We Need Courageous Leaders Who Stand Up to Anti-Abortion Extremists
(absolutely frightening, but not in the least surprising)
We Need Courageous Leaders Who Stand Up to Anti-Abortion Extremists
9/2/2023 by Carrie N. Baker
Anti-abortion violence has increased significantly since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Our political leaders must not cower.
Anti-abortion and abortion-rights supporters in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on May 21, 2019. (Anna Gassot / AFP via Getty Images)
A version of this article originally appeared in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
While headlines focus on politicians’ efforts to ban abortion at the state and national levels, anti-abortion forces are also working at the local level to erode abortion access—even in deep blue states such as Massachusetts. In addition to pumping massive funds into anti-abortion fake clinics in blue states, they are also working to block municipal protections for abortion healthcare by using threats and legal intimidation. Recently, in the progressive Western Massachusetts city of Easthampton, both the mayor and city council president—both Democrats that claim to support abortion rights—voted against an ordinance to protect access to reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming care. The ordinance was supported by over 20 reproductive and trans rights groups in the community, who were perplexed and frustrated by their actions. After a three-hour public hearing on July 5, a two-thirds majority of the Easthampton City Council passed an ordinance to ensure safe and fair access to legally-protected reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare services. The next morning, Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle sided with anti-abortion forces by vetoing the ordinance.
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How can we explain the behavior of Democratic leaders who profess to support reproductive rights but vote against reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare access? I interviewed LaChapelle last February for a story on accountability measures for crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). I asked why she opposed an earlier version of the Easthampton ordinance. She told me she had received threatening letters from anti-abortion extremists across the country—including one soaked in blood. She gave other reasons for opposing the ordinance, but none resonated with statements and analysis of the leading reproductive healthcare organizations that support the ordinance. In fact, LaChapelle showed no desire to collaborate on modifying the ordinance to address her concerns. At the end of the day, were LaChapelle, Gomez and Brousseau Pereira intimidated by anti-abortion extremists?
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University of Kentucky professor Carol Mason, author of Killing for Life, has ********documented deep ties between the January 6 insurrectionists and anti-abortion extremists.********* “The same violent brew of paramilitary warriors, white supremacists, and Christian militants that we saw descending on the Capitol building merged to oppose abortion with lethal force decades ago,” said Mason.
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(Feminist Majority Foundation’s 2022 National Clinic Violence Survey.)
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Legal harassment by anti-abortion groups is also increasing. Right-wing law firms that specialize in representing anti-abortion extremists are threatening lawsuits around the country, and working to intimidate municipal leaders out of protecting clinics and the communities they serve. This happened in Easthampton. The Catholic Diocese sent a lawyer to threaten legal action at the July 5 ordinance hearing and lawyers from First Liberty Institute in Plano, Texas, and Massachusetts Family Institute sent a legal threat letter to the city council. Our political leaders must stand up to the intimidation tactics of the anti-abortion movement. They must not cower when faced with blood-soaked letters, condemnations to damnation or threats of frivolous lawsuits. If we cave in to their tactics, we embolden them. Now more than ever before, we need courageous leaders at the national, state and local levels of government who will stand up to anti-abortion bullies.
https://msmagazine.com/2023/09/02/anti-abortion-massachusetts/