Michiana organizations react to Roe v. Wade decision

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in the case of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overruled 50 years of legal precedent and overturned the Roe v. Wade decision.

The move was expected because a draft version of the opinion was leaked in May of this year. At the local level, both sides are weighing in on their views of this unprecedented decision.

There’s no surprise that local reaction was mixed as well, with advocacy groups on both sides turning out today to champion for their side.

Pro-choice activists from Whole Woman’s Health say they are concerned that this ruling will force women who are seeking safe and legal abortion to turn to dangerous and possibly life-threatening methods.

Pro-life activists from Right to Life Michiana believe that life is our most fundamental right and our most precious gift and that abortions can have devastating consequences.

“I’m horrified by what this says about how this country views and treats women, pregnant people, and families. The United States is supposed to be a beacon of freedom, human rights, and justice in the world,” said Amy Hagstrom, Founder, President & CEO of Whole Woman’s Health Alliance.

The Dobbs case stemmed from a 2018 Mississippi law that banned all abortions after 15 weeks of gestation. The 6-3 decision, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, held that, because “the Constitution does not refer to abortion” the Roe decision was “egregiously wrong from the start.” Joining Alito in his majority opinion were Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett.

“The abortion industry has been operating as if there was a constitutional right to abortion for almost 50 years now, but we’re pleased that the Supreme Court finally affirmed otherwise, that there is not a constitutional right to abortion in our nation,” said Antonio Marchi, Executive Director of Right to Life Michiana.

The three dissenters, Justices Breyer, Kagan, and Sotomayor, noted that in Roe and the cases that followed it, “the Court struck a balance, as it often does when values and goals compete.”

“This kind of restriction that happened today, this does not represent the majority of people in this country. Support for abortion rights is higher than ever in the United States at this point, and I think it’s important that you don’t be silent right now, that you speak up,” said Hagstrom Miller.

In today’s decision, “the Court discards that balance” by finding “that from the very moment of fertilization, a woman has no rights to speak of.” The three dissenting justices concluded, “With sorrow—for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today, lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent.”

According to NBC News, “Chief Justice John Roberts voted with the other conservative justices to uphold the Mississippi law, but urged in a concurring opinion against going further.” Some analysts predict that this decision may indicate that the current Supreme Court majority may be willing to roll back decisions allowing contraception and gay marriage.

“Depending on where one lives, abortion might soon become illegal or restricted, but our mission is far from over. Our job is to make abortion unthinkable, most especially for the sake of women and their unborn children,” said Marchi.

Clearly, the decision opens the way for states to restrict abortion access severely. While 13 states have already enacted limitations in anticipation of the Dobbs decision, and 28 states are expected to enact other abortion restrictions or limitations in the coming months.

Marchi added that “Our job is to help women and unborn children understand the situations in front of them, realize the impact and reality of an abortion, and ultimately to realize that there is help here for them in our community without turning to abortion.”

It is important to note that when asked about pregnancies that endanger the mother or conceived from a heinous act, Right to Life Michiana’s position is that “Life begins at fertilization and deserves respect and protection from that moment on.”

Hagstrom Miller concluded by saying “As thousands more pregnant people suffer dangerous complications and even death due to pregnancies they have been forced to carry to term, we will see even more clearly how far the US has fallen and how badly it has failed in protecting the health and well-being of parents.”

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