Thursday, January 22, 1998

  • President of Planned Parenthood and Jane

    On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in RoeV. Wade, a challenge to a Texas statute that made it a crime to perform anabortion unless a woman’s life was at stake. The case had been filed by"Jane Roe", an unmarried woman who wanted to safely and legally end herpregnancy. Siding with Roe, the Court struck down the Texas law. In itsruling, the Court recognized for the first time that the constitutionalright to privacy “is broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whetheror not to terminate her pregnancy.”

  • The Pope in Cuba, Day Two

    Greeted by President Fidel Castro as he stepped off the plane, the Popebegan his 5-day trip to Cuba with an appeal for Cuba to open up to theworld, and the world to open up to Cuba. Arriving in Cuba yesterday, PopeJohn Paul also took a slap at the U. S. economic embargo. In his welcomingaddress, President Fidel Castro denounced the embargo as “genocide.”

  • Assata Shakur-Former Black Panther in Cuba

    Several weeks ago, New Jersey state troopers sent Pope John Paul II aletter asking him to call for the extradition of Assata Shakur, formerlyknown as JoAnne Chesimard. Shakur, who was a member of the Black PantherParty, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the 1973 murder ofa New Jersey state trooper. In 1973 she broke out from prison, and nowlives in exile in Cuba. In an open letter addressed to the Pope, Assatatells her side of the story.