Supreme Court Upholds Free Speech for Anti-Choice Protesters

A unanimous Supreme Court ruling yesterday confirmed that racketeering laws can't be used against anti-abortion protesters. This has been cited as a big win for the pro-life cause, while the pro-choice crowd is deeply troubled by what they see as a big loss.

However, as I see it, we all won on this one. The first amendment of the U.S Constitution grants all of us the right to protest. If laws can be passed that prevent one group from protesting on one specific issue, then we are all at risk of losing something vital.

If you are pro-choice, imagine how you would feel if congress passed a law that said you are guilty of extortion and racketeering if you protest obnoxiously outside the house of James Dobson or other anti-abortion nuts. You'd be up in arms, as you should be.

So, let's try to take this as a win for both sides. In at least one case, the right-leaning Supreme Court has avoided the judicial activism of imposing their own beliefs on all of us. And let's continue to have a vigorous debate in the public forum on the real issues of women's rights vs. fetal rights.

Bring it on! If we can't take your protests, we don't deserve to win.