Local anti-abortion proponent said she expected the Supreme Court to overturn Roe V. Wade

LANCASTER — Tamra Reif expected the United States Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and return the issue over to the states which it did Friday.

"From the leak, of course, it seemed like they were going in that direction," she said of the recently leaked draft of the court's potential decision. "Then from all of the other sides' actions, their negative actions, are not going to play a positive role to judges in my opinion. That negativity is going to play against them in my opinion."

Reif said she was referring to abortion rights demonstrations, including those in front of some Supreme Court justices' residences.

She said someone may have leaked the draft to get the justices to change their mind about overturning Roe. Reif said she felt a guarded optimism after the leak that Roe would be overturned and that she expected abortion proponents to be upset with it being overturned.

More: The day that Roe v. Wade fell: Panic, praise at Ohio's abortion clinics

"Obviously, we've already seen some of the signs of that," Reif, a Lancaster resident who owns True North Coffee and Cafe, said. "However, I don't see any reason for them to get extremely upset because it doesn't really end abortion.

"It just turns that over to the states so each state has to decide what they're going to do. But I do think there's going to be some issues. There's definitely going to be some attacks probably. There's already some of that been going on."

Reif has been with the movement to oppose abortion for 12 or 13 years now when she started doing sidewalk counseling at a Columbus abortion clinic. She now counsels at least once a week and has also worked for the Pregnancy Decision Health Center which has a city branch.

"We are there to help women understand what abortion is about," she said of her sidewalk counseling. "What the risks are and try to tell them how we love them and we care for them and their family and their baby. We only have about 30 seconds from the time they get out of car into that door to say something. So, honestly, I just pray ask the Lord for whatever He thinks will be the words that that person needs to hear."

Reif said the reaction she gets from women during sidewalk counseling varies. She said some ask for more additional information or change their mind about having an abortion on the spot. Other women are angry and tell the sidewalk counselors to leave them alone, while others ignore them.

She received sidewalk counseling training from Greater Columbus Right to Life, of which she is now a board member.

Reif said she believes life begins at conception and is followed by a heartbeat.

"So if a life is said to have ended when a heart stops beating, then why wouldn't it start when it begins?" she said. "Still, even at the very point of conception a unique DNA is created. Life has to start somewhere."

Reif also spoke of high-risk pregnancies or pregnancies through rape or incest now that Roe is overturned. She said today's advances in medical science makes it more rare for a woman with a high-risk pregnancy to need an abortion.

As for rape or incest pregnancies, Reif said she knows people who were conceived in those ways and their parents are happy with their child.

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"It's not something they regret of have depression over or anything like that," she said. "In cases of incest and rape that baby is still part of them. The baby didn't do anything wrong, it was the man that did the raping. And that's the person that should be punished."

However, Reif said she understands women in such situations need counseling and help. She also said they have the option to put the baby up for adoption.

Reif said there are several areas of financial help available for pregnant women in need.

After Friday's ruling, the abortion issue is now up to the individual states to decide its fate. Should Ohio eventually restrict abortion access or totally eliminate it, Reif said her work would change. She said more women will need help and a place to go. She said the Columbus Right to Life chapter is working on a plan to help those women.

"And I do hope women and families will start seeing the beauty of a baby and the reality of it being a life and something that is a positive thing for them and not a negative thing," she said.

jbarron@gannett.com

740-681-4340

Twitter: @JeffDBarron

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Local anti-abortion proponent expected Supreme Court to overturn Roe