Abortion” of the Ron Nessen Papers at the Gerald R
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The original documents are located in Box 1, folder “Abortion” of the Ron Nessen Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Copyright Notice The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Ron Nessen donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Digitized from Box 1 of the Ron Nessen Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidentiale Library • • .,n's rights" forces were in fact surprisingly weak, and.a<i."ttittedly afraid of abortion for fear cf losing out on ER; too {they g9t that, with a big assist Ford). The text, however, is hardly a ringing declaration of rights for the letter's man-in-Kansas City reports that it could have been made much tougher abortionists had agreed on a hard line). It reads: "The stion of abortion is one It on abortion and supports the efforts of those who seek enactme:".c of a const:it'..l':.~ona \\ar:t.end.."nent to restore protection of the right to l~re of tne unborn child." ... ... -------- ----~ .. ····· ----·-··· ... -·· ······· --·-····--- ... ==--- • WASHINGTON . /·- 2-~r- 7-~ __ y .~ r~&~ 0-e._~r ,;;;--- ;e,/~t~~ ~/Z-L~L~ -,- .. --f-~1~· c- J:~~-•.- '. 7--~~ .. --· .. • 3 questions from a Mr. Bernstein on Cronkite shm·1. 1. Do you agree with the Supreme Court's position that the ri~1t to abortion be left to a woman and her physician? 2. Do you think states should have the pm.1er to regulate abortions? 3. Do you favor a constitutional amendment to curb the Supreme Court's liberalized abortion ruling? ~ .• ·.' - dAr pa~e /1\ ' "Thereo is ~till onlv 001' who -vi\·.....\vi\ L.e~-c '- ' CQU determine~ 11hetl11•r lifp or LEADER - Wednesday, January i 4, 197 ,drath ~hall O('CUr. and that Js --------i! Gorl Him!'e!f." fV ~·· e I . ~dit~r Hartle ~aid !!hi" ho~~ l . 11 I n·us will be onh· thE' fi·~t of i ·2.· · r:J '"f): 11rari?us interview'! with the 1 i :, r·l •i :;nre:~tdr.nlial wndinarE'!I l'iving U d U ··.J · 1thetr \'Jews on pro-life i~'IIP~. ! ! Citing ~ll<'h rMr1P Jlq Cl's:lr /IO!a\'el. Garn· \\'ill~. .res•e r~) t • ' : ;.larkson :tnd Krn i'\~·•r1· for I'.'· :)'\ \l,, tr I/ their oppollitlon to .1hnrrion. ~he ~I.,\} 1said so~ne pr,.~irf,.nt~rt! r:wlr L~ JJ i"late~ mr,!akenh· h:~1·r ~~~~~~m,.rl, ~· l'l.at !iher:ll poliri<'<l nJP:lll~ •l11P 1 , mu~l hold a pro-ahorlion po~i-1 1\Ul\'NE:\POLIS. i\linn. -~In a of the \'ole after only three'. lion. · , eopyrighted interriew In the 11ceks of pru-hle teiensiun com· · Mr~. Jlartl1• rontinued "\\'p· latest issue of :he X:~t io11:1l. rnt:rcials. · rei!'cl tht lrit>:l that ;nPrl'll·' Right to Life :\~ws, oiftciill, Rt>r~gan. who signed pt?rmi~sive bt>rall~t' a politiri:~n ~~ :1 ('ntft nt~wspaper of the :\ational Rig:a abortion lcgi~lation when he w:u olir. hf' dr~t'n·p~ th,, nro lifP to Life Committee Jnc., pres1- go1ernor of Cetlifomia. sa~·!; In \'ole. :'\or du "" h·•fit>':t> th:1t uential con tend e r Honala the in• enicw that eperieure :~~'opie "ho llrPn't Catholic will Beagan explains hts opposition with th;~t ;aw com·inc!'d him rriPct pro-lirr politfr~. to abortion rnd t•uthar.a~ia. that .. r \\'OUld nare \'I"IOPd I f) •• •· fh>n:~ld Hl':u::Hl i~ :rn ohrinu~ In the interview w1th :\ev.o bill. in ti1e li~;ilt of what I knvl\ •·\;unnlt> o: ~OI11Pt)ne ,,,o·· not a editor Alice Jlartle. lk1g:m ex- now .. " · C:1•ho!ir who l:tkP< 1h1:> rirw. presses <;upport for a Human He savs ~hat if he "had it to A~d !hi~ I, <''Jlf'ri:tlh· rrfrl'<:hing Life Amendment to the r.s. do m·e'r again'' In lligni••? \\!It'll lht' P.epuh!ir:tn P:tr(I''S· Conc:titution to on~rturn the r s a!)ortk·n ]Ptrislalilln. he \\O!.I'd l!llllar ll':ld~r. Pre<idE'nt Ford. Supreme Court's J:1n. Z2. 1~7:1 si~n a ;.trict law alloll'iN ;,\., ·f, :til pro-!ifP ro1mnit~n,..n! ruling thM abortion i~ a ha,ic <JlJ,mion ·o ;>renmt tiH.' rltalh < f ·"'': ;li~ II ift> rn'hu<l;l'' !r':i!l1· comtitutional right throu~~hout tile nwrher. Thi~ \\M ·h~ ('ll•lnr·~~ lht' killing of lnniJCrnt pregnancy - not merely iit the t:-ndition.t! a!lowanc~ for nbor· u~lJ()_rn children. "first thrre mouths,·· as is still tiel! i•J Amerir:~n law. \\ P_ ha,·e h~'<trd rnou[!h !'\'a often reported. A!' ked his opinion of tuthn- ~f·>n trom. J><'OD!e like S?rl~. Reagan becomes the s~>cond na~i<: - ''mercy kililm~" - ~~ 1.1 ar~ KE'~~M.r am!, Hrreh /presidential hopeful thus ~ar to Rtagan repl!l?d, "It I' one thin.! ~·i\~~ ·'h? c :ll_m thr.1· yer,on lsupport the idea of an ameud- to •.1lk about thP trulv d')!lb!fui · '· . dnn I f:t•. ?r ilbot'flon but · ment. Experienet>d pro -life c:.,e. the moral ca;l' or the~~~ I lr~· .' 0 . gtre mor.11 ~uid- 10 1activist Ellen jlcC'ormack. Bell- ·-d· ·'d ·I h 1-..l·t f, . • 't' rr~tot e lhP nghts of rhe • • , 1,, nr ua \\ o~e uvut.v t.nc ln!rorn bl' ~uppo t'ng1 t 1more, I\. 't ·• has <111llrJt:ncEd ~n"' \ions are be inc ftJll Jlf·. t' wh•·n •r I·, · \ r · a s rong I- · 11 . .. · . .. · · · ·. · 11 'll'lO :t• : mrndmrnt 11s e?tcnng ~!.'Ot:t"l!c !,,,.,,. cea•h hns real!~· or."\lrrl'd w :111 '':\0 ( < . • dent tal pr:m:mcs brrause n•.m[: mtrnts lind p:lrpostos. h ,· ,. ~~ ~ a R 1>:,?-aho1 IJOnt~t of the other Dcmocrrtt ic :1•- " • , , _ , • n ·'~". on 0r >.efel!rr r.e- . • .. • <'O.IN' · 7 .. But tuth~~n:uln. o. l'ntlr ~:11r! lwre in jJinnesota P11 ant~ "' supp(JJ t~n, a 1Iunt. 111 folloii'A... rf"LI on •bort1on If I· t · t · tl · ·r , •d : ""' ,.n .. • · -~ u re\ erse H' SnrJreme ·I'O" d•rid• th·' t' Lt e An.c1.. ment.. ,_ .. ran ~ " •· 'I• i~. 'o 11r s ru r·m;?. YO'I".... h.1\'P to Pr?·h;~rs r,~c<•kll !nat, ft:t I. ~-;t: morally all rh:ht !n ~til ~.ltnl'on~ tnlPnd th,. Con~titul ion. \\'P'IJ: years .,ew 1or · rare u::- l,•e'rtt one. end of 1l1e li~l' ~1111n. ''"'' •i .. r 0,1r <trptlort t ~~ "'d· ,- 1 I }' ' .. t' . ' . 0 '<111111 ,>,p~ ' V .S · 5 e~t~t~. '~:.~>a~a ~e~.,~:~~·'c:ln f1~11re ~nt. a T~':Pnn 11hr ~~ ·r!.';trdl~·~ of p:~;·tv or oihe~ an unkno.\n tht.J-p.lr!j <>.J,u.· mu~t be mort~"' rr,11h• ~o do tt .;,..II'~ • ~ l•>lt" ~. t'nM· _, I. - , · h ]" , · . · . ,1 ~ .. s ··, uemon- 10~': \ilt a prrJ- if,' . :l!'r;.; a! •I!·' n!~r. AM bo!h are::r:liP a ~imwe comm!ttJ1Pllt to picked up more than 16 pc. cen, :n 1,r:~,ly Y.r0.1t:. >rote•·tin(.! n:J inr.~.::ent rnm~an i?e b•: . ~r.dor~ing a ~trong; ll!:nJ<Jn L:fr Amf'ndment." REAGAN: Abortion? I had to face this problem as Governor. I'd never given it much thought--! guess like a lot of people. Nine years ago there hadn't been much of a problem where I was. concerned and I hadn't given it any thought. When I had to face the proposal as to signing or not signing legislation I probably did more soul searching and more study than I've ever done on anything in my life, and I've come to the conclusion that the interrupting of a pregnancy is the taking of a human life and you can only take that human life in the same context that you can take any other human life. We recognize in our Judiac-Christian tradition, for example, that you can take a human life in defense of your own. Therefore, I believe that the mother--prospective mother, has the right to defend her own life even against her unborn child. But beyond that--just to take a human life on a whim because you made a mistake or that it might be inconvenient--no, that is taking a human life and you can't do it on that basis. - .. questio n- your personal opinion about abortion I have never given that subject much thought until I became Governor. As Gov. I found myself faced with legislation- bitterly contested state divided between the pros and the cons and the Senator who was proposing almost abortion on demand sent word do~1 that he would amend his bill to anything that I felt like I could sign. and that set me on a course of study and more soul searching than I have ever done in my life.