First, I want to acknowledge what a grave and scary moment this is.
On Monday, a Supreme Court draft opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, was leaked to the press, suggesting that a majority of justices are prepared to overrule Roe vs Wade, the Reproductive Rights Act.
If (and when) Roe vs Wade is overturned, at least 23 states will immediately or shortly thereafter have bans or extremely severe restrictions on abortion. That won’t end abortion in those states, but it will end safe abortions, causing needless deaths, disproportionately among low-income and minority women. If you’re reading this and feeling overwhelmed, scared, or sad, we’re right there with you, and are sending you our love and solidarity.
In the 13 states that have enacted so-called trigger laws, 43 percent of adults on average say abortion should be legal in most or all cases, while 52 percent say it should be illegal in most or all cases.
Voters are more divided in the dozen or so states that have pre-Roe bans on the books or that are expected to enact new abortion restrictions if Roe is overturned. In those states — where the fight over abortion is most likely to play out in campaigns or state legislative chambers — an average of 49 percent of adults say abortion should be legal in most or all cases, compared with 45 percent who say otherwise.
The geographic pattern evident in the results suggests that a national outcry over a court decision to overturn Roe might not carry many political consequences in the states where abortions could be immediately restricted. In some of those states, new abortion restrictions may tend to reinforce the political status quo, even as they spark outrage elsewhere in the country.
But in some states, a fight over new abortion restrictions might pose serious political risks for conservatives, perhaps especially in the seven mostly Republican-controlled states that are seen as most likely to enact new restrictions even though a majority of voters tend to support legal abortion.
While public support for legal abortion has fluctuated, it has remained relatively stable over the past five years. In May of 2021 Pew Research found that 59% said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 39% said it should be illegal in all or most cases.
This could open the door to eliminate other rights, such as: affirmative action, various forms of immigration, a government-run single-payer health care system, labor unions, same-sex marriage and other LGBT rights, transgender rights, including sexual preference into anti-discrimination statutes, comprehensive sex education, and definitely, voting rights.
Here at the National Association of Black and White Men Together we have understandably been focussed on men’s rights, but now is the time to support women and their right to decide what they can do with their bodies. Remember women supported us in the Aids epidemic.
So, the need is urgent. We need to hold the House, the Senate and other down ballot races. You can do your part, however small in person, online or contribute. Reach out online to Vote save America, Mobiiise.us or other sites to get out the vote.
Fight for the rights of all people to speak, live and love freely.
Please vote in the 2022 Mid terms and beyond.
This is Ken Scott Baron thanking you for listening. Please subscribe, like and comment on our platforms and on NABWMT.org.
