Major Pro-Life Supreme Court Victory!

Today the Supreme Court ruled (by a vote of 8-0 with Alito abstaining) against the National Organization of Women (NOW) in their fight to bring Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charges against pro-life activists.

In a bitter press release, NOW stated:

"Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that could add to the increasing difficulty women face in obtaining reproductive health services. If the Court's 8-0 decision in Scheidler, et al., v. National Organization for Women (NOW), et al. and Operation Rescue v. NOW, et al. ushers in a return to clinic violence in the United States, NOW stands ready to fight in every jurisdiction.

First of all, it should be noted that only the most ardent pro-infanticide activists of NOW believe the dismemberment of a living human being constitutes "reproductive health services". Secondly, the fact that the Supreme Court voted 8 to 0 against them illustrates just how far from the mainstream NOW has become. Relying on RICO statutes which where put in place in response to organized crime, and on the Hobbs Act which bans extortion, NOW achieved a "victory" in 1998 when a federal judge issued a nationwide injunction against pro-life demonstrators. Today's ruling makes it clear that organized pro-life demonstrations are not criminal acts. NOW's desperate and bitter press release reveals that perhaps they're on the outside looking in on mainstream political debate, so rapid in their desire to protect infanticide that they miss the entire free speech aspect of the case.

Of course, ever reliable CNN frames the issue in an ultra liberal fashion, stating in their headline "Court Deals Setback to Abortion Clinics". Does CNN really believe that abortion clinics should stand above other American enterprises, and remain free from all opposition and protests? Only CNN could take a look at a major victory for free speech and label it a setback to abortion clinics.