With Justice Kennedy’s decision to retire from the Supreme Court, it is imperative that Oregon focuses on the fight for women’s reproductive rights. There now seems little doubt that the Court, under the prompting of the Republican-controlled congress, will move to enact an all-out federal ban on abortion.
There is debate over how long this move will take. While some believe that Roe v. Wade will slowly disintegrate over time, there is still the possibility that the Evangelical right, emboldened by a series of seemingly never-ending “wins,” will push forward as quickly as possible to quash every last woman’s right to seek out a legitimate abortion in the country. If they succeed, our Reproductive Health Equity Act (HB 3391) would be nullified.
Should such a catastrophe take place, it would then be up to us Oregonians to take matters into our own hands. We need to start talking now about what we are willing to do.
We’ve disregarded federal law and legalized cannabis. How are we going to do the same with women’s reproductive rights? How are we going to guarantee a safe haven to doctors who are willing to perform these crucial procedures? How are we going to assert our autonomy?
It seems as though things are falling apart faster than anyone could imagine. We needed to be prepared for this yesterday. Let’s hope we, as a state, can come together and set a national example.
Dylan Martin
Blachly