Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Richard Nixon on: When is Abortion Correct?


According to this New York Times article, recent tape recordings regarding conversations Nixon had whilst occupying the White House show the ex-president had some ambivalent feelings towards abortion rights in the wake of Roe vs Wade. Unsurprisingly...
Nixon worried that greater access to abortions would foster “permissiveness,” and said that “it breaks the family.”

Not a big deal to read about. But what I read in the following sentence was tragic.
But he also saw a need for abortion in some cases, such as interracial pregnancies.

“There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” he told an aide, before adding: “Or a rape.”

I'm not saying Nixon necessarily equated interracial pregnancies to rape, but it sure as hell was not a flattering sentiment.

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