AOC: Leaked Supreme Court decision reveals the GOP’s insidious plan
A leading progressive House Democrat just issued a stark warning about the leaked Supreme Court decision that portends a complete rollback of modern legal rights as we know them in America.
Almost fifty years after the landmark decision that established constitutional protections for abortion rights, America is under full assault by theocrats who seek to impose their religious beliefs on the rest of us.
News broke yesterday that the Supreme Court is likely to strike down the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision, according to a draft opinion written by Justice Alito that was leaked to Politico.
The document is highly disturbing and signals the extent of their far-right agenda. Maintaining that “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” Alito clearly states that both Roe and the subsequent 1992 case Planned Parenthood vs. Casey that upheld and advanced the rights of women in America “must be overturned”.
If it is finalized in this form, the Supreme Court decision won’t just remove autonomy for women to make decisions regarding their pregnancies without the government imposing its will upon them; the consequences could go well beyond abortion access.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reacted to the news with a declaration that can be summarized as we told you so, and we’ve been working to fight just this problem.
As we’ve warned, SCOTUS isn’t just coming for abortion – they’re coming for the right to privacy Roe rests on, which includes gay marriage + civil rights.
Manchin is blocking Congress codifying Roe. House has seemingly forgotten about Clarence Thomas. These 2 points must change https://t.co/5Isec0osV0
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 3, 2022
On the facts, AOC is on solid ground.
In his draft opinion, Justice Alito sets a “vision of substantive due process as inflexible — a right exists only if it’s been recognized for generations.”
This seeming intent by the Supreme Court appears to undermine the right to privacy that Roe stands on could lead to the striking down of landmark decisions like Obergefell, which requires states to recognize same-sex marriage, or Griswold, which allowed the buying and use of contraceptives without government restriction.
Once the doors to government intrusion into Americans’ private lives are opened widely like the leaked Supreme Court decision indicates this GOP-packed court wants to do, then there is no bottom to how far their excursion into big government control will go.
One LGBTQ blogger summarized the progression of judicial legislation Republicans would seek to write if they erase a couple of key decisions from the Supreme Court with Alito’s precedent shredding opinion.
Reading through the leaked decision. Alito makes it clear that Obergefell and Lawrence will be overturned. This means same sex marriage will be illegal again in 30+ states, and homosexuality illegal in 12. It's not if, but when. This is a stage 5 cancer diagnosis for LGBT rights.
— Brynn Tannehill (@BrynnTannehill) May 3, 2022
What is in these leaked Supreme Court opinion documents could mean that same-sex marriage will be illegal again in over thirty states and homosexuality illegal in twelve, according to experts.
If you think that can’t happen, then maybe your name is Susan.
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) naively said that she supported Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation in 2018, despite his penchant for lying to Congress, because he believed a woman’s right to choose was “settled law.”
That was a lie. Shocker.
We are now living in a country that is not just falling behind in terms of civil rights. It is actively turning the clock back.
We are among the few developed countries lacking paid family leave, universal healthcare, subsidized child care, and now, likely without safe and legal access to abortion. The rest of the developed world is leaving us far behind. An NPR journalist lamented civil rights regression in America within our lifetimes.
But how things change.
Today we're among the few developed countries w/o paid family leave, univ healthcare, subsidized childcare. And now, likely without safe access to abortion. The rest of the developed world has left us far behind on the kind of things we set in motion.
— Danny Rivero (@TooMuchMe) May 3, 2022
Theocrats and far-right conservatives aim for a complete takeover of our government by imposing their will upon the majority.
Democrats need to fight back, and they need to fight now.
The time has come to finally abolish the filibuster and not just codify Roe V Wade into law, but to begin aggressively passing legislation that makes the popular Democratic agenda law of the land, as expected by the electorate that gave the party control of the executive and both chambers of Congress.
Thomas Kennedy is an elected Democratic National Committee member representing Florida. He tweets from @tomaskenn.
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