Rethuglicans on Right to Choose - check (and mate)??

[COLGATE4]

It appears that the Rethuglicans have now achieved (at least on an intermediate level) one of their most cherished goals on the way to entirely destroying Roe v Wade by essentially making the right to an abortion a State by State issue. Rachel yesterday had an extremely accurate (and disturbing) segment which showed that 18 states now have or and seriously trending to, statutes which severely restrict a woman's right to choose. In fact, the latest one prohibits an abortion after the first 6 WEEKS of pregnancy. All of these statutes clearly violate Roe v Wade, but yet there has been no suit filed against them.

The reason seems to be that pro-choice organizations are afraid that, if this comes to the present USSCt, the Court will take that opportunity to either completely strike down Roe or so severely restrict it that the end result is essentially the same. Therefore, the usual remedy of suing has been taken away, at least until such time as one of the uberConservative Justices can be replaced by a Moderate (no time in the near future). In the meantime, other States dominated by RWingers will now happily try and out-crazy the others by creating more and more onerous restrictions to Roe. In the absence of a lawsuit, these laws, as unconstitutional as they may be, will continue to restrict or eliminate the Right to Choose.

Rachel's question (and mine) is, essentially "what happens now". I personally don't see any way around this mess. The RW fundies and their legislative cronies have essentially checkmated those of us who believe in a woman's right to choose, and have left us with a Hobson's Choice of unprecedented dimensions. Color me depressed.

[Taverner]

1. Time to start organizing bus rides to free states

like California, New York and others...

It's going to be the underground railroad but for women's rights

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. Personally

I know it may be a rather extreme way of addressing it but perhaps it may be better if Roe v. Wade completely falls at this point and Republicans and their fundie followers be forced deal with the political fallout that will almost certainly occur from actually having to explain to people why they are pushing to criminalize doctors whom perform abortions and/or women seeking to obtain them.
Unfortunately, that will, of course, mean that there will be several (red) states where abortion will be instantly (re-)criminalized but given the state of affairs at the moment, access to abortion has effectively been restricted out of existance already in some areas. By stopping short of overturning Roe via SCOTUS and/or constitutional amendment since 1973 and instead choosing to chip away at access to abortion at the state level bit-by-bit, the political payoff for them has been that they have been able to whip up votes by essentially "banning" abortion in some states and local communities without actually banning it. By doing it this way, they've been able to essentially have their cake and eat it too. If Roe v. Wade were to actually be overturned and states could legally prevent it at any stage (and some will or already have once Roe v. Wade no longer exists), then anti-choice politicians will ultimately be forced to put up or shut up and face the wrath of women voters or their fundie worshippers.
Based on polling and personal observation, most people can understand certain restrictions on abortion but very few actually support turning abortion doctors and/or women into criminals for wanting an abortion (under most circumstances). My guess is that the situation is just not "real" enough for most people to understand and people will have to once again rediscover and come to appreciate the logic of the Supreme Court's decision on Roe v. Wade all over again. *sigh* :shrug:

[sinkingfeeling]

3. We wait until people begin to personally experience a lack of choice and until there is a more

favorable Supreme Court. Then we file the lawsuits.

[Bigmack]

4. My guess is that even the Supremes ...

wouldn't overturn Roe v Wade. Waaaay too much heat and noise.

They don't need to. All they have to do is make it more difficult, and women in the lower socio-economic classes won't be able to afford or find abortion providers. Women in the upper socio-economic classes can always get a D and C from their special doctor.

[EC]

5. Well, I guess we start

counting the abandoned and murdered babies in these states. There are going to be a lot of unwanted babies there and we're going to see more women killing their babies or leaving them in trash cans.


That's what will happen.

[Bandit]

6. Time to start mass producing coat hangers, I guess.

:shrug: