NORFOLK, Va. — Abortion is one of the most heated issues of our time, and the battle has been reignited once again following a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that suggests abortion rights are in jeopardy.
At the center of that leaked ruling is the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case, which shows just how heated and violent the debate really is.
The case, which protects a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion, fueled more than just protests in the 1980s and 1990s.
A rash of bombings, arsons and shootings was brought upon abortion clinics, including one that put the city of Norfolk in the spotlight.
On Dec. 30, 1994, 22-year-old John Salvi walked into a Massachusetts Planned Parenthood and opened fire, killing two clinic receptionists. A day later, Salvi fled to Hampton Roads and opened fire once again. This time, it was at Hillcrest clinic, the area’s first abortion clinic.
Police arrested Salvi a few blocks away. He was sentenced to life in prison for the shooting deaths but committed suicide in his cell in 1996.
The shootings revealed just how complicated the issue of abortion is.
At the time, some local protestors called Salvi a hero for protecting unborn children.
Today, the debate will continue. But if the tides shift and laws change, we can only hope that violence is not.
A formal decision by current Supreme Court Justices on Roe v. Wade isn’t expected until late June or early July.