But despite Roe and the Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruling in 1992, Congress never followed the precedent and codified these rules into law, as it happened with suffrage, child labor, voting access and civil rights, in defiance of how the normal American legislative process works: Public opinion moves the needle on an issue, lawsuit challenges existing statute, the courts rule what the new normal is, and then Congress acts on that ruling, codifying that new normal nationwide, which moves public opinion further to accept it as settled fact of law.
Now state legislatures will act, which will lead to a patchwork where people in one state can be prosecuted for having or providing a medical procedure that is safe and legally protected in the state next door.
This is the mess justices sought to end in 1973, but which lawmakers refused because the money is too sweet: For 49 years, politicians campaign with promises to enact laws but never did, thinking the ruling would hold indefinitely. The 6-3 majority in Dobbs called that bluff.
Republicans and Democrats then immediately jumped on the Dobbs decision to fill their pockets with campaign cash — shocker.
Likewise locally, the Yavapai County Democrats promoted a rally in Prescott for candidates for Arizona secretary of state and the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Question: What exactly does the commission or secretary do regarding abortion access?
Nothing. But talking about abortion is a fantastic way to raise money before the midterms.
Activists claim the Dobbs ruling is a line in the sand, a step too far, a crossed Rubicon signaling the end of privacy protections and women’s bodily autonomy. If so, why are activists so reluctant to call out failings made by their allies, pro-choice politicians? Is partisanship so blinding?
If Democrats and Progressive claim to defend the pro-choice stance and legal and safe abortion access tooth and nail, then activists need to ask why their congressional leaders continue to support pro-life incumbents in primaries over pro-choice ones: Democratic congressional leaders campaigned hard on behalf of pro-life incumbent U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar [D-Texas] instead of his Progressive pro-choice challenger Jessica Cisneros, who lost to him June 21.
Power begets power. Either supporting abortion access is a red line for the party or it’s not.
In Sedona, we had perhaps the shortest march in our history, where participants claimed people were so motivated and so passionate, but went home by 10 a.m. before most residents left for their Saturday errands.
Thankfully Larson Newspapers photojournalist David Jolkovski shot photos or most residents wouldn’t even have known it happened.
If abortion access is such a fundamental right for Americans, marchers should have been out all day. We should see them every day. But more importantly, they should be going door to door with the Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom’s petitions to put a proposition on the ballot this November.
But going door-to-door, speaking to strangers, convincing people of righteous ideas is simply too hard for many performative “activists.”
The lazy, trophy-case activism is not about effecting change, but being in the right club on the weekends, getting together with the gals and the fellas to listen to echo chamber stump speeches, draw up silly signs, parade for a hot minute — in front of tourists driving to trailheads who don’t care about our politics — and then going home, having done one’s duty for democracy, earning gold stars like toddlers.
Real, actual change requires effort, dedication, worn-out shoes, the muscle memory of knocking on 1,000 doors in a town, speaking with people who disagree and convincing a handful — but enough to get a majority on your side — to pass statutes or legislation rather than relying on the ruling of nine dead men from 49 years ago.
Real activists are dedicated and often insufferable, but they get stuff done all week long, not just on Saturday mornings before brunch.
Politicians at city halls, state capitols and in Congress care about “us,” they do not and will not about “you.” The purpose of activism is not to make “you” feel better, not to make “you” a political hero to your Facebook group. The purpose of activism is to turn “you” into an “us” — something politicians who want to remain in power are too terrified to ignore.
Christopher Fox Graham
Managing Editor
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