Is there a link between white supremacy and abortion opposition? Although it may sound like a ridiculous idea, one Harvard law professor seems to believe it.
LaurenceTribe is a professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School. He claims that white supremacists“oppose abortion because they fear it’ll reduce the number of white infants andthus contribute to what they fear as non-white ‘replacement.’”
White Supremacists oppose abortion because they fear it’ll reduce the number of white infants and thus contribute to what they fear as non-white “replacement.” Never underestimate the way these issues and agendas are linked. This turns “intersectionality” on its head.
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) August 11, 2019
However, one of Tribe’s former students was quick to reject this notion and set the record straight: Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Cruz reminded his former professor about the roots of the modern abortion movement, commenting, “Abortion targets in particular minority women… Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, was a vehement advocate of eugenics.”
1/2 My old con law prof, sadly, being deeply deceptive. Abortion targets in particular minority women. More than 1/2 of African-American babies, tragically, are aborted. Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, was a vehement advocate of eugenics. https://t.co/Lx0T7XBLUy https://t.co/PjFR9loFnV
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) August 11, 2019
The Texas Republican included what he called a “particularly nasty” comment Margaret Sanger made in 1939:
We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.
Cruzinitially stated that more than half of African American babies are aborted. Helater corrected himself, explaining that while some metropolitan areas (likeNew York City) see African American abortion rates that high, the nationalaverage is just over 40 percent.
“Stilltragically high,” he concluded.
A slight correction. Although some cities (eg, NYC) see over 50% abortion rates (in 2012-16 black mothers terminated 136,426 pregnancies & gave birth to 118,127 babies), nationally the total is just over 40%—still tragically high.https://t.co/EgZKw25nrmhttps://t.co/N2YpQw0mte https://t.co/LV0YgDqxyb
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) August 11, 2019
After receiving backlash for his initial comments, Tribe claimed that his comments were “misread” by those who would detract from his message. He tweeted:
Some have misread this to say that all those who oppose abortion are White Supremacists! Learn to read, folks! I neither said nor implied nor believe any such thing. Some X are Y doesn’t translate to all Y are X. Duh. https://t.co/HIsY9TyDxF
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) August 12, 2019
Statistics have shown for years that abortion is a threat to minorities. The Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE) cites abortion as the “biggest single negative force on Black American growth.” To argue that the pro-life movement is really just a tool being wielded by white supremacists is not only statistically questionable but distracts from the destruction being done to minority communities across the United States.
CURE stated, “If not for abortion, the total Black American population would be approximately 62,350,000, or 48% greater than it is today.” If any connection exists between abortion and white supremacists, it seems much more likely that the white supremacists would support abortion than oppose it.
Photo credit: Victor Panlilio via Flickr, CC BY 2.0
