Overturning Roe

The Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade troubles me deeply. As ominous is Justice Clarence Thomas's statement that he wants to re-examine similar previous SCOTUS decisions, such as those on contraception, gay sex, and same-sex marriage. As Thomas put it:

In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court's substantive due process precedents, including Griswold (contraception), Lawrence (gay sex), and Obergefell (same-sex marriage).

In more detail:

• Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479, was a decision of our Supreme Court in which it ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects the right of married couples to buy and use contraceptives without government restriction.

• Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558, was a decision in which the Court ruled that sanctions of criminal punishment for those who commit sodomy are unconstitutional. AKA gay males who make love with each other can't be jailed for doing so.

• Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644, is a landmark civil rights case in which the Supreme Court ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

• The 14th amendment states that no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection ...

By his statement, Thomas urges that the government violate the most widely-held interpretation of the 14^th Amendment, when he suggests that it dictate:

• how or even if contraception can be used

• how or even if gay sex can be carried out

• how or even if members of the same gender can marry

How absolute will this appeasement of the far right become? Based on something I experienced decades ago, we should all be very concerned.

Angela was a member of my high school class. She was a knockout, and bright. She was kind, even to those like me who were about as far as one could get from the in-crowd. Angela died at the age of 17, after a back-alley abortion. Born into a traditional Irish Catholic family, she feared telling her parents about her pregnancy. Instead, she turned to the rumor-mill in southwest Allegheny County, and found a woman, in one of the boroughs near her, who performed abortions. Angela went to her, but never returned home.  Angela's mom, and Angela's boyfriend and father of her child, visited Angela's grave-site daily, for months after her death.

I can only imagine the suffering Clarence Thomas's sanctimonious callousness might create.