The Supreme Court decisionthat overturned Roe versus Wade has implications that could go beyond reversing the Constitutional precedent of the right to abortion.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in his concurring opinionthat the Supreme Court should reconsider other precedents.
Ahshua Bolton of Bowling Green is a retired CPA who teaches classes virtually for people who are incarcerated in California.
Bolton, 65, had two heterosexual marriages and has six children, with grandchildren number 12 and 13 on the way. His family includes two daughters, five granddaughters and a two-year-old great-granddaughter.
He’s troubled by the impact of the Roe v. Wade decision on women.
Bolton is also concerned because he’s now in a same sex marriage.
“I want to be clear that although my immediate concern went to my marriage and what could possibly happen, I still am very present to this moment that we’re in now," said Bolton.
"I grieve for women who are going to be relegated to having no right over their body. I think that is so wrong," said Bolton. "I am just heartbroken that women are in this position now."
Bolton's other major concern relates to his current same sex marriage, which is his third marriage. He was married in Maryland in 2014 when same sex marriage was legal in that state. When the Supreme Court legalized same sex marriage nationwide in 2015, his marriage became legal in all states.
"It’s a bit of a contradiction, my life is, and I’m OK with that," said Bolton.
Now with implications from the breaking of the precedent of the right to abortion with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Bolton has to wonder if his same sex marriage might possibly be in jeopardy.
California allowed same sex marriage for several months in 2008. It was overturned, then legalized again in the state in 2013.
In California when they overturned the right to same sex marriage, they allowed the couples who had already gotten married to remain married.
The issue was stabilized in 2015 when the Supreme Court legalized same sex marriage across the U.S.
"So it appears that it can come and go," said Bolton. "So that’s like, yeah, who knows what could happen?”
"When I think about the political environment that this landed in, I feel like I’m a goldfish in the ocean. I just feel lost in my ability to make an impact."
Bolton read Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion on the Roe v. Wade decision.
"I saw that there is a plan, basically in place to take this beyond abortion rights and to take it in to access to contraceptives and to take it into marriage equality, or same sex marriage," said Bolton.
"I saw how far reaching the intention is and even one of the minority liberal justices wrote, paraphrasing, 'But don’t expect that the work of this conservative group is finished.' And that really hit me hard," said Bolton.
He wonders if the opposition to the right to abortion is from radical pockets of the U.S. or if half the country really is that radical.
"And then I’m looking at all the efforts that extreme conservative Republicans are making to control offices at the state level, to control the people who run the elections," he said. That worries him about the midterm election and future elections.
"So when I think about the political environment that this landed in, I feel like I’m a goldfish in the ocean," said Bolton. "I just feel lost in my ability to make an impact. To be honest, that’s the way I feel right now.”