Local men and women Friday offered up their opinions on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
The decision asserts that there is no constitutional right to abortion and gives individual states the ability to ban or regulate the procedure.
Most of those interviewed in and around downtown Lewiston were disappointed by the decision, although one man said he was pleased to see the federal government relinquishing control over the issue in favor of returning that power to the states.
Still others were less concerned about the decision itself and more concerned about what the public reaction might be in coming days.
Hannah Abbi, Lewiston: “I don’t agree with it. Women should be able to make their own decisions without having to worry about the state commenting on it.”
Tara Stevenson, Casco: “I think it’s a lack of regard for women’s reproductive health. It’s depressing, and it feels like a huge step backwards. I think it’s one step closer to overturning many other human rights. I think it’s abundantly clear that that’s the intention.”
Jeremy Stevenson, Casco: “It’s humiliating. It’s like Ireland is a more forthright country; more representative of a first world country. We’re just going backwards these days. We’ve been hearing about it for a while. It’s been a slow build, but I just didn’t think it was going to happen. Or maybe I just hoped it wouldn’t.”
Mary Colburn, of Lewiston, works at a downtown business and is on the front lines in dealing with customers. The Supreme Court ruling Friday made her wary for reasons that aren’t entirely political. “We’re going to be dealing with the aftermath. We’re going to be dealing with customers who are going to get really heated. We’ll hear all that. We have to figure out how to deal with it. A lot of us are just worried about handling a lot of heated discussions.”
Ken Wright, 70, of Lewiston: “I just don’t agree with them overturning it. That’s about all there is to it. I think it’s a mistake.”
Courtney Schlachter, Lewiston: “I’m disgusted and disturbed by it. If someone doesn’t support abortion, doesn’t believe in it, they just shouldn’t get an abortion. People need to have autonomy over their own bodies. It’s just like the vaccination debate: You do what’s right for you, and leave other people alone.”
Garaad Dees, Lewiston: “What they’re doing now is having every state make its own decision, which is good, in my opinion. If every state has a right to decide, then you have a say here in the state of Maine. You have a choice to say, OK: women should have this right to do whatever they want. Or you can say babies are lives and we shouldn’t be killing them. The state has to decide. We have to decide. If Maine voters say, ‘We want abortion to be illegal,’ that’s their say and it should be done like that. It is not the end of the world, what the Supreme Court did. It’s given the state of Maine a chance to reflect on what it wants.”
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