The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has triggered a frenzy of activity from both sides of the abortion debate. Anti-abortion groups vow to push for near-total abortion bans in every state, while abortion rights groups insist they will harness the anger over the decision to go to the streets and fight back in courts to force the Biden administration into doing more to protect abortion rights.
The court said its ruling on Friday was needed because of what it called a half-century of bitter national controversy sparked by Roe, but its decision set off more immediate and widespread rancor and mobilizing than the original ruling — and guaranteed pitched battles and extraordinary division ahead.
The maneuvering was already under way.
Florida’s Legislature passed a ban on abortion within 15 weeks. The lawmakers in Florida pushed Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special session to examine a ban after six months.
The National Right to Life Committee supported model legislation for state bans, and renewed calls for its original, larger goal of a constitutional amendment banning all abortion nationwide. It and other anti-abortion organizations also pledged to punish those prosecutors who have not enforced abortion bans.
They promised to take other steps in order to limit access to abortion.
Abortion-rights groups were heading back to court with a hearing Monday where they are seeking an injunction to stop Florida’s 15-week ban from taking effect. They promised court fights over the so-called trigger bans that took effect on Friday upon the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Freda J.Levenson, Ohio’s legal director for the Ohio American Civil Liberties Union said Sunday that her organization would file suit against Planned Parenthood of Ohio to stop the state’s implementation of abortion bans. She claimed that abortion is a protected rights under the Ohio constitution.
The Women’s March, which rallied hundreds of thousands to demonstrations after Donald J. Trump became president in 2017, promised street protests in a “Summer of Rage” and said it would back primary challenges to Democrats it considered complicit in the appointment of the conservative Supreme Court majority.
California state legislators are expected to place a state constitutional amendment that would protect reproductive rights on Monday. Michigan, where the governor. Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan Governor, has filed suit to prevent a nearly century-old abortion ban from taking effect. Meanwhile, activists were collecting signatures to support a ballot initiative that would guarantee the right to abortion in the state Constitution.
“We’re going at it, we’re pulling out all the stops,” Ms. Whitmer, a Democrat, said on “Face the Nation With Margaret Brennan.” “This is a fight-like-hell moment.”
Abortion-rights supporters could take heart over what appeared to be broad public disapproval of Friday’s ruling. A CBS News/YouGov poll conducted immediately after the court handed down its decision shows that Americans considered it a “step backward” for the nation by more than a 20 percentage-point margin.
According to the poll, nearly 60% of Americans and two thirds of women disapprove of this ruling. Five-eight% said they would support a federal law that makes abortion legal.
And 56 percent of women said the ruling would make women’s lives worse, according to the poll, far greater than the 16 percent who said it would improve women’s lives
However, abortion opponents, who were celebrating their biggest victory in nearly 50 years, felt like they had the wind at the back of their sails.
President of Students for Life of America, Kristan Hawkins said that the group’s primary focus would be to prevent pregnant women from getting abortion pills, as a way around bans. It had also discussed proposed legislation. It was modeled after a Texas law which has since September banned abortion after six weeks. It would allow ordinary citizens the right to sue anyone who provides abortion services beyond state borders.
“Ultimately our mission in the pro-life movement is to make the act of abortion unthinkable and unavailable in our nation,” Ms. Hawkins said.
The waves of joy, anger and frustration that began immediately after the Friday decision were broadcasted on the airwaves, in pulpits, and at protests in the summer heat continued all weekend.
A thousand protesters waving signs and chanting objected to the court’s decision outside the State Capitol in Oklahoma City, where Gov. Kevin Stitt (a Republican) signed one of the strictest anti-abortion bans in America last month in anticipation that Roe would be overturned by the courts.
In deeply conservative Alabama, hundreds turned out to support abortion rights in rallies in Birmingham and Huntsville. Leaders of the Madison County Courthouse in Huntsville exhorted the crowd to not pay attention to and interact with anti-abortion protesters chanting outside.
At events celebrating Gay Pride month across the nation, denunciations of the court ruling were heard. A contingent of Planned Parenthood supporters led off the boisterous Pride Parade in downtown Manhattan, chanting, “Rise up for abortion rights!” At the Pride event in San Francisco a city supervisor, Rafael Mandelman, told the crowd that while they could party for the day, “tomorrow we have work to do!” Even those in California, he said, could campaign for congressional candidates in other states.
“If we’re going to change what happened on Friday, we all need to do work,” he said. “We can knock on doors and we can elect Democrats and we can protect Democrats.”
Sunday was a day of celebration for many conservatives
The Rev. Jonathan Spencer devoted his two morning sermons to celebrating the court’s decision.
“I rejoice with the Lord in his mercy and grace in helping remove what I believe is one of the greatest tragedies of our generation,” he told his congregants, asserting that more than 63 million children have been killed because of abortion since Roe.
“This does not end the battle,” he said. “Abortion still stands and people will still undergo these procedures.”
The congregation was very happy with his message. “I thought he was perfectly on point,” said Dawn Church, 49. Of the court decision, she said, “I’m ecstatic.”
However, there were also other messages in other congregations.
Bishop Joseph Walker III blessed several babies at Mount Zion Baptist Church, Nashville, before calling upon the women of the large, predominantly Black congregation to stand up and be applauded.
He recognized the women for the role they have long played “on the front lines of so many battles and fights” nationally and globally and committed to more prayers for them.
“Look at these beautiful babies, life is a blessing,” he said. “At the end of the day, no one has a right to tell you what to do with you. That’s between you and God.”
Tameka Gibson (45) was happy to accept his support. “I believe in pro-choice,” she said. “I believe that is a decision between people and God.” She did not agree with the direction Tennessee was taking; its trigger ban on abortion took effect on Friday.
“Everything is going backwards,” she said.
While protests were generally peaceful, some violence was reported. A Staten Island grocery store worker was charged with hitting Rudolph W. Giuliani’s back as he campaigned for his son, the Republican candidate for governor. Mr. Giuliani said he was walking through a ShopRite grocery store when the employee slapped his back and said, “You’re going to kill women.”
But as the nation absorbed the gravity of the moment — the rare occasion when the court has taken away a constitutional right — there were scenes of doubt, nuance and sometimes a desire to find middle ground, or at least understand those with different and deeply held views.
At the service at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville on Sunday morning with her husband and 5-month-old daughter, Katie Fullan said she supported the court’s decision. “But I had mixed feelings too,” she said. “I have a lot of friends, co-workers, neighbors who feel very distressed by it, and I feel like I really sympathize with them and understand where they are coming from.”
And while she supported the state’s decision to ban abortion, she thought it also needed to pass laws for paid maternity leave, subsidized child care and financial support for food and housing for those who need it.
“Many of the reasons women feel like they need abortion is because of the lack of support for raising children,” Ms. Fullan said. “The hardships that come with pregnancy and recovery, that’s going to be hard even with paid health care and paid child care.”
The congregation of the Brethren Church is located on a rural road in Jefferson Township, Ohio. It is roughly half black and half white, with a few Latino members. The Spanish-speaking portion of the service is also offered. And while the church’s stances have historically been progressive, the membership prides itself on nurturing a diversity of views.
“I am totally for the Supreme Court verdict, I don’t believe in harming innocent children,” said Sharon Sampson.
Terri Griffith said: “I am very disillusioned. This Supreme Court is dangerous.”
But those from opposite sides worshipped together and shared in the potluck that followed the service. Jan Putrell (68) was also present. While she described herself as a “radical progressive” on many social issues, she said abortion didn’t fit the easy categories that some do.
“We need a time of discernment,” she said, “to reflect on the verdict.”
Holly Secon, David Montgomery and Kevin Williams contributed reporting Luke Vander Ploeg, Sydney Cromwell & Ben Fenwick
Source: NY Times
