BETHLEHEM, PA — Sen. Bob Casey, U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, and other local political figures convened yesterday, June 22nd, at the Rally the Valley for Women’s Choice event at the Rose Garden in Bethlehem, PA.
The candidates and elected officials reflected on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and reinforced their positions on women’s rights and the right to choose.
The event was organized by Lehigh Valley For All, a local volunteer organization committed to progressive policies and community empowerment.
Red, Wine & Blue, a national network dedicated to empowering suburban women to fight for progressive values and challenge right-wing extremism, joined in force.
Just days before the anniversary, community members gathered to hear the Democratic leaders speak and acknowledge the two years since the overturning of Roe v. Wade and how it has affected women country-wide.
Decided on January 22nd, 1973, Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States generally protected a right to have an abortion.
The law was overruled in the Supreme Court on June 24th, 2022, removing constitutional protections for a woman’s right to choose or have an abortion.
Representative Susan Wild delivered a fiery speech emphasizing the importance of keeping the government out of personal medical decisions.
“I don’t want the government in my doctor’s office,” she stated firmly. “I don’t want a judge or a politician or anybody else in my doctor’s office or your doctor’s office, whether you’re a man or a woman.”
Wild stressed the significance of electing pro-choice candidates at all levels of government. “Make sure we do everything we can to elect pro-choice candidates all up and down the ballot. And by the way, don’t let anybody tell you that state races don’t matter or even local races,” she urged.
“We don’t want to see Pennsylvania go the way of Alabama, no matter what.”
According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 51% of adults in Pennsylvania believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 44% think it should be illegal in all or most cases.
The remaining 5% of those surveyed are undecided.
Sen. Bob Casey, Pennsylvania’s senator since 2007, also addressed the broader implications of the upcoming election.
“This election will determine not just the next four or eight years, this election will determine what kind of country we’re going to be for the next generation,” Casey remarked.
He highlighted the critical nature of the battle for fundamental rights, including the right to vote, women’s rights, and workers’ rights to organize a union.
Casey reflected on the significance of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case, which struck down Roe v. Wade.
“The court took away a 49-year right of women to make that decision.”
In response to the Court’s decision, Casey emphasized his support for the Women’s Health Protection Act, contrasting his stance with his Republican challenger, David McCormick, who called the Dobbs decision a “great victory.”
While Casey has labeled himself as a “pro-life” Democrat in the past, he suggests his stance was never a complete ban on abortion without exception.
The rally concluded with a march through Bethlehem, which conceded at Sand Island.
