Big Eva’s response to the overturning of Roe v Wade is most accurately described as reserved and worrisome as opposed to the grassroots Evangelicals openly celebrating the overturn of the most unjust Supreme Court decision in American history. In similar fashion, Christianity Today, the home of Russell Moore, published an article by Emily Belz titled, Reversing Roe Hurt the Pro-Life Movement in Blue States.
The article weighs the blowback of the Dobbs decision, claiming that it hurt the movement in blue states. It focuses mostly on the Abortion Empire striking back in New York and California, with reference to Vermont having a pre-Dobbs constitutional amendment issue and Michigan having an upcoming referendum, for which the process started prior to Roe’s overturn.
In order to avoid a defeatist tone for pro-lifers in blue states, it champions socialist policies as wins for the pro-life movement in states where abortion access is nigh unlimited.
“You’re finding different ways of winning,” she said.
Building a social safety net is one way of winning in a blue state. Sheahan has been working on other measures in the legislature on increasing hotel vouchers for homeless pregnant mothers, upping visiting hours for incarcerated moms with their kids, and expanding paid family leave for low-wage workers.
Legislators take her seriously on safety net legislation because they also know that the church is a large provider of social services on its own. The California Catholic conference put together a website in response to the expected reversal of Roe with resources for Catholics looking to help mothers, donate items to youth in foster programs, and support pregnancy centers or the church’s rental assistance programs.
The New York Catholic Conference’s Kristen Curran, who has been lobbying against abortion measures in the legislature, said red states could learn from blue states on building a safety net for families.
It seems as though many organizations are more focused on how they can receive more government money as opposed to how the new status quo of America’s abortion legal system will inevitably shift public opinion.
