Wednesday, July 13, 2022

The Overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Left’s Double Standard on Privacy Rights

 The Overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Left’s Double Standard on Privacy Rights


Well, they did it. On June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned 1973's Roe v. Wade. After two terrific decisions upholding inalienable individual rights regarding self-defense and educational freedom, the SCOTUS took a sledgehammer to inalienable individual rights regarding first trimester abortion. I have two observations:


  • While conservatives are generally better than liberals for individual rights, conservatives misinterpret the Constitution, the Founding principles of this country, and the Declaration of Independence. They don’t understand rights, where rights come from, or the relationship of rights to the Constitution. This is why I long ago abandoned identifying with the conservative movement.


  • The liberals double standard is blazingly clear. Their long standing obsession with democracy should have them cheering this decision. To them, the vote is everything. Biden himself recently stated, “The fundamental right to vote is the right from which all other rights flow.” This means no right is inalienable, and all rights are subject to the vote. Well, in the majority opinion, Alito stated “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” Well, returning the fate of abortion rights to elected representatives is exactly what rights flow from the right to vote looks like. The liberal vote-worshippers got exactly what they wished for. Why are they complaining? 


I explain my observations in detail in my post In SCOTUS’ Draft Opinion Overturning Roe Abortion Ruling: Double Standards of Left and Right Exposed. The actual decision, authored by Sam Alito, s substantially reiterates the main arguments of the draft.


I have one more observation regarding the Left’s double standards. In his decision, Alito wrote that the Roe decision "was remarkably loose in its treatment of the constitutional text. It held that the abortion right, which is not mentioned in the Constitution, is part of a right to privacy, which is also not mentioned."


My emphasis. The Left cheered this decision. Yet, their actual support for privacy rights is very selective. Regarding the all-important right of freedom of speech, the Left’s vaunted support for privacy goes up in smoke as they push for mandatory public disclosure of donor lists of political advocacy groups. 


Their big bogeyman is so-called “dark money,” which is another term for anonymous speech. Anonymous speech is a direct derivative of the right to privacy, which sits at the very heart of the Roe v. Wade decision. 


This is no minor matter. The right to free speech is the primary non-violent means of settling disputes and keeping political leaders accountable and, most importantly, giving individuals the means of connecting their thoughts to reality. Once again, the Left is hoisted by its own petard.


Related Reading:


Why Free Speech and Spending on Speech are Inextricably Linked


N.J. AG Confirms: State’s Disclosure Law is about Stifling Political Accountability


The Anti-Free Speech Fallacy of ‘Dark Money’


‘Dark Money’ is Free Speech. Protect It


Making Private Donations Anonymously is a Right


NJ’s ‘Dark Money’ Bill is an Assault on Free Speech


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