Emotions high, but protests must remain peaceful

Without question, emotions are running high on both sides of the abortion issue. Those emotions have gotten stronger since the leak of a draft of a Supreme Court opinion suggesting a ban on Roe vs. Wade may be forthcoming. We have seen rallies in La Crosse and throughout the country protesting the Supreme Court decision. Those rallies have been peaceful and protected by the Constitution. But over the weekend in Madison things took an ugly turn when the office of an anti-abortion lobbying group, Wisconsin Family Action, was firebombed by vandals. A Molotov cocktail was thrown into the building, although it did not go off. A message written on the building exterior seems to threaten those in support of criminalizing abortion. Those actions go too far. It does not help the cause when people act outside the law to cause vandalism over ideals. The White House was wise to quickly condemn the crime, pointing out that while people have the right to protest, those expressions must be peaceful and free of violence. Equally troubling are the protests outside the homes of Supreme Court justices. Our judges must be free to do their jobs without fear of personal safety. No doubt there will be more protests both for and against the Supreme Court decision, but let’s hope that, unlike what happened in Madison, that cooler heads will prevail and that those protests, no matter how emotionally charged, be conducted peacefully.