Anti-abortion Central Coast residents overjoyed by Supreme Court ruling
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – Central Coast residents who are anti-abortion advocates shared their joyous reactions to Friday's ruling, saying they were not surprised by the decision of the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Members of the Santa Barbara County Republican Party say they saw it coming.
"Let's face it – since the leak, people have been talking about it for over a month. So it really didn't come as a big surprise," said Bobbi Mcginnis, Santa Barbara County Republican Chairwoman.
Mcginnis believes the Supreme Court "hit it out of the park" in its Roe v Wade decision.
She went on, saying, "I think it's important that states have the right to legislate, that citizens have the right to elect representatives. It's a question between a woman and her doctor and it's not a place for a government to be in the bedroom or the doctor's room regarding abortion and between a woman and her pastor and her religious beliefs too," said McGinnis.
Thepo Tulku, a spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhist community in Santa Barbara, is also extremely pleased with the ruling.
"We believe anything to do with abortion is killing life. It is a negative practice, so we discourage abortion. Abortion is not a solution. We are very happy (about) this ruling because it supports life, not abortion," Tulku said.
"That is very important for our beliefs. My hope is everybody has happiness and to do that we have to practice compassion and love and to do that we have to save lives, this is very important."
Both Tulku and Mcginniss hope that people around the nation will respect the court's ruling.
Theresa Brennan, the president of the California-based anti-abortion organization, The Right to Life League, is also speaking out about Friday's decision saying she is "thrilled with the news."
"I know that they say 'my body, my choice,' but for me, the baby also has a fundamental right as a human being. And I know that to some people that feels like then you're sort of stripping away the rights of the mother but I disagree. I believe we really as a nation need to come together behind women and provide resources to make sure new mothers have the support they need."
The Right to Life League was founded in California in 1967 and says it was the country's first organization dedicated to opposing abortion.
Brennan says while Friday is a day of celebration for anti-abortion advocates, she is fearful of retaliation against anti-abortion pregnancy crisis centers and since abortions will not be going away in California – her organization will still "have to work hard to change hearts and minds on the issue."
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez, issued the official statement below:
“This is a historic day in the life of our country, one that stirs our thoughts, emotions and prayers. For nearly fifty years, America has enforced an unjust law that has permitted some to decide whether others can live or die; this policy has resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of preborn children, generations that were denied the right to even be born.
America was founded on the truth that all men and women are created equal, with God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This truth was grievously denied by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized and normalized the taking of innocent human life. We thank God today that the Court has now overturned this decision. We pray that our elected officials will now enact laws and policies that promote and protect the most vulnerable among us.
Our first thoughts are with the little ones whose lives have been taken since 1973. We mourn their loss, and we entrust their souls to God, who loved them from before all ages and who will love them for all eternity. Our hearts are also with every woman and man who has suffered grievously from abortion; we pray for their healing, and we pledge our continued compassion and support. As a Church, we need to serve those who face difficult pregnancies and surround them with love.
Today’s decision is also the fruit of the prayers, sacrifices, and advocacy of countless ordinary Americans from every walk of life. Over these long years, millions of our fellow citizens have worked together peacefully to educate and persuade their neighbors about the injustice of abortion, to offer care and counseling to women, and to work for alternatives to abortion, including adoption, foster care, and public policies that truly support families. We share their joy today and we are grateful to them. Their work for the cause of life reflects all that is good in our democracy, and the pro-life movement deserves to be numbered among the great movements for social change and civil rights in our nation’s history.
Now is the time to begin the work of building a post-Roe America. It is a time for healing wounds and repairing social divisions; it is a time for reasoned reflection and civil dialogue, and for coming together to build a society and economy that supports marriages and families, and where every woman has the support and resources she needs to bring her child into this world in love.
As religious leaders, we pledge ourselves to continue our service to God’s great plan of love for the human person, and to work with our fellow citizens to fulfill America’s promise to guarantee the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people.”
