Population controllers and the abortion movement
When former Oregon Republican Sen. Bob Packwood died earlier this month, the newspaper obituaries described him as a self-contradictory figure.
TL;DR
- Former Sen. Bob Packwood's support for abortion and birth control was motivated by environmentalist concerns about overpopulation, not feminist ideals.
- Figures like Margaret Sanger and Paul Ehrlich championed population control, with Ehrlich praising Packwood's legislative efforts to reduce birth rates.
- Early founders of NARAL, such as Larry Lader, were primarily focused on population control, viewing abortion as a means to achieve this goal.
- The article suggests that the pro-choice movement's early embrace of figures like Packwood, despite their personal conduct, was facilitated by their alignment on population control issues.
- The motivations behind supporting abortion have evolved, with current discussions often separating them from earlier population control agendas.