The following is a statement by Will County Democratic Central Committee Chair Burke Schuster on the likely overturning of the settled precedent of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court of the United States following a leaked draft opinion in the Dobbs case:
We are appalled by the right wing of the Supreme Court’s decision to rescind a constitutional right and deny every woman in this country basic human rights. The overturning of Roe v. Wade would set the clock back on nearly fifty years of progress, and is a slap in the face to the very notion of equality before the law. What is more is that this decision will not end abortions; it will simply end safe abortions, and many women will forced to resort to often deadly methods to terminate a pregnancy.
This decision goes beyond denying women bodily autonomy. It puts victims of rape and incest, many of whom are children, at risk. Republicans across the United States have signaled their intent to ban abortion for everyone, regardless of the circumstances of the pregnancy, and they will do everything within their power to make good on that promise. Overturning Roe and Casey is an act of cruelty.
We applaud Illinois Democrats for making our state one of the most pro-choice states in this country, and for creating one of the most progressive set of laws to protect women’s rights. Under the leadership of Democrats, Illinois has become a model in guaranteeing women’s rights and enshrining them into the law. Yet, as Alito’s draft opinion shows, progress is not set in stone.
We as voters have an obligation to show up to the polls during every single election, including the 2022 midterms, to protect our rights. Already we are seeing right wing Republicans in our state promise to emulate the extreme policies of Texas and Mississippi, and if we are complacent, they might just be able to carry out their promise.
We implore anyone who cares about women and children in our county, our state, and our country to vote this November to protect and restore women’s rights. We need to vote like our life depends on it – because it does.