Valley supporters celebrate Roe decision

Jun. 25—Response to the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the 49-year-old law protecting a women's right to abortion was swift across the country and in the Valley Friday.

"I'm sending out celebratory emails," said Lewisburg resident Andrew Mahoney, a volunteer with Birthright of Sunbury.

As expected, the Rev. Ronald W. Gainer, Bishop of Harrisburg, lauded the historic decision.

"The Catholic Church has long taught that all life is a precious gift from God. This life is to be protected and respected from the moment of conception to that of natural death. Today's ruling from the Supreme Court in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization is an important step in furthering the protection of the most vulnerable, infants in the womb," he said. "As a pro-life church, not only do we support parents facing an unplanned or difficult pregnancy, we also continue our efforts to support the needs of the elderly, the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the refugee and immigrant and those who have been marginalized."

Gainer also addressed the divisions regarding abortion.

"It is my prayer that as we face the uncertainties ahead, we can do so peacefully, working together to respect the concerns of our brothers and sisters, while also striving to build a society where all life is protected," he said.

While many celebrated the landmark decision, others expressed shock and anger.

"Transitions of PA has always believed in every person's right to safety, consent, bodily autonomy, and to make decisions about what's best for their lives," said Mae-Ling Kranz, the Lewisburg-based organization's chief executive officer. "Today, we stand in solidarity with our partners at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, our sister agencies across the state, and national allies and coalitions in sharing our dissent, our outrage, and our heartbreak over the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization."

She added, "An individual's ability to control and care for their own bodies is a fundamental human right, and when that right is taken away, the harm done is not only physical, but psychological and emotional. Being forced to do something you do not intend or desire is one of the most severe forms of trauma that can result from domestic and sexual violence. The same violence is perpetrated in forced birth, no matter the circumstances."

Transitions of PA will continue to provide services to all abuse survivors and support "an individual's right to choose what they feel is best for them and advocate access to those services," Kranz said.

Mahoney's thoughts were on the millions of children aborted since 1973 when it was legalized in the U.S.

"We've lost a person who could have discovered the cure for cancer, we've lost a presidential candidate, we've lost a person who was going to have a great impact on America," he said.

In the states that will automatically ban abortions in the wake of the federal court's decision, Mahoney said, counseling services and other resources should be offered to expectant mothers who struggle with a pregnancy.

Pro-life advocate U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser said by overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court "has returned to its constitutional position of maintaining neutrality on the issue of abortion," adding that he also hopes states will pass laws that provides assistance to new parents and single mothers.

U.S. Rep. Fred Keller commended the Supreme Court for "its fortitude — amid threats of attacks and harassment from the radical left — to make the right decision and return this issue back to the state where it belongs. Most importantly, this ruling invalidates Roe v. Wade which was wrongly decided nearly 50 years ago."

For Alison Merrill, an assistant professor of political science who teaches a constitutional law class at Susquehanna University, the Supreme Court decision makes it more difficult to explain to young students why the law matters and highlights how politicized the highest court in the U.S. has become.

"When an institution that usually protects precedent overturns a 50-year law, it leads to confusion ... and has many implications. It opens Pandora's box," said Merrill.

Unlike the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision overturning the 1896 law that legally permitted racially segregated public facilities, she said, no one argued in 1973 that Roe v. Wade was "egregiously wrong."

However, in the majority opinion released Friday, Justice Samuel Alito said it. "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," he wrote. "Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences."

Respect for and confidence in the Supreme Court has been waning in the past decade, said Merrill, and this latest landmark decision will usher in a more "blatantly political" court and increase the clamor for judicial reform.

Friday's decision will also likely bring a larger than anticipated voter turnout to the midterm election in November and put a spotlight on Pennsylvania's governor race between staunch pro-life Republican candidate Doug Mastriano and pro-choice Democrat Josh Shapiro, said Nick Clark, associate professor and chair of political science department at Susquehanna University.

Typically, mid-term elections don't attract many of the voters who support the current Administration, but Clark said the abolishment of constitutional abortion rights "will have a mobilizing effect on Democrats. I think we'll see a supercharged turnout on both sides and I think it will benefit Shapiro."