Normally at this time of the month, I’d give you some snark bites, because Tiff will be bringing you a big jobs report later today, which means she’ll be posting her noon article early. But Steve in the Post-It thread mentioned this opinion piece by Alice Stewart, and I couldn’t not give it the long-form treatment. So sit back and relax, because my claws are out, and I’m ready to draw some blood.
As a pro-life social conservative, I received my fair share of criticism for supporting Donald Trump for president. But I always looked right past the mean tweets and online insults.
I focused instead on the lifetime appointments to the high court that would elevate jurists who believed, as I do, that life begins at conception.
During his tenure, Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices — choices that had been vetted by the conservative Federalist Society — shifting the makeup of the court decisively to the right.
Conservatives held our noses and voted for Trump. Reversing Roe would be our reward, May 5, 2022
And this, Alice, is the problem. The Supreme Court isn’t supposed to lean to one side or the other of the political spectrum; the scales of justice are supposed to be balanced, and Lady Justice is supposed to be blind. If the Court is lopsided to one side or the other, then injustice is the only thing which will come from its opinions. And if Alito’s leaked draft is any indication, that’s what we’re going to get; not just with Roe v Wade, but with any number of decided law cases which are soon to be reopened, now that a bunch of authoritarian-loving fascists are in charge.
Democrats, as well as Never-Trump Republicans, said that in supporting Trump, I was “making a deal with the devil.” Some people even accused me of selling out my conservative principles. But I held my ground, and now my patience is being richly rewarded: We have a Supreme Court with a majority-judicial philosophy that reflects my views on Roe v. Wade.
Conservatives held our noses and voted for Trump. REVERSING Roe would be our reward, May 5, 2022
And what about the views of the vast majority of America, who don’t agree with you and the majority of the Court? Do our views not count? Apparently not. So, in fact, you did make a deal with the Devil. And you’re here crowing about it.
Democrats are claiming — predictably, but mistakenly — that Justice Alito’s opinion, if it becomes final, would ultimately lead to a nationwide abortion ban.
Alice Stewart argues in bad faith, May 5, 2022
Really, Alice? Are you sure they’re mistaken about that? Allow me to introduce you to Matt Walsh, who had this to say:
MATT WALSH (HOST): Overturning Roe is a great and necessary first step, and something to certainly celebrate, but it’s only a first step, as far as I’m concerned. The next step is to abolish abortion and criminalize it nationwide. [Emphasis mine]
Daily Wire host calls for nationwide ban against abortion: “You’re either with us or against us on this”, May 3, 2022
So do tell us how overturning Roe won’t lead to the right attempting to abolish and criminalize abortions nationwide. We’ll wait.
What the left ignores is that overturning Roe won’t end all debates about abortion. It will, however, take the authority over decisions about abortion policy away from unelected federal officials and place it where it belongs — in the hands of elected state representatives.
Alice goes on about how this is a states’ rights issue, May 5, 2022
Women across the country have the same needs and should have the same rights. We shouldn’t have to beg — or worse — for being treated as we have been for the past 50 years. Our needs don’t change just because we live in Texas instead of California. Women since the dawn of time have tried to get rid of unwanted pregnancies and have tried dangerous treatments to make that happen. All the overturning of Roe will do is put us right back there. And, again, if people like Matt Walsh have their way, then the federal government won’t allow California or New York to have their own laws regarding the legality of abortion.
We all know you’re arguing out of both sides of your mouth, that the whole “states’ rights” argument here is a dodge for what you really want: abortion to once again be illegal and illicit across the country.
The Supreme Court is right to return the highly contentious issue of abortion back to the states. No two states will adopt exactly the same policies, which means that each state will have the flexibility to craft its own solutions. Provisions for rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother should also be protected, in my view.
Let’s have the chaos of 50 different state laws regarding abortion! May 5, 2022
People who think having different laws in different states on any issue is a great idea have clearly never moved from one state to another.
Here’s a question, Alice: you say that you believe there should be provisions for rape, incest, and protecting the life of the mother. But what if the legislators where you live don’t agree with you? What if they think there should be no exceptions, ever? Are you cool with that? What if you’re poor and don’t have the means to simply pick up your life and move to a state that allows abortion? Have you thought about how sending this back to the states will punish those who aren’t economically privileged like you are?
It’s great that, in your ideal America, the fifty states should be allowed to adopt their own solutions, and, hey, fuck women who are unlucky enough to live in a backward place where rape or incest are considered no big deal and certainly no reason to warrant an abortion. But what of the women who will be stuck living the consequences of this?
Why do you hate women, Alice? Shouldn’t individual women have at least as much say, if not more, than the states, here? After all, isn’t this issue more a personal one? Why should the state’s opinion outweigh that of the woman who will have to live with the consequences?
The draft opinion corrects the falsehood that abortion is protected by the Constitution or that it is part of long held American tradition.
Again, Alice presents bad faith arguments, May 5, 2022
No one thought abortion was “part of a long held American tradition.” Quite the contrary, in fact, Alice. Many of us are old enough to have been around when Roe was decided. We know EXACTLY what it meant to women everywhere. We know how dangerous it was for abortion clinic doctors and workers to go to those clinics every day after the decision, where they might be bombed by Christians who believed killing others was doing God’s work.
We’re sickened by the current court, apparently about to cast Roe aside and throw the whole thing back to the states. Because some of us live in states which already have a trigger set to make abortion illegal once Roe is overturned.
The fact is, Roe addressed a long-standing wrong that was happening in this country. And people like you want us to return to the long-held tradition that women should pop out as many kids as men want to plant inside us.
President George W. Bush, who appointed Alito, merits praise, as does Sen. Mitch McConnell, who has been a warrior for originalist judges — jurists who embrace the principle that the constitutionality of a law should be determined by the interpretation held by the founders at the time they wrote that cherished document.
More bad faith arguments from Alice, May 5, 2022
So everything the founders believed or supported should be the standard for determining legal precedent? We don’t learn anything new to apply to the way we look at the world? Our understanding doesn’t progress at all?
Hey, slavery was acceptable during our nation’s founding, too. Just sayin’…
While it appears that the Supreme Court is now poised to vacate Roe v. Wade, allowing for the imposition of many commonsense state laws, this hardly ends the controversy.
Alice apparently isn’t familiar with the Louisiana bill, May 5, 2022
“Commonsense state laws,” like the one proposed in Louisiana, where a fertilized egg is considered a person? Or laws that prevent a woman from leaving the state to get an abortion? Or laws that charge a woman with murder for taking the Plan B pill?
I don’t think that word “commonsense” means what you think it means, Alice…
The debate now will surround efforts to defend and preserve life, and will move to state legislatures and courthouses.
Oh, dear Lord in Heaven, she’s not done yet, May 5, 2022
Because who better than some dude who’s never given birth but has paid for his mistress to get an abortion deciding that the rest of us shouldn’t be allowed a legal abortion, too.
It’s our obligation as Americans to protect women by offering compassionate care in a post-Roe environment to ensure the dignity of every person. Pregnancy care centers across the country can provide this care to people facing difficult pregnancy decisions. These centers provide testing, counseling, and support to those who may find themselves dealing with unplanned pregnancies.
Yet more bad faith arguments from Alice, May 5, 2022
This coming from a member of the party who had migrant children ripped from the arms of their parents and put into cages. Yes, I’m sure you’ll be offering “compassionate care to ensure the dignity of every person.” Hell, people like Greg Abbott don’t even think immigrant children should be educated in public schools. I can just imagine how compassionately genetically divergent children will be treated by your ilk.
Donald Trump said and did a lot of things I didn’t agree with, but I voted for him to be my president, not my pastor. As far as I am concerned, politics is about policy, not personality.
I am unapologetic about supporting a pro-life candidate who talked the talk, and walked the walk. For conservatives like me, this impending Supreme Court ruling on Roe underscores the wisdom of that decision.
It’s finally over, May 5, 2022
I’m going to let y’all do your own snark on this, because I can’t even right now. I just can’t.