Cody McDevitt’s GIVEN NO CHOICE: A History of Abortion Rights examines America’s evolving attitudes toward birth control and abortion from the turn of the 20th century to the present day. As the title suggests, McDevitt is a supporter of abortion rights. He makes that clear in his introduction, where he states that he wrote the book “with an eye to regaining what has been lost and taking the fight forward.”
That said, GIVEN NO CHOICE is not a political screed in which the author and his views take center stage. Rather, it is a fairly objective and balanced journalistic account. McDevitt relies on documented historical evidence to get his points across, and he presents his ideas in a measured and sober tone without resorting to sensationalism or recrimination.
The book combines human interest stories with detailed histories of legislation, activism, and legal cases. In addition to drawing on a wealth of books and news articles for references, McDevitt corresponded with various influential figures in the pro-choice movement. These include Dr. Cyril Wecht, activist Bill Baird, and former Planned Parenthood CEO Gloria Feldt.
GIVEN NO CHOICE shows us the beginning of the struggle for reproductive rights in America, which began in the early 20th century when the subjects of birth control and abortion were verboten. In those days, abortions could only be got at illegal underground clinics. The procedures were often carried out by people with no formal medical training. Serious injuries and deaths were common.
From there, McDevitt covers second wave feminism, its impact on reproductive rights, the landmark Roe v Wade case, the rise of the religious right, and America’s ongoing culture war over abortion.
Given the subject matter, McDevitt shows admirable restraint in making his case by preferring to let the record speak for itself. Rather than explicitly decry acts of violence committed by anti-abortion activists, he simply describes them. Which is not to say that the book is entirely unbiased. It addresses right-wing violence at length while ignoring or dismissing violence carried out by people on the other side of the aisle. In downplaying the violent tactics of the group Antifa, for instance, McDevitt quotes from a single sociologist and leaves it at that.
Nevertheless, anyone wanting to understand how we arrived at the current political impasse would do well to read GIVEN NO CHOICE.
Cody McDevitt’s GIVEN NO CHOICE: A History of Abortion Rights is a well-researched and thought-provoking chronicle of the complex evolution of abortion rights in the United States.
~ Michael Howard for IndieReader