Our right to privacy is now in danger
Like many in this counÂtry the Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie were heartÂbroÂken by the conÂtent of the Dobbs deciÂsion of the US Supreme Court when it was leaked in May. It comÂpleteÂly guts a woman’s right to aborÂtion under 1973’s Roe v. Wade deciÂsion.
We knew this was a posÂsiÂbilÂiÂty from the decades long effort by reliÂgious zealots to overÂturn the case and send us back to the time of secret back-alley aborÂtions that led to unnecÂesÂsary deaths.
To be truthÂful, aborÂtions will still hapÂpen, but the aborÂtions will be less safe. Those who are caught in poverÂty will be worse off and women becomÂing pregÂnant due to a rape or incest will have no othÂer options to terÂmiÂnate their pregÂnanÂcy.
The deciÂsion also hints at future attacks on same sex marÂriage, sodomy, and conÂtraÂcepÂtion. Religious zealots want to stomp all of that out and peoÂple like Justice Alito, Thomas, and the othÂer conÂserÂvÂaÂtives on the court are more than hapÂpy to help.
Religious conÂserÂvÂaÂtives believe wearÂing masks and not being allowed to pray in a church durÂing a panÂdemÂic is a severe vioÂlaÂtion of their reliÂgious freeÂdom, yet they don’t think twice in using their reliÂgion to jusÂtiÂfy takÂing funÂdaÂmenÂtal rights from all of us. With this deciÂsion, our right to priÂvaÂcy is in danÂger.
SHoWLE strongÂly conÂdemns the Dobbs deciÂsion. We will nevÂer stop supÂportÂing a womÂan’s right to reproÂducÂtive choice and everyÂone’s right to priÂvaÂcy.
We also repeat our intenÂtion not to work with ANY group that doesÂn’t supÂport a womÂan’s right to make her own health care choicÂes. We also will refuse to work with groups who don’t supÂport a right to priÂvaÂcy.
We know it is a big ask to boyÂcott Ohio, which is poised to end legal aborÂtion, but if a busiÂness isn’t able to leave or refuse to do busiÂness in states that ban aborÂtion, we at least ask those busiÂnessÂes to strongÂly express their supÂport for a womÂan’s right to choose and offer to help employÂees obtain aborÂtions in states where it will be legal.
Besides conÂtactÂing your electÂed repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtives and supÂportÂing any protests against takÂing the right to choose from women, we also ask that you donate to local aborÂtion groups who help those with less resources to get the care they need.
The Agnes Reynolds Jackson Fund (focusÂes on NW Ohio and Toledo)
National Network of Abortion Funds
Updated on 06/24/2022 when the deciÂsion was offiÂcialÂly handÂed down
The vote to overÂturn Roe was 5–4. Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett joined Alito’s opinÂion. Chief Justice John Roberts did not join the opinÂion. He agreed with the majorÂiÂty that the Mississippi aborÂtion restricÂtion at issue in the case should be upheld, but in a sepÂaÂrate opinÂion, he argued that the court should not have overÂturned Roe.
The court’s three libÂerÂals, Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan, filed a joint disÂsent.
Supreme Court overÂturns conÂstiÂtuÂtionÂal right to aborÂtion