Susan Rolls Over: The Anti-Abortion Perversion of Susan B. Anthony’s Legacy

In a New York Times editorial released today, the editors decry a recent trend among conservative politicians. They argue that some Republican & Tea Party candidates’ habit of signing policy pledges cripples their ability to make critical decisions they should, but have promised not to make. One of the pledges the article cites bears the noxious, misleading title “Susan B. Anthony pledge.” The anti-abortion content of the pledge coupled with the very fact that it exists show not only how conservatives misrepresent the history they’re so obsessed with, but highlight how their political strategies go against the very values Susan B. Anthony stood for.

The “Susan B. Anthony pledge” commits signers to support anti-abortion legislation; appoint only anti-abortion persons to the Supreme Court & relevant cabinets; & defund Planned Parenthood & similar organizations. (To date, Republican candidates Michelle Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, & Thaddeus McCotter have all signed on the dotted line.) This pledge was proffered by the group called “Susan B. Anthony List” (SBAL), which purports that “Courageous women leaders like Susan B. Anthony [...] believed that abortion was just a tool of oppression used against women.” You’d imagine that with such a bold description of Anthony’s beliefs & a pledge in her name entirely dedicated to anti-abortion policy, she was a staunch, vocal opponent of the practice.

You’d be wrong.

It turns out that Susan B. Anthony was more or less mum on abortion generally, never mind on how public policy should relate to it. The SBAL website gives exactly one quote written by an anonymous “A” and published in Anthony’s magazine, The Revolution, as evidence of Anthony’s “boisterous” opposition to abortion. “Most logical people would agree,” the site argues, “that writings signed by ‘A’ in a paper that Anthony funded and published were a reflection of her own opinions.” “Most logical people” would be wrong. Those most well versed in Anthony’s work believe that the article was not written by her, as she was never known for signing things “A” & the article had other content that did not fit Anthony’s writing style or beliefs.

Perhaps most importantly, I can safely say that Anthony would oppose the pledge as undemocratic -- not because it takes a pro- or anti-abortion stance, but because it locks the signer into any stance at all. The Revolution was dedicated to arguing all sides of an issue. Anthony would be appalled at these Republicans’ willingness to sign onto this & other pledges that actively halt discourse & stop politicians from weighing other viewpoints, a practice essential to the democratic process & one that Anthony went to great lengths to encourage.

So what would Susan B. Anthony say about the “Susan B. Anthony Pledge”? We don’t know if she’d support the policies it outlines, but we know she would oppose anyone signing it. If conservatives are as obsessed with the values of the brilliant, though certainly flawed leaders of our past; if they are concerned, as they constantly repeat they are, with “real” American values, they’ll oppose this & the other pledges, too. It’s exactly what Susan B. Anthony & our Founding Fathers would do.

Jazaka Momohu Khairan. [MdG]