I live in Massachusetts. It’s easy to say that it couldn’t happen, it won’t happen here if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. After all, we have strong legislation on our books protecting a woman’s right to choose. So it can’t happen here, right? Nor in California nor the other states that have worked to protect the right to choose. Really? Do really believe this?
First, consider this: in 1975 Dr Kenneth Edelin was convicted of manslaughter in a Massachusetts court for an abortion he performed eight months after the Roe decision. Multiple things went wrong during the procedure. Still, in the end he was charged with and convicted of a crime. Ultimately, the verdict was unanimously overturned by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Yes, Massachusetts is more liberal now, more open, yet regardless. This is our history. As a note: Dr. Edelin was Black (he died in 2014).
Second, consider Article VI of the United States Constitution. Clause 2 is known as the “supremacy clause”. To summarize, “the Laws of the United States…shall be the supreme Law of the Land”. Meaning? Federal law preempts and overrides any and all state laws. So consider this, the year is 2024. Donald Trump wins the presidency. Republicans take a majority in the House and Senate. Do you really believe that they won’t enact a bill banning abortion everywhere? Does any part of you think that Mitch McConnell won’t toss out the filibuster?
Third, on December 30, 1994 a man walked into the Planned Parenthood clinic in Brookline, MA. He shot and killed the receptionist and injured several others. Minutes later he entered the Preterm Health Service clinic in Boston, killed the receptionist there and shot several more. Can any part of you not believe that this sort of violence will be emboldened by overturning Roe? Have no doubt that the violence is coming, that someone is out there who will cross state lines to “save the babies”, knowing that in much of the country abortion is illegal, yet deciding to stop it from happening elsewhere. These nuts are there, they are real. Consider the “pizzagate” shooting. A man showed up with his assault rifle to free the babies being held in a pizza shop basement by a sex slavery ring headed by Hillary Clinton. Yeah, someone believed that and set out to free them. As a side note? The pizza shop didn’t have a basement.
Really? Do you really believe we are safe, that it can’t happen here?