My impression about this ruling is that while it affirms the ban on only the most grisly form of abortion, it ALSO re-affirms the “right” (disguised as “privacy”) of women to kill their kids at will.
I’m not so sure that anti-abortion folks have much beyond the partial-birth ban to celebrate here.......
If it prevents the murder of 1 human being it’s worth celebrating.
If we can learn anything from the Left, it is that the way to get things done is incrementally. It was by increments that we have reached the point where it is legal to dismember a live baby and it will be in increments, God willing, that we return to a civilized society.
It’s the very first step forward at the level of SCOTUS.
Pro-aborts will emphasize that it did not actually ban any form of abortion, but distinguished this procedure from “normal” abortions.
Pro-lifers will emphasize that it shows that legislators and courts have a right to put limitations on abortion, and will try to roll the “abortion right” back step by step if necessary.
Last fall’s elections were a grave setback to the pro-life cause. This decision changes the momentum once more, and puts the pro-aborts on the defensive.
Last fall’s Democrat victories were NOT a vote in favor of abortion, since most of the candidates ran as blue dog conservatives. But the PERCEPTION is very important, since it will determine how openly Democrat senators can shoot down judicial candidates on the basis of abortion if there is another opening in the court. With Roberts and Alito, they didn’t dare openly oppose pro-life candidates, although they muttered to their base out of the sides of their mouths. This decision may warn them that they still need to be cautious.