Overturning Roe v Wade Is Just the Beginning.
If there was ever a time to get off your butt, this is it.
Trust me on this one: the draft decision overturning Roe v Wade leaked to the press is the real deal.
This is as big, if not bigger than Trump being elected. It’s an all-hands-on-deck/red alert situation. The only question in my estimation is whether millions of (especially) younger people will look up from the latest Tik Tok clip long enough to care.
I would argue that this situation needs to be an “all of the above” situation when it comes to responding to this court decision: street protests, voter registration campaigns, art that makes social statements, and –above all- getting the vote out.
The movement that should arise out of this will need to be broad based. The Tucker Carlsons of the world will be eagerly waiting for the opportunity to be divisive. Intersectionality needs to be a universal aspiration.
All those half-measures bandied about in the press are bullshit. The US Senate isn’t going to eliminate the filibuster as long as Joe Manchin and Susan Collins are there.
Here’s what you shouldn’t do: Signing a petition that magically appears in your inbox will do nothing but get you on a mailing list. Sending money to the first politician out of the gate to fundraise off this decision won’t cut it. (Investigate their record first, and make sure they will be in a position to do more than pass a resolution–that should eliminate dog catchers and other irrelevant offices.)
The decision won’t be officially rendered until June. Yes, there will be tweaks. But the fact that the majority of justices gave it to Alito is a statement in itself.
Unofficially, eliminating the expansion of the right of privacy delineated in the fourteenth amendment to the constitution as a result of the 1973 decision has been the political objective of the American right.
Eliminating that right to privacy opens the door to re-examination of all kinds of precedents. And if you’re skeptical about this happening, I invite you to attend any of the victory parties that will undoubtedly be taking place in evangelical churches.
Alito's draft opinion explicitly criticizes Lawrence v. Texas (legalizing sodomy) and Obergefell v. Hodges (legalizing same-sex marriage). He says that, like abortion, these decisions protect phony rights that are not "deeply rooted in history." And you can add Griswold (birth control) to that pile.
Don’t worry, personal rights like owning a gun and not wearing a mask are probably safe.
All it will take to open the floodgates will be one cracker lawyer with the determination to make it to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and viola! Interracial marriages will be a justifiable excuse for discrimination… cops will be able to raid gay bars again…pharmacies will refuse to sell birth control pills.
Overturning Roe v Wade means each state’s laws will determine the right and availability of abortion. More than 20 states will immediately make abortion illegal or substantially restricted. Some states will attempt to go after those who cross their borders by enabling civil actions aimed at those who have the procedure in other states, along with anyone aiding and abetting such a decision.
The prospects for outrageous crusades aimed at organizations and commercial entities are endless. They won’t happen overnight; it takes time and money to craft legal attacks, along with a little luck in getting the right judge assigned to the case.
I’ll have more to say, and welcome your ideas on how to better get this done. Be sure to consider donating money to organizations leading the upcoming battle, like Planned Parenthood and NARAL.
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I’ll share this snip from Indivisible, regarding actions you can take, including one later this(Tuesday) afternoon.
Something that’s particularly important to understand: Your rights are not safe even if you live in a Blue state. They are coming for abortion rights and every other constitutional right we hold dear, in all 50 states.
It would be easy to despair today – and if you’re like us, you might want to do that for a while. But there are things we can do. We’ll be looping back with more details about events and calls in the next few days, but for now, here are four quick action items:
If you need an abortion right now, Roe is still the law of the land. This is likely to change quickly, but this is a leaked document, not the final ruling. If you need care, check with a doctor or clinic. If you have an appointment in the coming days, go to it. And if you want to support access to abortion and other crucial healthcare, here’s a list of abortion funds you can donate to.
Ensure we win in November. The only way, long term, to take back the Supreme Court is to protect and expand a Democratic majority in the House and Senate and hold the White House. Sign up here to get involved with Give No Ground, our campaign to protect our majorities, then chip in $10 or more to fund all of that work.
Start talking to everyone you know about the extremist Republican Supreme Court. 75% of people and 53% of Republicans believe the choice to get an abortion should be between a pregnant person and their doctor. The extremists on the Supreme Court clearly don’t think so, and we need everyone in the country to know that Republicans like Mitch McConnell and Susan Collins agree with them and got us into this mess.
Show up to your local court at 5pm today. All over the country, at the Supreme Court and federal district courts, we're asking everyone to rally at 5pm today, May 3, local in town squares, in front of federal courthouses, and the Supreme Court to declare #BansOffOurBodies and abortion is health care. Can't make it today? Over the next few days, we’ll be supporting and coordinating with partners like Planned Parenthood, NARAL, MoveOn, UltraViolet, and others to plan mass mobilizations and other actions. We’ll share those plans via email and text message. (If you’re not on our rapid response text team, text INDIVISIBLE to 59798, and we’ll get you set up.)
Email me at WritetoDougPorter@Gmail.com