When it comes to abortion rights, Maura Healey chose sides long ago. Today, as attorney general of Massachusetts, her choice is having serious consequences.
In July, responding to demands by activists opposed to the Supreme Court Dobbs decision that overruled Roe v. Wade, Healey issued a “consumer advisory” against the life-affirming reproductive health facilities in Massachusetts. The advisory warns the public against crisis pregnancy centers that, she asserts, “seek to prevent people from accessing abortion.” It concludes by listing a website and phone number by which concerned citizens can lodge a complaint against the centers targeted by her advisory.
Since that day, vandals have struck numerous life-affirming reproductive health facilities. Throwing bricks through windows, smashing doors, tossing paint bombs to splatter buildings with what looked like blood, and spray painting graffiti, suspected activists with “Jane’s Revenge” continue to obstruct, intimidate, and interfere with women seeking care at some of the facilities.
These reproductive health facilities provide numerous services to women making health decisions. Thousands of volunteers across the state provide women and their babies with free diapers, wipes, baby formula, and even hand-knit baby sweaters. Many of these centers offer counseling to women who don’t want an abortion and also offer ultrasounds, testing for sexually transmitted infections, and classes on parenting.
On behalf of several life-affirming reproductive health facilities, First Liberty Institute and Massachusetts Family Institute recently sent Healey a letter. We asked that she withdraw her consumer advisory since it placed a target on the backs of these facilities, giving encouragement to the criminals who have left staff, volunteers, and patients fearing for their safety.
We also asked that she share what she is doing to protect these facilities. She recently responded by pointing us to local law enforcement as those responsible for investigating the crimes.
Her political dodge has left the facilities even more vulnerable. While Healey issued an official “consumer advisory,” complete with a lengthy press release and an entire section of her website, she could not be bothered to respond to actual crimes committed against her neighbors in the Bay State.
For instance, Jane’s Revenge claimed responsibility for each of the attacks on the life-affirming reproductive health facilities mentioned in our letter. We know this from the spray painted signature scrawled next to threats of, “If abortion is not safe, you’re not safe.” Yet, Healey issued no “consumer advisory” against Jane’s Revenge.
While Healey turned on a telephonic tip-line, soliciting complaints against life-affirming reproductive health facilities, we are still waiting for her to ask the public for tips that might lead to the arrest of the vandals — actual criminals — who attacked these facilities.
This is justice denied at the expediency of politics. Healey is welcome to have her political preferences and even oppose the religious beliefs that motivate the untiring work of those who work in life-affirming facilities. She should not be allowed to pick and choose who is entitled to the law’s protections.
Since we sent our letter, an 84-year old woman was shot after going door-to-door in Michigan in support of a prolife constitutional amendment. In Buffalo, an arsonist fire-bombed a pregnancy resource center.
What more needs to happen for life-affirming reproductive health facilities to receive redress?
Jeremy Dys is senior counsel for First Liberty Institute, which represents, pro bono, life-affirming health reproductive health facilities in Massachusetts.