Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade Friday morning, people and groups across North Carolina spoke out in reaction to the end of federal protection of abortion as a constitutional right.
Here’s how people have reacted so far:
The North Carolina Council of Churches, a collection of statewide faith leaders from 18 denominations, has supported reproductive choice since 1970, said executive director Rev. Jennifer Copeland.
We treat it as something between the patient and her healthcare provider,” Copeland said. “It really wasn’t a space for legislators to intervene with what I would say are outdated and irresponsible faith claims that have no bearing on the reality of the situation.”
She said the Council feels the decision will “shackle” women with financial hardship, discriminatory practices and blocked access to health care — also harming those who choose to carry their pregnancies to full term.
“I have a 26-year-old daughter,” Copeland said. “To see that now, 50 years later, my 26-year-old daughter has fewer rights around reproductive choice than I had when I was 26? We are going backward and that is unconscionable.”
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