{"id":32436,"date":"2022-09-10T16:09:30","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/americans-want-abortion-legal-but-only-sometimes\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:09:30","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:09:30","slug":"americans-want-abortion-legal-but-only-sometimes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/americans-want-abortion-legal-but-only-sometimes\/","title":{"rendered":"Americans Want Abortion Legal \u2014 But Only Sometimes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Bob Smietana<\/em><\/p>\n

The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy may mean the days of Roe v. Wade<\/em> are numbered,\u00a0according to legal scholars.<\/p>\n

Kennedy had been a swing voter, playing a key role in decisions on issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, political spending, and the death penalty.<\/p>\n

In the 1990s,\u00a0he reportedly\u00a0considered voting to overturn Roe v. Wade<\/em> when the court was deliberating a Pennsylvania law that imposed several restrictions on women seeking an abortion, including informed consent and a waiting period. But he eventually voted to uphold Roe v. Wade<\/em>.<\/p>\n

President Trump plans to announce his nominee for Kennedy\u2019s successor on Monday. That successor will likely oppose Roe v. Wade<\/em>. As a result, the law could soon be overturned.<\/p>\n

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That\u2019s likely to be controversial.<\/p>\n

A pair of new polls\u00a0shows\u00a0Americans are conflicted about how legal abortion should be.<\/p>\n

Two-thirds of Americans say the Supreme Court should not overturn Roe v. Wade<\/em>. And most Americans want abortion to be legal.<\/p>\n

Still, many want to see restrictions on when abortions can be performed.<\/p>\n

Split down the middle<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, taken right before Kennedy announced his retirement, found most Americans don\u2019t want to see Roe v. Wade<\/em> changed.<\/p>\n

Two-thirds say the Supreme Court should not overturn the decision. Three in 10 (29 percent) say the court should overturn the decision.<\/p>\n

But a recent Gallup poll shows many Americans want to see at least some restrictions on abortions. Half say abortion should be legal only under certain circumstances. One in 5 (18 percent) says abortion should be illegal in all circumstances.<\/p>\n

Twenty-nine percent say it should be legal in all circumstances.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile relatively few Americans appear to favor making abortion illegal, a slim majority appear sympathetic to taking steps to limit the circumstances under which abortions are permitted,\u201d says Gallup.<\/p>\n

Gallup also found Americans are split down the middle about abortion. Half say they are pro-life. Half call themselves pro-choice.<\/p>\n

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That\u2019s a big change from the mid-1990s, when the two sides were further apart. During that time frame, 33 percent of Americans were pro-life, while 46 percent were pro-choice.<\/p>\n

Americans have wavered over using those two labels since then. In 2012, 50 percent of Americans said they were pro-life and 41 percent said they were pro-choice, according to Gallup. In 2015, 50 percent said they were pro-choice, while 44 percent were pro-life.<\/p>\n

American views\u00a0on abortion\u00a0also depend on the circumstances. Sixty percent, for example, say abortion should be legal during the first trimester. Fewer say it should be legal in the second trimester (28 percent) or third trimester (13 percent).<\/p>\n

In other findings:<\/p>\n