By Jeffery M. Leving, J.D.
President Bush's recent message to the anti-abortion rally about protecting 'the lives of innocent children waiting to be born,' made me reflect upon the father's complete inability to protect his own unborn child.
It's been 30 years since the Supreme Court made its decision in Roe vs. Wade. Despite the passage of that time, the issue remains a fiercly contested debate, with each camp remaining adamant in its attempt to outshout the other. Yet in these three decades, one voice continues to be unheard — that of the fathers of the unborn children.
As a family law attorney, I work daily with anguished fathers who have little or no say in the lives of their children. The agony of these men becomes unimaginable when the child is not yet born and they have no way of protecting the life they have helped to create.
With the anniversary of such a signifcant ruling upon us, a new Congress and debates raging in legislatures all across the country, activists on both sides see now as the time that will make or break Roe. But now is also a chance to balance the rights of the father with those of the mother, putting the focus on the child, and creating the most equitable law possible.
Depriving fathers of a meaningful voice will not solve the problem for anyone. This course would only deny fathers equal protection and due process. Moreover, many children will be far beyond the protective reach of their fathers who want to be included in such a pivotal decision.
Under the Supreme Court rulings made over the course of these three decades, fathers were denied any voice in the issue, whether they were married to the mother or not. If mom wanted to abort, dad was powerless. If dad wanted mom to abort, dad was powerless. Either way, when the child was born, dad was likely required to pay child support or face jail time.
Gender bias is a terrible injustice that needs to end.
We, as concerned Americans, should support the fairest and most realistic reproductive rights law possible. To do this, every voice must be heard, even that of the fathers. And, fathers should be able to ensure life to the children they helped create.
Jeffery M. Leving, J.D., is a family law attorney currently serving on the Congressional Task Force on Fathers, Families and Public Policy.
(This article courtesy of Steven Ertelt and the Pro-Life Infonet email newsletter. For more information or to subscribe go to www.prolifeinfo.org or email infonet@prolifeinfo.org.)
