SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, has been meeting with senators ahead of her confirmation hearings later this month. (Photo: Caroline Brehman/Getty Images)
'Everything Is at Stake': Reproductive Rights Advocates Say Barrett Signing 'Extremist' Anti-Choice Ad Confirms Worst Fears
"Trump said he's only nominating justices who'll end Roe and criminalize abortion," says NARAL Pro-Choice America's president Ilyse Hogue. "We take him at his word."
Oct 01, 2020
Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's nominee to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, publicly supported a Christian fundamentalist organization espousing extreme anti-abortion views, The Guardian revealed Thursday.
In 2006, when Barrett was a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, she joined hundreds of Indiana and Michigan conservatives in signing a full-page newspaper ad sponsored by St. Joseph County Right to Life and published in the South Bend Tribune expressing strong opposition to the fundamental reproductive rights affirmed by the Supreme Court more than 47 years ago.
"We, the following citizens of Michiana, oppose abortion on demand and defend the right to life from fertilization to natural death," the letter states. "Please continue to pray to end abortion."
On a separate page in the same paper, the anti-choice group wrote that "it's time to put an end to the barbaric legacy of Roe v. Wade and restore laws that protect the lives of unborn children."
Although polls show that most Americans want to keep abortion legal--with restrictions--conservative Christians, who believe life begins in the womb, overwhelmingly oppose the right to choose.
However, the beliefs espoused by St. Joseph County Right to Life are considered extreme even by the standards of the so-called pro-life movement. The group believes that life begins at fertilization, not at the point of embryonic implantation or fetal viability. This means that the group inherently opposes in vitro fertilization.
"Whether embryos are implanted in the woman and then selectively reduced or it's done in a petri dish and then discarded, you're still ending a new human life at that point and we do oppose that," Jackie Appleman, the group's executive director, told The Guardian.
Furthermore, Appleman said that "we support the criminalization of the doctors who perform abortions," although, "at this point we are not supportive of criminalizing the women."
"We would be supportive of criminalizing the discarding of frozen embryos or selective reduction through the IVF process," she added.
The letter Barrett signed does not mention criminalizing IVF or abortion doctors, and Ramesh Ponnuru noted in the right-wing National Review that she only signed the statement opposing on-demand abortion, not the page calling Roe v. Wade "barbaric."
Still, abortion advocates continue to express concern about what the addition of Barrett to an already conservative court will mean for reproductive rights.
"Trump said he's only nominating justices who'll end Roe and criminalize abortion. We take him at his word," tweeted NARAL Pro-Choice America president Ilyse Hogue. "This nominee fits the bill. Everything is at stake."
Barrett has also come under fire for her other views on women, most notably for her membership in People of Praise, a conservative Catholic group which some former members have said expects females--who are excluded from some leadership roles--to be "absolutely obedient" to their husbands and other men.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's nominee to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, publicly supported a Christian fundamentalist organization espousing extreme anti-abortion views, The Guardian revealed Thursday.
In 2006, when Barrett was a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, she joined hundreds of Indiana and Michigan conservatives in signing a full-page newspaper ad sponsored by St. Joseph County Right to Life and published in the South Bend Tribune expressing strong opposition to the fundamental reproductive rights affirmed by the Supreme Court more than 47 years ago.
"We, the following citizens of Michiana, oppose abortion on demand and defend the right to life from fertilization to natural death," the letter states. "Please continue to pray to end abortion."
On a separate page in the same paper, the anti-choice group wrote that "it's time to put an end to the barbaric legacy of Roe v. Wade and restore laws that protect the lives of unborn children."
Although polls show that most Americans want to keep abortion legal--with restrictions--conservative Christians, who believe life begins in the womb, overwhelmingly oppose the right to choose.
However, the beliefs espoused by St. Joseph County Right to Life are considered extreme even by the standards of the so-called pro-life movement. The group believes that life begins at fertilization, not at the point of embryonic implantation or fetal viability. This means that the group inherently opposes in vitro fertilization.
"Whether embryos are implanted in the woman and then selectively reduced or it's done in a petri dish and then discarded, you're still ending a new human life at that point and we do oppose that," Jackie Appleman, the group's executive director, told The Guardian.
Furthermore, Appleman said that "we support the criminalization of the doctors who perform abortions," although, "at this point we are not supportive of criminalizing the women."
"We would be supportive of criminalizing the discarding of frozen embryos or selective reduction through the IVF process," she added.
The letter Barrett signed does not mention criminalizing IVF or abortion doctors, and Ramesh Ponnuru noted in the right-wing National Review that she only signed the statement opposing on-demand abortion, not the page calling Roe v. Wade "barbaric."
Still, abortion advocates continue to express concern about what the addition of Barrett to an already conservative court will mean for reproductive rights.
"Trump said he's only nominating justices who'll end Roe and criminalize abortion. We take him at his word," tweeted NARAL Pro-Choice America president Ilyse Hogue. "This nominee fits the bill. Everything is at stake."
Barrett has also come under fire for her other views on women, most notably for her membership in People of Praise, a conservative Catholic group which some former members have said expects females--who are excluded from some leadership roles--to be "absolutely obedient" to their husbands and other men.
Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's nominee to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, publicly supported a Christian fundamentalist organization espousing extreme anti-abortion views, The Guardian revealed Thursday.
In 2006, when Barrett was a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, she joined hundreds of Indiana and Michigan conservatives in signing a full-page newspaper ad sponsored by St. Joseph County Right to Life and published in the South Bend Tribune expressing strong opposition to the fundamental reproductive rights affirmed by the Supreme Court more than 47 years ago.
"We, the following citizens of Michiana, oppose abortion on demand and defend the right to life from fertilization to natural death," the letter states. "Please continue to pray to end abortion."
On a separate page in the same paper, the anti-choice group wrote that "it's time to put an end to the barbaric legacy of Roe v. Wade and restore laws that protect the lives of unborn children."
Although polls show that most Americans want to keep abortion legal--with restrictions--conservative Christians, who believe life begins in the womb, overwhelmingly oppose the right to choose.
However, the beliefs espoused by St. Joseph County Right to Life are considered extreme even by the standards of the so-called pro-life movement. The group believes that life begins at fertilization, not at the point of embryonic implantation or fetal viability. This means that the group inherently opposes in vitro fertilization.
"Whether embryos are implanted in the woman and then selectively reduced or it's done in a petri dish and then discarded, you're still ending a new human life at that point and we do oppose that," Jackie Appleman, the group's executive director, told The Guardian.
Furthermore, Appleman said that "we support the criminalization of the doctors who perform abortions," although, "at this point we are not supportive of criminalizing the women."
"We would be supportive of criminalizing the discarding of frozen embryos or selective reduction through the IVF process," she added.
The letter Barrett signed does not mention criminalizing IVF or abortion doctors, and Ramesh Ponnuru noted in the right-wing National Review that she only signed the statement opposing on-demand abortion, not the page calling Roe v. Wade "barbaric."
Still, abortion advocates continue to express concern about what the addition of Barrett to an already conservative court will mean for reproductive rights.
"Trump said he's only nominating justices who'll end Roe and criminalize abortion. We take him at his word," tweeted NARAL Pro-Choice America president Ilyse Hogue. "This nominee fits the bill. Everything is at stake."
Barrett has also come under fire for her other views on women, most notably for her membership in People of Praise, a conservative Catholic group which some former members have said expects females--who are excluded from some leadership roles--to be "absolutely obedient" to their husbands and other men.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy