Firing Line last took up the subject of abortion in July of 1972 (#S66). Since then, the Supreme Court had dropped its Roe v. Wade bombshell, to the surprise, as WFB points out, of pro-lifers and pro-choicers alike. In this well-argued and often heated discussion, Mrs. Pilpel, who considers Roe "a superb decision," takes seriously that decision's language concerning the different trimesters of pregnancy. Mr. Noonan proves the more prescient in saying, "In fact, throughout the entire nine months, there is [in Roe] no recognition of the baby's interest and life, and we do in fact have, for the first time in our history, for the first time in the history of Anglo-American civilization, abortion on demand as the law of the land."