Forcing their will on others
In an article on May 4, Attorney General Josh Kaul stated he would not assist in enforcing the abortion ban that would come into effect should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, which appears likely to happen. (“AG Josh Kaul says he would not assist with enforcing abortion ban”).
In the same article, Heather Weininger, executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life, expressed satisfaction with the existing language of the Wisconsin abortion ban from 1849, which would come back into effect if Roe is overturned. She then mused about eventually lobbying the state to allow district attorneys from one county to prosecute cases in other counties, in case some DA’s refuse to enforce the ban.
It’s not enough for her that women in Wisconsin would not have the right to control their bodies. It’s not enough that there’s no provision in the existing Wisconsin law to allow abortion in the case of rape or incest. Weininger also wants to allow the citizens from one county to force their will in this matter on the people in another county. She seems to be advocating that a conservative county be allowed to deliberately elect a DA to prosecute abortion cases in, say, Dane or Milwaukee counties, even though the people in those counties may have elected a DA who promised not to.
Under Wisconsin law, DA’s get to decide which cases get priorities, and they are elected by the citizens of the counties to do that. She wants to usurp that power. I’ve seen many conservatives throw the word “tyranny”, confusing it with a democratically elected body exercising power in a way they don’t agree with. This is what the word really means. This is textbook tyranny.
I’m sure Weininger feels completely justified, righteous and entitled to force her will on other people. I’m certain she’s not alone in this. I’m also certain that people like her will not be satisfied for long with the existence of states that allow abortions. How could they be?
Greg Welch
Pewaukee