Roe v. WadeThere really can't be a discussion about being pro-life or the pro-life movement without first discussing Roe v. Wade. This monumental Supreme Court case, decided over forty years ago, is what brought the pro-life and pro-choice debate to the forefront. Some even claimed that both sides were “trapped in a violent and murderous war” (Tomlin, 1994: 423). With this decision, pro-lifers now opposed the status quo, while placing “pro-choicers within established law” (Vanderford, 1989, 167). The case initially arose four years before the final decision in 1973. Norma McCorvey, aka Jane Roe, was the anonymous plaintiff in the case. She had become pregnant and was unable to obtain an illegal abortion. McCorvey was referred to two young Texas lawyers who ultimately brought the case forward in 1969, when they decided to challenge the Texas abortion ban (Munson, 2009, 83). Initially, advocates simply wanted Texas to relax its abortion laws. During this period, many other states had already liberalized their abortion laws – Texas was simply looking to follow them. They filed their federal class action lawsuit against a local prosecutor named Henry Wade. The lawsuit was filed on the grounds that the Texas law, which banned abortion, was unconstitutional. The initial response from the federal court with jurisdiction over Texas was mixed. The attorneys appealed their case to the Supreme Court and oral arguments began in 1971. The Supreme Court issued its decision on January 22, 1973. The decision was 7 to 2 and surprised many Americans by eliminating the " restrictions on first-trimester abortions.” (Freeman, 2009: 25). Essentially the highest...... middle of paper ......ade", accessed February 22, 2014. http://rt.com/usa/state-abortion-restrictions-unprecedented-108/ Shields, Jon A 2013. “The Pro-Life Legacy of Roe.” » First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life (229): 22. Tomlin, Christopher W. 1994. "The Reign of Terror: Judicial Branch's Failure to Stop Anti-Abortion Violence Forces Congress to Return to the drawing board. » Law and Psychology Review 18: 423-39. Vanderford, Marsha L. 1989. “Defamation and Social Movements: A Case Study of Pro-Life and Pro-Choice Rhetoric.” » Quarterly Journal of Speech 75 (2): 166. Wardle, Lynn D. 1985. “Rethinking Roe v. Wade.” Brigham Young University Law Review 1985 (2): 231.World Tribune. 2014. “How the Pro-Life Movement is Winning the Hearts and Minds of Americans.” » Accessed March 19, 2014. http://www.worldtribune.com/2014/01/25/how-the-pro-life-movement-is-winner-american-hearts-and-minds/