Letters: Court gave babies, adoptive parents win in abortion ruling. It is not that simple

NOTE FROM OPINION EDITOR AMELIA ROBINSON: Our letters to the editor email box has overflowed with responses to the Supreme Court's recent ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that there is no constitutional right to an abortion. 

We are featuring a sample of those letters here. More can be found on Dispatch.com. 

Babies are the big winners

Monday’s article, “Columbus adoption agencies prepare for fallout from reversal,” (one pro-life paragraph) stoked fear that child welfare agencies will be swamped with babies for adoption. But as long as a baby is put up for adoption fairly early, by age 1, there are long lists of potential parents.

More: Could the Roe v. Wade ruling lead to more adoptions in Ohio? Some experts say yes

What a win-win: The baby gets to live and those who often desperately want a child can become parents.

Choice Network founder Molly Rampe Thomas said that abortion is not always in the best interest of the mother, but the one certain thing Is that abortion is never in the best interest of the baby and especially so when there are adoptive parents available.

Kevin W. Brown, Columbus

Time to actually be pro-life

I grew up Catholic and early on believed that abortion was morally wrong and sinful in every situation. Now, as a 40-year-old man, I have come to believe that abortion is more gray than black and white.

One of the ways that helped me come to this conclusion was when my wife and I decided to become foster parents in the state of Ohio. We fostered and eventually adopted a sibling group of four beautiful children when they were ages 1, 2, 3, and 4. Due to a shortage of foster parents, we likely were the only foster parents in our county who were able to keep them from being separated.

More: DeWine seeks budget money for 'more compassionate' foster care, adoption services for children

This raised the question, "What would we as a society ever do if every child conceived whose parents weren’t capable of parenting needed a foster home?"

There are not enough foster parents; there is not enough affordable health care, not enough child care, not enough good-paying jobs, not enough paid time off, not enough affordable homes, not enough affordable food, not enough affordable transportation, not enough done to counter the devastating effects of climate change, etc.

This is my call to you, Democrats, do not do what the Republicans have done for 50 years and make the elections about one issue. Too many Catholics and Christians have voted on this one issue only.

I want you to use the anger you’re feeling today to make lasting changes that will impact all Americans. With every bill, remind citizens that as a society we are bringing children into this world and we will take care of them.

Pass universal health care. It is a pro-life issue.

Tax the billionaires. It is a pro-life issue.

Create green jobs and energy. It is a pro-life issue.

Pass gun reforms. It is a pro-life issue.

Create homes for the homeless. It is a pro-life issue.

Feed the hungry children. It is a pro-life issue.

Pass legislation that allows parents to take time off work without the fear of losing much needed pay. It is a pro-life issue.

Remind the Republicans that they just became foster parents. It is their responsibility to care for the people they represent, or we will have to revoke their license.

Peter Schmidt, Athens

'We know what we have to do'

The Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn Roe v. Wade has demonstrated once again that a Supreme Court ruling is not enough to protect the rights of women and minorities from those who would take them away.

Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion also laid bare what other precedents will be overturned if the present slanted Supreme Court is presented with the opportunity. To durably protect the repeatedly targeted rights of women and minorities, we must amend the United States Constitution.

More: Theodore Decker: Ohioans fighting for abortion rights need support from allies, not ire

Although the bar to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution seems impossibly high in today’s political landscape, it is time for an update. In the meantime, we can also take action at the state level. If Obergefell v. Hodges falls next, Ohio’s Defense of Marriage Act and constitutional ban on same-sex marriage will be back in force.

More: Constitution expert: 'Alito's wrath' may strip away your right to sex, kids

While again the political landscape of Ohio’s slanted legislature and gerrymandered districts makes change seem impossible, Ohio’s mechanism for citizen-initiated amendments provides a pathway for success, especially knowing that polls show the vast majority of Ohioans support same-sex marriage and anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBTQ+ citizens.

While I recognize the impulse to feel defeated in reaction to Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, I hope advocates for women and minority rights will rebound with vigor. We know what we have to do.

Christopher Ayoub, Columbus

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Court abandoned legal principle

"Stare decisis” — to stand by things decided” — is the doctrine of legal precedent. It’s a legal principle that every justice on the Supreme Court was asked to affirm at their confirmation hearing.

The six who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade — all appointed by Republican presidents, five by presidents who lost the popular vote, three by a president who instigated a coup against America, two who were confirmed because of Mitch McConnell’s scheming – answered affirmatively, they clearly deceived their interviewers.

More: 200-year-old 'compromises' empowers those who seek to dismantle abortion rights| Opinion

Stare decisis says that if a court has already ruled on an issue, future courts should decide similar cases the same way. The Supreme Court can change its mind and rule differently than before, but it needs good reasons to do so. It also helps if the opinion is as close to unanimous as possible.

But this court abandoned that principle, ignoring cases that upheld Roe v. Wade, in order strip away a right to bodily autonomy and personal choice that has been recognized for five decades, relegating women to second-class status, with tragic results for many, especially those who are poor and people of color.

Voters should remember that this is the court Republicans wanted!

Jennifer Logan, Brunwick

'Right to life' includes gun control

Thanks to the Supreme Court, in the post-Roe, guns-for all-era, when deaths from guns exceed deaths from abortions, will the “right to life” crowd get behind gun control? If so,  they will need to convince our “right to life” Ohio politicians to stop blocking gun control laws in our cities.

Michael Para, Columbus

Support rising number of foster kids

According to statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there were over 16,000 children in foster care in Ohio in September 2020.

Before Roe v. Wade was overturned, for a variety of reasons, over 16,000 children in Ohio could not find a home through adoption. Since Roe v. Wade has been overturned, we can only expect this number to rise.

More: Editorial: Change foster care system to better protect kids

Now that Ohio Republicans will rush to limit or remove a woman’s right to control her own body, will they simultaneously increase funding and support of children in the foster care system?

Here’s an idea: Advocate for removing churches’ Ohio state tax exemption and direct the money that churches pay in taxes to support children in foster care. In this way, Ohio Republicans, churches, and religious leaders will show that they truly advocate as strongly for children who have been born as they advocated for forcing women to carry pregnancies to term.

I won’t hold my breath.

Patrick Keenist, Columbus

They want your rights

They’re coming to take your rights.

The truth of that statement is undeniable. They want to control every aspect of our lives.  They want to control our thinking, our morality, our choices, and our freedom.

They are passing legislation that limits what teachers can teach, legislation that limits access to the ballot box, legislation that dictates health choices that women can make, and legislation that makes it more and more dangerous to be out in public and attend school. 

More: Is critical race theory an attack on 'whiteness' and American values?

Who are "they"?  According to the National Conference of State Legislators, "they" are white male state legislators, mostly Republican. According to the National Conference of State Legislators' own statistics, fully 78% of state legislators are white, 71% are male, and Republicans control two-thirds of state legislative chambers.

The mood recently has become so polarized and those in control know they can push through almost any piece of legislation they want. Examples are the numerous “trigger” laws that outlaw abortion and are just waiting for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade — and that day has come. Who but white males would put all the burden of pregnancy on the woman?

I taught life science for 28 years in Ohio public schools and, if I remember the reproduction lessons correctly, it takes a man and a woman to create a fetus. Yet, the laws focus on punishing the woman if a pregnancy is unwanted, and worse, even in cases of rape and incest. 

More: If Roe v. Wade is overturned, Republican lawmakers want to ban abortion in Ohio

And it’s only going to get worse. In the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v.  Wade, “Justice” Clarence Thomas wrote that he thinks the Supreme Court should be in the business of also overturning same-sex marriage and contraception decisions.

It’s open season on rights and state legislatures that do not reflect the populations they serve have already set their causes in motion. Ohio’s legislators are vivid examples:  They don’t trust teachers to select books for the school libraries nor do they trust teachers to decide what to teach in their classrooms, but these legislators are eager to put guns in the hands of those same teachers.

Consider the percentages of white, male, and Republican cited earlier and think about the faces and beliefs of Americans. Americans are 61% white, 49% male, and 43% Republican.

Until State legislatures reflect more accurately those they represent, the white, male, mostly Republican legislators will be deciding a lot about our freedom and the freedom of our children and grandchildren.

The only way it is going to change is at the ballot box. Thinking Americans must unite, vote en masse and make their voices heard.

Charles A. Summers, Pataskala

GOP's 'fascist' justice choices to blame

It is a dark day for women's rights. How did we get a Supreme Court that would overturn the 50-year-old Roe v. Wade that guaranteed the rights of self-determination to half the people of the country?

More: Abortion in Ohio: Advocates gather to mourn Roe v. Wade loss, ponder next steps

George H.W. Bush did this with his choice of fascist Clarence Thomas. George W. Bush, who lost the popular vote in 2000, did this with his choice of fascist Samuel Alito. Donald Trump, who lost the popular vote in 2016, did this with his three fascist choices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. The Republicans did this.

This party and this court deserve no respect and we have only just begun to see the damage they will do to our freedoms. We still have, for now, the power to elect leaders who will protect our rights. Vote anti-fascist. Vote the Republicans out.

Richard D. Back, Columbus

We won't accept their control

To all women of Ohio: Rise up!  We must let the Republicans who run this state know that we will not accept their control of our bodies. They are not pro-life, they are pro-birth, followed by no support for those unwanted children. 

More: Misleading 'pro-life' label frames the argument

Welcome to 'The Handmaid's Tale'

Fifty years ago, a friend and I flew to New York so she could obtain a legal abortion. Roe v. Wade afforded women the right to make personal medical decisions. In a recent survey, 61% of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal all or most of the time. The June 24 Supreme Court decision rescinded that right.

Women are again subject to the whims of contraception—devices that fail, bad reactions to pills, and partners unwilling to share responsibility for contraception. As evidence, almost 1/4 of U.S. women seek an abortion before age 40.

More: High-risk pregnancy mothers helped by heart specialists

Pregnancy makes women vulnerable to viruses and life-changing illness. Gestational diabetes, blood clots, high blood pressure, and preeclampsia “are major health risks for pregnant individuals during pregnancy and throughout their lifespan,” according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Not to mention, “[T]he U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries” by a significant margin. And maternal deaths in the U.S. are increasing annually.

Women will no longer be able to terminate pregnancies that endanger their lives. Victims of rape or incest will have to carry the result of the crime to term. The Supreme Court withdrew a right from 50% of the population because of their gender. So begins "The Handmaid’s Tale."

Susan O’Donnell, Columbus

Abortion, like slavery, rooted in religion

In the history of our country, two great religious questions have split our nation into hostile camps. In the 19th century the question of slavery nearly destroyed the Union. For the past six decades, the question of abortion has been the great dividing line. Each of these issues is essentially religious — one side seeing them as questions of good versus evil.

In pre-Civil War America, many people viewed slavery simply as a way of life. Others considered slavery to be an assault upon God. In its 1857 Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court took it upon itself to decide the question once and for all and declared that slaves were property, thus legalizing slavery.

The decision was accepted by both the pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces, and their old differences were put peacefully aside — except for the Civil War, the deaths of 3/4 of a million people, the economic crippling of the South, and the rise of the KKK.

More: When does life begin? Abortion views differ among religions. Here's what they say.

Today, many see abortion as a crime against God. They view those who support a right to abortion as evil. With God on their side, they believe they have a right and a duty to force everyone to act according to their point of view. It doesn’t matter that a majority of Americans support at least some access to abortion.

In religious questions such as these, when there is no broad consensus, the prudent practice is to leave the matter to the individual. To do otherwise is to invite civil unrest. But the Supreme Court has spoken. It has invalidated the religious views of those who support the innate right of individuals to make their own decisions about abortion.

The conservative justices have forgotten the lessons of the court’s own history. They have decided an essentially religious question and ruled that the Constitution does not give anyone a right to an abortion.

Oh, the shock and horror

Shock and horror! After the recent Supreme Court ruling, the decision about what restrictions, if any, to place on abortion is now left to the citizens of each state. What could be scarier than that! The end is near.

Paul Albrecht, Columbus

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Letters: Supreme Court ignored legal principle in overturning Roe