Public attitudes about abortion [letter]
The authors agree with the Blendon et al conclusion that the legality of abortion is no longer at stake but point out that the silent majority is opposed to the court about the circumstances which justify abortion and about the stages of pregnancy at which it should be allowed.
Abstract
The authors critique that Blendon and colleagues in their abortion poll review failed to observe their own criterion of omitting biased questions neglected to answer fully the question of how the Table data relate to public attitudes about sustaining Roe v Wade and failed to note important conclusions. They find fault in Blendon giving the impression that the court legalized abortion only in the first trimester and question the validity of any single question seeking opinions about Roe v Wade while stressing that Blendon et al data make it evident that a majority of Americans do not agree with the court. This discrepancy between public attitudes and current policy suggest that the abortion debate will continue. The authors do however agree with the Blendon et al conclusion that the legality of abortion is no longer at stake but point out that the silent majority is opposed to the court about the circumstances which justify abortion and about the stages of pregnancy at which it should be allowed.