WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority flexed its muscle yet again Friday, this time striking down the right to an abortion and ominously signaled that other rights are in the crosshairs.
Roe versus Wade is effectively struck down on this day, the law of the land for newly 50 years. As the New York Times reports, “The Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion in a decision that will lead to all but total bans on the procedure in about half of the U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts voted with the majority.” The decision came in the case of Dobbs versus Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Reporter Neal Katyal described the outcome this way: “Justice Thomas concurs, saying overruling Roe isn’t enough. ‘For that reason, in future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell.’ That’s right to privacy, contraception, marriage equality, etc.”
The dissenting Justices wrote, “With sorrow—for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent.”
Reactions were split. Immediately, Iowa’s GOP politicians gleefully applauded the decision.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds released a statement, saying, “The Supreme Court’s greatest moments have come when it allows America to embody more perfectly the enduring truth on which it was founded: that all human beings, without exception, are created equal. By that measure, today’s historic decision is clearly one such moment. But the fight for life is not over. As Governor, I won’t rest until every unborn Iowan is protected and respected.”
Ancient politician Chuck Grassley said, (if you can understand his language), “For many today’s decision is about far more than correcting Roe it means that the rights of the unborn are no longer in jeopardy This ruling empowers the ppl thru their elected reps to make commonsense policy decisions It takes policymaking out of the hands of unelected judges.”
Democrats and advocates for women’s rights vowed to fight back. Impact on the looming mid-term elections coming this November are huge, with control Congress in the balance.
Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that more guns should be on the streets of America. Ironically, someone tweeted, “According to SCOTUS, women are more regulatable than guns.”
