetus

not be considered a person
under the due process clause?

It seems to me
that it is critical

that we prove that this is
a fundamental interest

on behalf of women.

That it is a constitutional
right, second...

Well, would you lose your case
if the fetus were a person?

Then you would have
a balancing of interests.

You're already
going to be balancing

the interest of the mother

against the interest
of the fetus.

That is correct, Your Honor.

If it were established
that the unborn fetus

is protected
under the Constitution,

you would have an impossible
case, Mrs. Weddington.

I would have
a very difficult case.

It's impossible for me to trace,

within my allocated time,

the development of a fetus
from the date of its conception

to the date of its birth.

But it's the position
of the State of Texas

that upon conception,

we have a human being.

A person with the concept

of the Constitution
of the United States

and that of Texas as well.

Any person born or naturalized
in the United States hasn't.

No, that's not the definition
of a person,

that's the definition
of a citizen.

It's so fundamental

that the framers
of the Constitution

had not even set out
to define it.

And even Blackstone
was quoted in 1765,

"This right is inherent
in every individual

and exists even before
the child is born."

Is it not true

or is it that the,
medical profession itself

is not in agreement
as to when life begins?

Medically speaking, we would
say that from the chromosomes,

every potential of anybody
here in this room

is present at the moment
of conception.

Right. So, what you're speaking
about is a potential life.

Yes, sir.

With which
everyone can agree on.

Just one moment.

If you're correct
that the fetus is a person,

then I suppose the state
would have a great trouble

permitting an abortion,
wouldn't it?

This court has been diligent

in protecting
the rights of minorities.

And gentlemen, we say
this is a minority,

a silent minority,

the true silent minority.

Who is speaking
for these children?

Who is counsel
for these children?

These unborn children,

whose lives are being taken.

Where is the safeguard

of a trial by jury?

For Roe?

From the CBS
News headquarters in New York,

this is the CBS Evening News

with Walter Cronkite
and Eric Sevareid in New York,

George Hermann in Washington,

Leslie Stahl in Washington,
Fred P. Graham in Atlanta,

Peter Calisher in Paris,
Tom Fenton in Paris,

Robert Schakne in Des Moines.

And tonight, a CBS Evening News
special report,

"The Energy Crisis."

Good evening.

In a landmark ruling,

the Supreme Court today
legalized abortions.

The majority in cases
for Texas and Georgia

said that the decision
to end a pregnancy

during the first three months
belongs to the woman

and her doctor,
not the government.

The Roe decision allows a woman
to have an abortion at any time,

not just the first three months.

Cronkite and the media
lied about that.

But they said it doesn't have
the same rights as a person.

Let me ask you,
if you found out today

that you were pregnant
and I killed you,

should I go to jail for
murdering one person or two?

Uh...

Most states would consider it
a double homicide,

hence considering
the unborn a person.

With that logic, why isn't
abortion considered homicide?

The Supreme Court
allowed the Sierra Club

to sue
the Walt Disney Mineral Park

on behalf of inanimate objects.

Justice Douglas argued

that trees should be
granted personhood,

that rivers, lakes,
and even pupfish have rights.

Somebody read me
the constitutional amendment

that states that we have the
right to kill an unborn child.

Sir,

it was just voted seven to two.

The justices replaced
the framers' choices

for personal predilections.

But we have
a right to privacy.

Where in the Constitution
does it state

that we have that right?

It doesn't,
and even if we did,

privacy is not
an absolute right,

so it can always be governed
by other rights.

But the right to choose
is more important than a fetus.

Why would you say that?

A fetus is not a person,
and I am.

So, what does a fetus become?

A fetus has the DNA of a person.

It's created by people.

Left to nature,
that fetus becomes a person.

Dr. Taylor,
call the operator, please.

Dr. Taylor,
call the operator.

Dr. Nathanson?

I'm sorry. Can I help you?

A butchery.

Excuse me?

You know
that even a safe abortion

can make a woman sterile.

Mildred Jefferson, right?

Dr. Mildred Jefferson.

Are you lost?

Yes.

Yes. Actually, I am. Very.

How do you do what you do,
and live in good conscience?

I have given abortions

to my friends,

my colleagues,
even my teachers.

I've never had
a shred of self-doubt.

And I've never wavered.

So, you feel nothing?

Just a sense of accomplishment
and pride of expertise.

You see.

When my girlfriend got pregnant
and I couldn't afford to have

a child,
I not only demanded

that she terminate the pregnancy
but I also informed her,

since I was the most skilled
practitioner of the art,

I myself would do the abortion.

And I did.

Are you sure
you wanna do this?

Doctor...

If you don't wanna be here,
you can leave.

On your own child?

I mean, why do you give life

to those with no future?

Aren't you tired
of creating new souls

that end up with no purpose?

I mean,
you must be bored, right?

Or are you just like

playing games?

I've killed babies

for the greater good.

I've killed babies
in the name of saving women.

And I've killed babies
because they were unwanted.

You're a liar!

You did this,
you led me down this path.

You didn't want them.

That's the truth.

Because you wanna know why?

I'm not the one who's supposed
to be perfect, you are.

But I have done my best.
I have worked my hardest.

I have served humanity.
You've watched me.

Hm?

Maybe you're just willing
but not able.

And so you're just
not omnipotent.

Or, are you able
and not willing and malevolent?

I don't think it's either.

The truth is, you are
neither willing nor able.

So, why do I need to
call you God?

Have you seen these
new high-tech ultrasounds?

In the '70s before Roe,

no one had this technology.

Not I, not the courts.

This would change everything,
especially for me.

No, but I hear
the new imaging is great.

You know what,
it helps a lot with accuracy.

Let's go try it out.

Are you okay?

It is a person.

It's a person.

God, forgive me.
What have I done?

I-I'm so sorry, God.

I'm so sorry.

Please, I want her back.

I killed my own daughter.

Doctor.
Phil McCombs, Washington Post.

Thank you. Good to see you.

Thank you
for taking the time.

So, when you take them out,
you don't see anything?

No, you don't see anything.

I-I-I mean,

of all the thousands
of second trimester abortions

that I've done, I mean,
maybe I've seen

half a dozen.

But didn't it bother you
when you did?

No, not particularly.
It was the end product,

a lifeless limp thing
lying there.

They have a human form.

Oh, absolutely.

I-I-I'm sorry.
I'm a little bit confused.

First you said,
"All you see is bloody meat."

Hm-mm.

But now you're saying
you always knew it was a person.

So Doctor,

which one is it?

I knew all along.

Life exists at conception.

I mean, I'd taken part
in over 70,000 abortions.

I'd seen other sonograms.

I knew in my heart
what I was doing was wrong.

And I lied.

I lied to the world.
I lied to God.

More importantly.
I lied to me.

But I kept on killing.

Until I had the courage
to face the reality

of the absolute horror
of what I was doing.

I had been an atheist,

so my opinions on abortion
were not influenced by religion.

And when life gave me more than
I could stand, I chose to kneel.

♪ There's a fortune
In abortion ♪

♪ Just a twist of the wrist
And you're through ♪

Oooh!

♪ The population
Of the nation ♪

♪ Won't grow
If it's left up to you ♪

♪ There's a fortune
In abortion ♪

♪ There's a gold mine
In the sex line ♪

♪ Only rabbits
Have those habits ♪

♪ Oh, there's a fortune
In abortion ♪

♪ You never bother
The future father ♪

The mass of Negroes,
particularly in the South,

still breed carelessly
and disastrously.

The result that the increase
among Negroes,

more than among whites,

is that portion
of the population

least intelligent and fit.

In our country,
there's been one group

associated with
reactionary politics,

behind-the-scenes manipulations,
and backward ideas.

Wait, not the Catholics again?

Of course, the Catholics.

Catholic
and fundamentalist churches

have constantly
violated the law.

Violations which breach the wall
separating the church and state.

The justices cited Larry's book

seven times in their decision,
citing no other legal historian.

Jane Roe became known
to the world as Norma McCorvey.

And when she learned the truth
that having an abortion

was killing a baby
and not passing a period

or removing a bunch of cells,
she became pro-life.

See, the truth is, she herself
never even had an abortion.

They lied to me.

I didn't go to the Supreme Court
for a bunch of women.

Who lied to you?

Sarah Weddington.

I asked her if she knew
where to get an abortion

and she and Linda told me
that they didn't.

She knew where.

Could you elaborate?

Sarah had an abortion
in Mexico.

They were just looking
for somebody to use.

Do you feel
what you did was wrong?

You never had
an abortion, did you? I mean...

No. No, sir.
I never had an abortion.

You carried
your child to full term.

Yes, sir, I did.

You wanted an abortion.

Yes, sir, I did.

And in a sense,
you were angry at one point

at Sarah Weddington
for not letting you get one

because it didn't suit
their purposes at that time.

They needed you
to be pregnant, right?

They needed their plaintiff
to be pregnant,

it is exactly right.

But see, what really was
the tell-in of the whole schmeil

was the fact that when
Sarah Weddington came out

with her book, I don't know,
two or three years ago,

she told in her book
that she had an abortion

and she went to Mexico.

And when I sat across that table
at Colombo's Pizza

here in Dallas, Texas
and I asked her,

I said, "Sarah, do you know

where I can go
and get an abortion?"

And she said, "No."
Well, she lied to me.

Some justices

were leaking to the press.

Some had family members
working for Planned Parenthood.

Burger and other justices
then changed their vote

because of public outcry
and family pressure.

Dr. Mildred Jefferson
became the president

of National Right to Life,

and an influence
on President Reagan

becoming pro-life.

I produced a documentary
called The Silent Scream

where 18 days before
you even miss your period

and realize you're pregnant,
there is a heartbeat.

At ten weeks, when you go
to abort your baby,

she will actually feel the pain
of having her limbs torn off.

This is the silent scream

of a child threatened
imminently with extinction.

♪ I put my hope and trust ♪

♪ In things
That would not hold ♪

♪ I built my house
Upon the sinking sand ♪

♪ And everything I thought
I had under control ♪

♪ Failed to satisfy and slipped
Right through my hands ♪

♪ There's an aching
In my bones ♪

♪ But I know I'm not alone ♪

♪ I can't do this on my own ♪

♪ So I will stand
I will stand in your love ♪

♪ I thought my only worth
Was in what I could do ♪

♪ I tried to earn the love
I don't deserve ♪

♪ I settled for the lie
That it was not enough ♪

♪ To receive the gift of grace
You freely give ♪

♪ Oh there's an aching
In my soul ♪

♪ But I know I'm not alone ♪

♪ No I can't do this on my own ♪

♪ So I will stand
I will stand in your love ♪

♪ I will stand
I will stand in your love ♪

♪ When everything is broken ♪

♪ Heaven's eyes are open ♪

♪ I can see the storm clouds
Lift away ♪

♪ When everything
Seems hopeless ♪

♪ Your word will be my compass ♪

♪ I'm standing in the promise
You have made ♪

♪ So I will stand
I will stand in your love ♪

♪ I will stand
I will stand in your love ♪

♪ I will stand
I will stand in your love ♪

♪ I will stand
I will stand in your love ♪♪