SCOTUS on Roe v. Wade
Below and attached please find a Board Statement from Oxford Citizens for Peace and Justice re the Supreme Court’s decision re Abortion. We will be organizing further activism consistent with OCPJ’s “local” mission and welcome and NEED your participation.
In solidarity,Barb Caruso, President, for the OCPJ BoardAnn Fuehrer, OCPJ Facilitator
Statement from the Board of Oxford Citizens for Peace and Justice Concerning the Recent Supreme Court Decision on Roe.
After the leak of the draft of the Supreme Court of the United States’ ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, we knew this day was coming. We deplore the Court’s vote overturning the Roe v. Wade decision, and expect that this denial of rights, this insistence on Forced Birth, will be mirrored in future decisions on cases challenging other rights. It is not yet settled exactly how individual states will respond. Ohio has already activated a six week rule, and we have a clear idea of the horrific impact of forced birth. We need to focus on Ohio’s proposed draconian anti-choice laws with attention to the intersecting forces of gender, racism and poverty, and mobilize in anticipation. If you are like our Facilitator, Ann Fuehrer, since announcement of the decision on Friday morning, you have heard from a number of organizations already–so far, Ann has heard from Pro-Choice Ohio, the League of Women Voters, the ACLU, PFLAG, SURJ (Showing up for Racial Justice), the President of her women’s college alma mater, and a justice organization of her faith community. Those organizations and many others encourage monetary donations to support their efforts, attending protests in nearby cities, contacting members of state legislatures to express views on proposed state laws, speaking out about threats to some individual rights at the same time that other individual rights (eg concealed carry) are broadened, and considering positions of candidates for office in the November election. There are a number of specific actions that we could take locally, such as working on a resolution of the City of Oxford to pressure state government, and collecting and making available resource information for folks seeking an abortion, supporting organizations that provide funds to preserve access to abortion or distribution of information about self-managed abortion.. Be on the lookout for future programs from us. Members interested in organizing around choice and women’s healthcare should contact Barb Caruso, Board President, at carusba@gmail.com, or Ann Fuehrer, Facilitator, at fuehrea@miamioh.edu. We will facilitate an OCPJ force for choice group.