Protecting rights like abortion now in the hands of states

“There oughta be a law!” How many times is that said? Well, it’s a good point — there ought to be a law. It’s not up to the Supreme Court of the United States to set things right. As Martha Ertman says in her commentary, “U.S. Supreme Court v. Rule of Law” (July 20), the Supreme Court “makes sure that federal constitution law works as a floor that states cannot go below.” Then states (the people) can provide more protection for all kinds of rights.

It’s state politicians who should make things right and not SCOTUS. Of course, Congress can update the Constitution with amendments to make matters right. But that’s a challenge because you need 38 states to ratify an amendment, and it takes time. Well, if you are going to require the whole nation to do something, it should take some work. We shouldn’t take the easy route and just have the Supreme Court get their way by a decision.

Our Supreme Court is not supposed to make decisions so that the way it “oughta be” happens without a law. That happened with Roe v. Wade, a decision that even Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was unhappy with. This Supreme Court did not say that there should be no abortions. It said the U.S. Constitution, as presently written, does not include abortion as a national right.

For 50 years, Roe v. Wade held up and allowed politicians at the state and national level to avoid doing their jobs. Now, with the decision overturning Roe v. Wade, it’s time for the politicians to have some guts and do their job — whatever they think that should be. In every state and municipality, citizens should be encouraging politicians to do what is right and pass the laws that “oughta be.” It’s the homes of these politicians that should have protesters outside of them instead of any justices.

The Supreme Court did its job. How about the politicians?