For Pat Papadeas, who was part of a group of Windsor-area women who participated in the Women’s March on Washington in 2017 after Donald Trump was elected, this decision is terrible.
I certainly saw it coming, but, frankly, it’s devastating. There’s a feeling of hopelessness
she explains.
” Those of us who went there – and those who supported this march – saw it coming. This is the reality of the situation. »
Friday’s judgment overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade in 1973. The latter had concluded that a woman’s decision to terminate a pregnancy was protected by the right to privacy which stems from the 14th Amendment of the American Constitution, which protects the right of a citizen to life, liberty and property
.
The Supreme Court’s action could reduce access to abortion nationwide by allowing states to restrict or ban it outright.
The jubilation of pro-lifers
Catherine Eberhardt is the director of Windsor Against Abortionan anti-abortion group that campaigns on city streets using large graphic photos showing aborted fetuses.
She welcomes this decision and considers it a big day for the pro-life movement
in the USA.
Ms. Eberhardt would welcome similar action in Canada, but acknowledges that many people support abortion choice in the country, although she is not giving up on her actions.
If public opinion does not change on abortion, then the law that would be put in place would be slightly ineffective because people would still think that abortion is acceptable.
she explains.
” That’s why our group takes to the streets and strikes up conversations with the public in hopes of changing minds. »
Resistance
The artistic director of Waawiiyaatanong Feminist Theater in Windsor, Patricia Fell, for her part, wants the right to abortion in Canada to be formally enshrined in law.
She worries about the potential actions of Canadian politicians who do not support abortion rights, but also about the influence of American lobbyists knowing the ties between the two countries.
It’s that old saying: When America sneezes, we catch a cold.
she comments.
” I think a lot of people in Windsor have the option of offering women a bed for one night after having surgery. »
Madame Fell’s organization runs a small house in Windsor for artist residencies and plans to offer the space as a place of recovery for American women who would come to Canada for abortions.
Contacted, local hospitals refuse to comment on the issue.
As for local health officials, they also don’t want to speculate that the cancellation of Roe v. Wade could mean for our area, given its proximity to Detroit.
Michigan v Supreme Court
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer took to Twitter on Friday to tell residents of her state that she intends to fight the decision.
I filed a motion urging the Michigan Supreme Court to immediately take up my lawsuit to protect abortion for Michigan women
she wrote.
” The urgency of this moment is clear: we must make it clear whether this right is constitutionally protected by Michigan law. »
In May, a judge suspended Michigan’s decades-old abortion ban, meaning the procedure would not be illegal in the state despite the US Supreme Court’s ruling.
Michigan’s law that criminalizes assisted abortion has been in effect since 1931. But it has had no practical effect since 1973, when the Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide.
In May, Motions Court Judge Elizabeth Gleicher granted a preliminary injunction sought by Planned Parenthood of Michiganstating that the abortion ban likely violated the Michigan Constitution.
After 50 years of legal abortion in Michigan, there is no doubt that the right to personal autonomy and bodily integrity enjoyed by our citizens includes the right of a woman, in consultation with her physician, to terminate pregnancy
said the judge at the time.
Ms. Gleicher had indicated that Michigan’s other laws governing abortion would remain in full effect.
However, on Friday, Ms Whitmer said the 1931 law, which does not provide exceptions for rape or incest, was likely to come into force.
And I’m disappointed that the legislative leaders of the Republican Party went to court to defend this ban.
she said on Twitter.
The temporary injunction has been appealed, and Michigan’s ban could come back into effect, Ms Whitmer said.
In a statement, Michigan’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian condemned the Supreme Court’s decision.
The decision to end or continue a pregnancy should be made by a woman with the guidance of her family, faith and doctor – not politics
Ms. Bagdasarian wrote.
” As a physician, I know that the United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn nearly half a century of precedents protecting safe and legal abortion violates the relationship of trust between a patient and their physician. »
The doctor said she is concerned about the negative impact the decision will have on women’s health, adding that she challenges women’s right to make choices with their doctor based on their health.
And it paves the way for draconian laws like Michigan’s 1931 criminal abortion ban to take full effect.
she said, adding that this decision is a punishment both for women seeking treatment and for doctors and the medical community.
According to information from CBC.
Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca