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CNN Live Today

The Politics of Abortion

Aired January 22, 2003 - 11:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it is one of the Supreme Court's most debated and most divisive decisions. Today marks 30 years since in Roe versus Wade. Activists on both sides of the abortion debate are taking to the streets today in Washington, live pictures today coming from the mall in Washington. You see the crowd gathered there. Opponents are gathering now for what they call the march for life. That will begins next hour. President Bush plans to address that rally by telephone next hour from St. Louis. The National Organization For women plans a candlelight vigil this evening at the Supreme Court. The current court is narrowly divided on abortion and with speculation a justice may retire this term, abortion rights advocates fear a bush appoint tee could spell the end of Roe.
Well, there is no better way to gauge the intensity and passion of this abortion issue without talking to two people on opposite sides of the debate. That what we're going to do now. Rachelle Adams supports abortion rights. Ralph Le Grand opposes abortion. Both of them join us now from Washington this morning.

Good morning, folks. Thank you for coming out and talking with us this.

HARRIS: Good morning.

What I'd like to know is why is it that both of you, beginning with you, Rachelle, why is it you feel so strongly about this you decided to come all the way to Washington?

RACHELLE ADAMS, ABORTION ADVOCATE: This is an issue that's very near and dear to my heart. I -- after having two children became even more pro choice. It's it's an issue to me that is a matter of being committed to the future generations and a love of our families and the dignity and integrity that women need to be able to carry forth in their own lives day to day and to decide for themselves on a very intimate and personal way what is the right time to begin starting to raise a family.

HARRIS: Well, Ralph, how about you? I'm trying to think as a guy, I don't think there's an issue that really galvanizes the way this seems to do with women. Why would you as a man come out to demonstrate against Roe versus Wade as have you done here?

RALPH LE GRAND, ANTIABORTION ADVOCATE: Well, twofold. One reason is there are 4,000 babies being killed through means of abortion in America every day, and they don't have a voice, and -- to speak that, but do I, and I want to speak for them. Secondly, at 17 years old, I was a father. And I had a choice. My girlfriend at the time and I had a choice whether to abort the baby or raise the baby, and we chose to raise my son, who's 16 now. And we did not marry, but we have a great relationship, his mother and I. I've been raising my son, have been a part of his life for 16 years.

HARRIS: I'm sorry, let me ask you this. So abortion was legal at that time, correct?

LE GRAND: Correct.

HARRIS: And so pretty much all of your adult life in this country has been living in an atmosphere where abortion has been legal and same with you, Rachelle, I've got to guess that almost your entire life that has been the case.

ADAMS: Correct.

LE GRAND: Why is it, it would inspire either one of you, if it's been around for such a long part of your lives, and the country seems to be, seems to be evolving toward being more I guess if not embracing it, at least living along with it, why is it that it is still so polarizing for you, Rachelle?

ADAMS: At this point, even though Roe is legal, it is not accessible to thousands of women. Ever since Roe was decided, the anti-choice movement has been working very diligently to chip away at those rights.

If you are a poor woman, you don't have access. If you are a young woman under the age of 18, you have to beg for somebody else's permission, and who knows if you have become pregnant because of incest or someone was inside your family and you have to go to them to get permission? and right now, the majority of the counties in this country do not have abortion providers, and many of our providers are being scared out of practice due to domestic terrorism and the fact that there's no training.

HARRIS: Ralph, why don't you respond to that.

LE GRAND: Well, can you repeat the questions? It's kind of loud here.

HARRIS: I can understand. You've got quite a few megaphones right around in your vicinity. The question that I had I began with here, Ralph, is if this has been something that has been at least accepted, you know, it hasn't been embraced, at least it's been around, and it's an idea people have had a chance to get used to, almost all of your adult life, why is it then still to this day it is as polarizing as it is?

LE GRAND: Well, you know, first off, my faith and the church. The church believes that life starts at conception, and I have that same belief very strongly. And I believe that baby's alive at the moment of conception. So abortion would be killing that baby. HARRIS: So both of you on the way out this morning, beginning with you this morning, what happens if President Bush does get a chance to replace one or two Supreme Court justices? What do you think is going to happen?

ADAMS: Given the track that he's been on since his first days in office, with reinstating the global gag rule, and a number of other verbal and not so verbal support that he's given to the anti-choice movement, I would suspect that he would attempt to put a conservative activist judge on the Supreme Court bench to attempt to really reverse Roe, and we will not stand for that.

As a new generation, we honor the work and struggle that the people who came before us put into making sure that we have this basic right as human beings to decide and determine for ourselves what the future of our families are going to look like, and we will fight to the death again to ensure that this decision will not be overturned.

HARRIS: Ralph, your final word on this.

LE GRAND: I hope and pray that things do change around, and that the president appoints the right people who will turn over Roe versus Wade.

HARRIS: Ralph Le Grand and Rachelle Adams, thank you very much. We'll have to wait and see how this all plays out. Take care.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 22, 2003 - 11:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it is one of the Supreme Court's most debated and most divisive decisions. Today marks 30 years since in Roe versus Wade. Activists on both sides of the abortion debate are taking to the streets today in Washington, live pictures today coming from the mall in Washington. You see the crowd gathered there. Opponents are gathering now for what they call the march for life. That will begins next hour. President Bush plans to address that rally by telephone next hour from St. Louis. The National Organization For women plans a candlelight vigil this evening at the Supreme Court. The current court is narrowly divided on abortion and with speculation a justice may retire this term, abortion rights advocates fear a bush appoint tee could spell the end of Roe.
Well, there is no better way to gauge the intensity and passion of this abortion issue without talking to two people on opposite sides of the debate. That what we're going to do now. Rachelle Adams supports abortion rights. Ralph Le Grand opposes abortion. Both of them join us now from Washington this morning.

Good morning, folks. Thank you for coming out and talking with us this.

HARRIS: Good morning.

What I'd like to know is why is it that both of you, beginning with you, Rachelle, why is it you feel so strongly about this you decided to come all the way to Washington?

RACHELLE ADAMS, ABORTION ADVOCATE: This is an issue that's very near and dear to my heart. I -- after having two children became even more pro choice. It's it's an issue to me that is a matter of being committed to the future generations and a love of our families and the dignity and integrity that women need to be able to carry forth in their own lives day to day and to decide for themselves on a very intimate and personal way what is the right time to begin starting to raise a family.

HARRIS: Well, Ralph, how about you? I'm trying to think as a guy, I don't think there's an issue that really galvanizes the way this seems to do with women. Why would you as a man come out to demonstrate against Roe versus Wade as have you done here?

RALPH LE GRAND, ANTIABORTION ADVOCATE: Well, twofold. One reason is there are 4,000 babies being killed through means of abortion in America every day, and they don't have a voice, and -- to speak that, but do I, and I want to speak for them. Secondly, at 17 years old, I was a father. And I had a choice. My girlfriend at the time and I had a choice whether to abort the baby or raise the baby, and we chose to raise my son, who's 16 now. And we did not marry, but we have a great relationship, his mother and I. I've been raising my son, have been a part of his life for 16 years.

HARRIS: I'm sorry, let me ask you this. So abortion was legal at that time, correct?

LE GRAND: Correct.

HARRIS: And so pretty much all of your adult life in this country has been living in an atmosphere where abortion has been legal and same with you, Rachelle, I've got to guess that almost your entire life that has been the case.

ADAMS: Correct.

LE GRAND: Why is it, it would inspire either one of you, if it's been around for such a long part of your lives, and the country seems to be, seems to be evolving toward being more I guess if not embracing it, at least living along with it, why is it that it is still so polarizing for you, Rachelle?

ADAMS: At this point, even though Roe is legal, it is not accessible to thousands of women. Ever since Roe was decided, the anti-choice movement has been working very diligently to chip away at those rights.

If you are a poor woman, you don't have access. If you are a young woman under the age of 18, you have to beg for somebody else's permission, and who knows if you have become pregnant because of incest or someone was inside your family and you have to go to them to get permission? and right now, the majority of the counties in this country do not have abortion providers, and many of our providers are being scared out of practice due to domestic terrorism and the fact that there's no training.

HARRIS: Ralph, why don't you respond to that.

LE GRAND: Well, can you repeat the questions? It's kind of loud here.

HARRIS: I can understand. You've got quite a few megaphones right around in your vicinity. The question that I had I began with here, Ralph, is if this has been something that has been at least accepted, you know, it hasn't been embraced, at least it's been around, and it's an idea people have had a chance to get used to, almost all of your adult life, why is it then still to this day it is as polarizing as it is?

LE GRAND: Well, you know, first off, my faith and the church. The church believes that life starts at conception, and I have that same belief very strongly. And I believe that baby's alive at the moment of conception. So abortion would be killing that baby. HARRIS: So both of you on the way out this morning, beginning with you this morning, what happens if President Bush does get a chance to replace one or two Supreme Court justices? What do you think is going to happen?

ADAMS: Given the track that he's been on since his first days in office, with reinstating the global gag rule, and a number of other verbal and not so verbal support that he's given to the anti-choice movement, I would suspect that he would attempt to put a conservative activist judge on the Supreme Court bench to attempt to really reverse Roe, and we will not stand for that.

As a new generation, we honor the work and struggle that the people who came before us put into making sure that we have this basic right as human beings to decide and determine for ourselves what the future of our families are going to look like, and we will fight to the death again to ensure that this decision will not be overturned.

HARRIS: Ralph, your final word on this.

LE GRAND: I hope and pray that things do change around, and that the president appoints the right people who will turn over Roe versus Wade.

HARRIS: Ralph Le Grand and Rachelle Adams, thank you very much. We'll have to wait and see how this all plays out. Take care.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com