No matter where you stand on the abortion issue, when you talk about it, all conversations seem to end in recrimination. The fine line of when to deem personhood and grant rights to bodily autonomy is an awfully nebulous thing to create laws around. We saw this with Covid-19 mandates, and we’re now seeing it with abortion rights in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last week. 

A public notice was posted to the “Mammoth/Bishop Community Board Buy Sell Trade”, a place where locals usually post pictures of used futons for sale, sharing information about a “Bans Off Our Bodies Rally” protest that will take place on Saturday, July 2 in front of Stellar Brew in Mammoth Lakes. 

The post blew up with 262 comments, and the conversation quickly grew argumentative and hostile. The page’s posts are a microcosm of what’s happening all over the country. 

“I only hope that everyone who attends this rally is also against vaccine mandates. Otherwise you’re all a bunch of hypocrites,” commented Jasmine Gohr. Her comment got 42 likes. 

Then, Sarah Eldrige posts: “It’s really alarming how many people feel entitled to murdering babies. Wanting bodily autonomy for yourself but not a child is very contradictory. Plus you all live in CA where it’s still legal to murder children so nothing to protest about.”

Marlene Murrieta Lopez commented: “Abortion isn’t your constitutional right, what’s so hard to understand about that. The SCOTUS decision literally gives us more power on a state level.”

A person named Bry Anna replied, “Oh girl, you are rich! Hands off… my body *laughing emojis*. And by rich I mean Krazy with a capital Karen.” 

Marlene Murrieta Lopez then said, “Abortion aka MURDER is not a constitutional right. Enjoy your $1,100 in free abortion money Newsom is giving you.”

Dana McCray chimed in: “You are entitled to believe as you wish……that is why we live in this beautiful country. My opinion on abortion does not matter…….rather I believe it murder or rather I condone it has no bearing on the freedom it provides women in certain situations! Your post is complete ignorance and is absolutely why this country is in the turmoil that it’s in!…Get a brain!”

Then, Marlene Murrieta Lopez: “You’re a *clown emoji* a disgusting pathetic joke of a clown. F off.”

Meanwhile, the state is responding by moving to protect access to abortion. 

Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed a $125 million Reproductive Health Package to expand access for women and help prepare for the influx of women seeking reproductive health care from other states.  

“We know that states like Missouri are already targeting women seeking abortions in states like California where abortion remains legal. This legislation seeks to protect women and care providers from civil liability imposed by other states, and sends a clear message that California will continue to be a safe haven for all women seeking reproductive health care services in our state,” he said. 

The California Legislature has also introduced a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion within the state constitution, SCA10.