Roe v. Wade v. Dobbs v. Jackson: Adventures in Constitutional Theory

Zem Laski

11 a.m., March 17, 2024

Join Zem Laski as he presents to us in person this Sunday in Mountain View.

With a gridlocked and dysfunctional legislative branch, it falls to the U.S. Supreme Court to de facto formulate policy. Some of SCOTUS’ decisions have a profound impact on American society, with abortion being the prime example. But the reversal of Roe demonstrates that any rights and privileges previously affirmed by the Court are, in fact, hanging by a thread.

So how was it possible for SCOTUS to reach one conclusion in Roe and then an opposing one in Dobbs? We’ll explore some differing legal philosophies – textualism, originalism, liberalism – which may guide Constitutional interpretation and which, in turn, can produce starkly different outcomes. It is also worth pointing out that the U.S. does not affirmatively guarantee some of the rights that we think it does.

MINI-BIO: Zem Laski is a passionate and aspiring software engineer who used to earn money from practicing the trade. He immigrated to the U.S. from Poland in 1981, and has a checkered legacy of employment and educational attainment in both countries. He wound up with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Stanford, and a master’s degree in Information and Computer Science from UC Irvine. At present, Zem enjoys a quiet and sedentary life in south San Jose, courtesy of the Social Security Administration. He takes pleasure in intellectual banter, especially on subjects in which he is ill-informed.

3/17/2024 Zev Laski from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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