Gorge Locals Respond to the Overturning of Roe vs. Wade
Map from the Washington Post showing abortion access in the U.S. today based on data from Reproductive Rights.org.
By Cole Goodwin
Today Friday, June 24th, 2022 the U.S Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe vs. Wade and eliminate the constitutional right to an abortion on a federal level. The decision leaves the issue in the hands of state legislatures. Oregon and Washington voters have legalized abortion but thirteen states may soon ban abortion.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, called on the Supreme Court to use today’s decision as precedent for overturning precedents set on contraceptive access and LGBTQ rights in the future. Meaning today’s Roe v. Wade's decision could also pave the way for overturning LGBTQ+ people’s right to marry.
“In future cases, we should reconsider all of this court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell,” wrote Thomas in his opinion on today’s ruling.
The Supreme Court decision fell along gender and political party lines. Nine justices make up the current Supreme Court, of which three are women. Four of the five justices who voted to overturn Roe vs. Wade were men. Three of the five justices, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, were nominated by former president Donald Trump.
The Supreme Court as composed October 27, 2020 to present. Front row, left to right: Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer, and Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Back row, left to right: Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, and Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
Photo Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States
Reactions to the decision vary locally and across the nation.
In a public address made today, U.S. President Joe Biden called the courts decision the “realization of extreme ideology” and called on congress to restore abortion protections as federal law. Former president Donald Trump also responded to the ruling today by taking credit for the decision and calling it the “biggest win for life in a generation.”
Also responding to the decision, Oregon Health and Science University reaffirmed its position today that abortion is essential health care.
“Here at OHSU, we are resolute in our commitment to provide the full continuum of sexual and reproductive health care — including abortion — to all who seek it, and to educate the next generation of clinicians and advance groundbreaking research,” said OHSU in a statement today. “As we face a post-Roe world, we acknowledge the increased responsibility we have, along with other providers in Oregon, to ensure people from out-of-state are able to access the critical care they need.”
Most American’s support abortion rights
According to the Pew Research Center 61% of U.S. adults are in favor of legal abortion in all or most cases while only 37% said abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.
CCCNews polled people on the street in the Columbia River Gorge today to see how they are reacting to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Sarah, age 40, The Dalles
“I don’t think that’s a right that the government has. So, I am not for it. A woman’s body is her body. There are medical reasons you have to get an abortion for at times and if somebody’s life is at stake they can’t take away that right.”
Betsy, age 66, and Gayle, age 64 visiting from Arlington, Massachusetts
“I had an abortion once,” said Betsy, “It was just a no sweat experience. It was a ten minute drive and three hundred dollars, and people at Planned Parenthood were very nice. So, I’ve been sending them money and supporting them ever since. So, I would like abortion to be available to everybody who needs it all across the country.”
“This is the result of twenty years of organizing on the right, and the election of Donald Trump,” said Gayle. “I think this is just the beginning of the dismantling of voting rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ people rights, people of color rights, minorities rights, and immigrants rights in this country. This is just the beginning of a very terrifying future.”
“I think that what we’re afraid of did just start. The right is going to make originalist arguments saying that, well, the constitution doesn’t specifically say you’ve got privacy rights, or you’ve got the right to protect yourself from Ak-47’s and so on.”
“We’re a lesbian couple from Massachusetts, so we’re largely insulated and we feel very safe,” said Betsy. “Although our nice safe gun laws may now be challenged using this constitutional argument.”
“But it’s safe to get an abortion there and Massachusetts is working on creating a safe haven for people from neighboring states who may be seeking abortions,” said Gayle.
Bob Boyett, age 78, The Dalles
“Well I’m having a good reaction to it because I’ve been a pro-lifer for a long time and I’m just glad to see that things are turning around in that area and that there’s a little glimmer of hope for our nation.”
Olga, age 66, seen in White Salmon, Washington, originally from Ukraine, but has lived in the USA for close to two years
“It’s really horrible. I think women are the ones that must have children. So, it should be their choice.”
Alex Lawerence and Caelen Curtis
Calen Curtis, 22, The Dalles
“I’ve been considering how to put my thoughts into a single sentence,” said Caelen Curtis. “ I think to put it succinctly, whether you’re a man or a woman, trans or not, it’s terrifying that your human rights can be given back to the state and that’s the precedent we’ve decided to set with this ruling. Even if you’re a cis man or a cis woman your rights can be given back to the state by the Supreme Court.
For anyone who’s not upset by this and is in support of the overturning of Roe vs. Wade I would say, it’s not necessarily fair that the Supreme Court is dominated by cisgender men and yet it can make a ruling that targets people with uteruses in this way. In light of the decision we need to pass new legislation.”
Alex Lawrence, 23, The Dalles
“I’m just really aggravated about it. It makes me really mad that something 61% of the people in this country support can be overturned like this by some extremely ancient dudes who have sat in power for way too long. One of whom, Brett Kavanaugh, has been charged as a literal rapist and sexual abuser*, and the fact that he is deciding what people with uteruses can do with their bodies flabbergasts me. And Thomas’ wife was an avid Trump supporter and may have even been behind the scenes urging things to happen during the January 6th insurrection*. So the fact he is still in power just blows me away.
For someone like me this is really terrifying because if I still lived in Arizona, I wouldn’t be able to get an abortion. That’s so terrifying to me. I would genuinely rather die than be forced to carry a pregnancy. My dad is really conservative and he was very anti-aborition until I told him that if I was forced to carry a pregnancy I would probably kill myself.
This decision impacts everybody, it impacts trans men like me, nonbinary people, women, and everyone. This is an intersectional issue that transcends gender even. Black women for example are disproportionately more likely to have problems with pregnancy.”
*Fact Check:
FBI agents found the testimony of several women who brought sexual assault and sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh to be credible and truthful. However, Kavanuagh has never been charged, tried, or convicted of sexual assault.
Content Warning: the following background information contains details of sexual assault and sexual misconduct.
Background:
In July of 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh for Supreme Court Judge.
In September of 2018, the Senate held five days of confirmation hearings for Kavanaugh. During the confirmation hearings three women gave testimony that Kavanaugh had sexual assaulted or engaged in sexual misconduct around them before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Christine Blasey Ford, 51, a research psychologist at Palo Alto University in California told the Washington Post that Judge Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when she was 15 years old at a party. She told the Post that a drunk Kavanaugh had pinned her to the bed and covered her mouth to keep her from screaming.
“I thought he might inadvertently kill me,” she said.
The FBI said that a polygraph test showed she was being truthful.
Kavanaugh denied the allegations.
Deborah Ramirez, 53, also alleged that Kavanaugh had exposed his penis to her during a drinking game in a dorm suite. More than 2,200 Yale women signed a letter of support for Ms. Ramirez’s testimony.
The FBI declined to follow up with interviews of the 25 witnesses brought forward by Ramirez's legal team. Two FBI agents reportedly told Ramirez that although they had found her story to be credible, they could not conduct a full investigation because they did not have the support of the Republican-controlled Senate.
Kavanaugh denied the Ramirez allegations.
Julie Swetnick, 55, alleged that Kavanuagh had frequented parties where women were verbally abused, inappropriately touched and “gang raped.” Swetnick testified that she had been drugged and raped at one of the parties where Kavanaugh was present.
In addition Kavanaugh faced an anonymous accusation alleging that he pushed a woman he was dating against a wall “very aggressively and sexually” after leaving the bar one night in 1998.
In October of 2018, the Republican-controlled Senate voted to confirm Kavanaugh as the 114th associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Fact Check: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ wife, Virignia “Ginni” Thomas recently admitted to attending the January 6th, 2021 “Stop the Steal” rally. However Thomas said she “played no role” in the riots and was “disappointed and frustrated” that there was violence following the “peaceful gathering of Trump supporters.”
Adrian did not want to be photographed but allowed CCCNews to take a picture of his dog.
Adrian, age 36, from California, but in Bingen, Washington
“Coat hangers in the alley? I’m not down for that,” said Adrian.
“But you know what, if you don’t want the baby. You shouldn’t be f*cking. We’re in an age where taking responsibility for your actions is not the norm anymore. No one has any accountability any more. But if you’re not ready to have a kid you shouldn’t be out sl*tbagging around. I took care of somebody's kids already. I raised my roomates son and put him through high school, so I’m a big one for taking care of your f*cking kids. I grew up the last of five kids and we took in foster kids and it sucks to be a foster kid and sucks to be unwanted. So, the more options people have to not have kids that they don’t want to take care of the better because it costs the taxpayers a lot of money and time.”
CCCNews asked Adrian to clarify his answer by asking “Isn’t abortion access an option that would help reduce unwanted pregnancies and unwanted children?”
“Yeah, but it is also an option to not be accountable. The freedom of the choice to decide whether to have a kid is a good thing but people are squandering it because they have abortion access. If the government wants to step in whatever, nobody has to listen to it. They told us to wear a mask. I didn’t wear a mask. I haven't’ worn a mask for three years. I didn’t die. I didn’t get a vaccine. The government wants to do that shit it doesn’t matter. If you want an abortion go get an abortion. Go to Mexico and get one for $20*.”
*Fact check: The average cost of abortion in Mexico ranges from $143 to $2,100 depending on complications with the pregnancy.
Christina, age 36, Bingen, Washington (didn’t want to be photographed)
“I mean I feel like it should be everyone’s individual choice. I’m against abortion, but I also feel like it should be someone’s choice. I don’t think that someone should have to carry a baby if they get raped or they’re molested. I think that it shouldn’t be up to the government to decide whether you can get an abortion or not.”
Adam Miller, age 49, The Dalles
“It’s one of the best things that could ever happen. There’s no reason why it should have ever been put in place. Life is just really important to everybody and nobody should ever have that choice taken away. And that’s life in a womb, no matter what the woman thinks or the man thinks. Abortion is just evil.”
Amber Rose, 41, Hood River
“Waking up to this news today was gut wrenching. Never in my life did I think THIS is the fight we would be fighting, there's just no reason. This is absolutely unacceptable, our bodies are not up for grabs. Our bodies are not up for legislation or for debate.
There is no decision to be made here. Of everything in this entire world, our bodies are the one thing that are truly OURS. The audacity for anyone to think they can tell another what to do, or not to do with their body is reprehensible and absurd.
This act is not in the name of the people and what is best for us, and the six people who made this decision should be deeply ashamed. We are ashamed of you. We will fight you every single day until this disgusting "ruling" is wiped out and bodily autonomy is restored for all.
We won't go back.
Please join us at the local Salmon Fountain in Hood River at 5 p.m. for a "You Don't Rule Our Bodies" rally. We will have cold water available for all, bring your signs and yourselves, we are so much stronger together.
If you can't make it, please join us online for a virtual rally.”
Several activist groups are organizing protest events in the gorge in response to the Supreme Court decision.
Democracy Happens, a local volunteer activist group, will host a virtual rally and planning session to protest the ruling at 5 p.m. Pacific time.
“I wanted to create a space for people to express how they’re feeling,” said Bonnie Walker, who will facilitate the event.
“We’ll have some guest speakers who will talk about what it looks like for Oregon now that Roe vs. Wade has been overturned,” said Walker.
Another activist group also told CCCNews that there will also be a reproductive rights rally in The Dalles at 5 p.m. on June 24th at The Dalles Post Office.
