Is overturning Roe the right decision?

The United States Supreme Court's ruling last week overturning the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion throughout the nation 50 years ago raises many questions, primary among them: Do you think it was the right decision?

That's Our Question of the Week for readers.

But the other questions are almost as fundamental as that one, and entirely germane to the enormous American discussion ongoing right now.

If you are old enough to remember the decision in January of 1973, did it affect your life at the time, or those of your friends and family?

Speaking of friends and family, has the current court's decision created discussions — perhaps very hard ones — between pro-life and pro-choice people who are close to you?

A half-century ago, the high court voted in favor of Roe by a strong 7-2 margin, with the opinion written by Justice Harry Blackmun, who had been appointed by President Richard Nixon to the court. Other Republicans on the court joined the majority opinion, and there was widespread support for the pro-choice side of this controversial issue by Republicans nationwide. What has caused such a change in the American political divide on the abortion issue?

Some Democrats, while mostly lamenting the ruling, are hopeful that outrage over it will ignite their core voters to turn out in the midterm elections. Will it?

And Democratic California officials have plans to welcome women from anti-choice states here, where they can legally obtain abortions, and to help them out financially. Is becoming such a “sanctuary state” with taxpayer money a good idea?

Did the three justices appointed by Donald Trump lie in their confirmation hearings when they essentially said that Roe was settled law?

Or was Roe a fundamentally unsound decision that was wrongly decided in the first place?

What do you think is an appropriate legal approach to abortion? Should it remain purely a matter of personal choice? Or are restrictions reasonable at different phases of pregnancy?

Email your thoughts to opinion@scng.com. Please include your full name and city or community of residence. Provide a daytime phone number (it will not be published).