(Lansing, Mich.) — Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) is urging state authorities and elected officials from both parties to take note of recent violence toward religious communities and pro-life organizations at a time when extremist organizations are promoting violence and riots should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade.
“The Catholic community in Michigan is calling for peace and civility ahead of and following the Dobbs decision,” said MCC President and CEO Paul A. Long. “State and local authorities should be on alert and ready to protect individuals and property should violence or acts of terror occur before and following release of the Dobbs ruling. We believe it is possible that extremist or incendiary responses from lawmakers or advocacy groups to a decision that overturns Roe will only incite violence and destruction, perhaps even the loss of life.”
Since February 2022, extremists and violent organizations have begun to commit acts of destruction and are calling for more violence should the Court overturn Roe. Both nationally and in the state of Michigan, those include:
- Following the leak of the draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a group called ‘Ruth Sent Us’ encouraged disruption of church services on Mother’s Day across the country and went so far as to publish online the location of a school attended by a U.S. Supreme Court justice’s children.
- Earlier this month, a man was arrested after alerting authorities that he had intended to assassinate a U.S. Supreme Court justice. The man referenced the impending Dobbs decision.
- On June 20, the Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote that a group called ‘Jane’s Revenge’ called for a “night of rage,” and has stated “if abortions aren’t safe, you aren’t either.”
- News reports from June 22 indicate that pro-abortion organizations targeted for violence two pregnancy resource centers in Michigan, one in Dearborn Heights and the other in Redford.
- A U.S. congressman from Michigan reported, also on June 22, that his office and a neighboring pro-life center were also vandalized, with doors being smashed and windows broken.
- A Catholic Church in New York City reported it received a threat to bomb and burn down the church after the draft opinion in Dobbs was leaked.
MCC is appreciative of comments from Governor Whitmer in May 2020, where the governor used her office to encourage peace and condemn violence amid an unsettling time in the state: According to Michigan Radio, the governor said: “But it is the threat of violence that is beyond the pale, that is unacceptable, that is undemocratic, that is un-American, frankly. We all have our right to speech, but none of us has the right to endanger other people. Because it would be a terrible travesty if someone got hurt in this already tough, stressful moment in our state and in our nation.”
“The recent threats of violence and acts of destruction and terror must end,” said Long. “We are calling for local and state authorities to be attentive to these threats and to ensure all people remain safe and protected. We also encourage elected officials to condemn specifically and discourage violent acts, as officials on both sides of the aisle have a role to play and should be mindful of how their words and comments can lead either to peace or violence.”
