As soon as the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health opinion was leaked, fences went up around the Supreme Court. Everyone expected violence from the left. Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) solidified this notion two years ago when he stood in front of the Court and threatened:
I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price! You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.
Although Sen. Schumer tried to water down his comments later, he was echoing the angry sentiments of his party. Now we are watching the unruly reactions to the decision that Democrats have feared for decades.
As protests kicked off last week, a pro-abortion group called “Ruth Sent Us” published the addresses of the six justices who agreed to send the issue of abortion back to the states. Then, they coordinated protests at each home. The threat was so severe, that Justice Samuel Alito and his family had to flee to an undisclosed location. The Senate took notice and quickly passed the Supreme Court Police Parity Act (S. 4160) that extends security measures to the Justices and their individual family members. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) who sponsored the bipartisan bill stated:
Threats to the physical safety of Supreme Court Justices and their families are disgraceful, and attempts to intimidate and influence the independence of our judiciary cannot be tolerated.
The bill awaits a House vote.
On Mother’s Day, abortion activists targeted Catholic churches because of the faith of the six Justices. One video shows women dressed in outfits from the show “The Handmaid’s Tale” yelling and harassing members in a Los Angeles church. They were eventually escorted off the premises.
Other situations were not so easily mitigated. The office of the pro-life organization Wisconsin Family Action was vandalized and set on fire. A message was spray-painted on the building saying, “If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.” Similar messages were found on pregnancy centers, churches, and pro-life groups across the nation. Even our allied organization, Concerned Women for America, experienced a vulgar attack. CWA’s president Penny Nance issued this bold statement:
Attacks on our employees and our building will not deter Concerned Women for America from standing up for women and for babies. We will not be bullied, we will not back down, and we will never, ever stop fighting to protect human life.
What the left doesn’t realize is that these actions are federal crimes. Federal law prohibits protests at the justices’ residences with the intent to influence their decisions. Additionally, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act prohibits obstruction and vandalism to religious institutions and pregnancy centers. Those affected have a private right of action to ensure justice. While the public trust in the Department of Justice may be low due to the partisanship of the Biden administration, Eagle Forum is holding the agency accountable by drafting a coalition letter reminding Attorney General Merrick Garland of his duty to prosecute these crimes. That letter will be released once we gather signatures from like-minded organizations.
The irony of the left’s violence due to the overturn of Roe v. Wade isn’t lost on us. Roe allowed all women to obtain abortions through the first three months of pregnancy regardless of the reason and without restriction by the states. Since that decision, Democrats have fought for taxpayer-funded abortion on demand. Some states, like New York, passed bills that allow babies to die even after being born. Meanwhile, pro-life advocates have pushed for laws to incrementally chip away at Roe’s fallout. Bills that require waiting periods, parental notification, and ultrasound images before an abortion allowed women to make more informed choices. Other legislation that restricted abortions until a certain gestational age when babies can feel pain in the womb or when their hearts begin to beat led us to the Supreme Court decision. Modern science now shows us that abortion is indeed violent thus Roe is an outdated law.
Despite the threats from the left, Eagle Forum is overjoyed that the Supreme Court is likely to overturn Roe v. Wade. We will continue to create change within individuals, families, and all levels of government to protect the preborn.