Oakland city leaders plan to declare Oakland a sanctuary city for abortion, in response to reports that the U.S. Supreme Court could soon overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that protects abortion access for women.
On Tuesday evening, the City Council will vote on a resolution marking the declaration, calling for Alameda County and California to dedicate funds to reproductive health care, and emphasizing the council’s support for the Women’s Health Protection Act, a bill that would secure the right to abortion, that failed in the U.S. Senate last week.
“We know that just because something is made illegal, that doesn’t mean that there are less abortions that are being had. But statistics and history have shown that if abortion is illegal, that would mean that women will die,” said City Councilmember Sheng Thao during a news conference Tuesday morning. “Today we’re going to declare the city of Oakland a sanctuary city, signaling to the rest of the nation that if you are in need of health-care access, you can come to Oakland, and you will be given that right.”
Thao, who represents District 4 and is running for mayor, sponsored the resolution and made the announcement Tuesday, along with At-Large Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas, Kevin Jenkins, a trustee with the Peralta Community Colleges District who is also running for City Council, representatives from the offices of Assemblymember Mia Bonta and U.S. House Representative Barbara Lee, and leaders from Planned Parenthood.
From May 17 story on Oakland city website.
Ghee! as if there is not enough murder and killing already in Oakland. Par for course. It’s a wonder there are any people left there.
i’m sure there are. could they be ghosts—spooks—that you can’t (or prefer not to) see?
The ghosts and spooks are in your own mind. I am not the one telling people to kill their own children by abortion, nor anyone else’s.
Antebellum Charleston, South Carolina declared itself to be a sanctuary city for lynching slaves (who just happened to be Black, like many of the babies being killed in Oakland).
It seems we have some cities that are sanctuary cities for criminals (as long as they’re not Americans).
How about a sanctuary city for terrorists? Or, maybe one for owners of machine guns? Child porn?
The list is almost endless.
Maybe the federal government and state governments could operate within the Constitution and create laws for the common good within their respective spheres.
There is nothing holy (sanctus) about a “sanctuary” to kill.
Oakland is already a troubled city, and a murder capital. The City Council of Baltimore, MD— another deeply troubled city– has voted unanimously, to be a “sanctuary for abortion,” too. Both of these troubled cities are riddled with crime. Instead of abortion, they need to champion good, stable marriage and family life, good values, and the protection of life from conception to natural death, and work hard to make their cities good places in which to live.
Bishop Barber should bar from reception of Holy Communion, any Catholic politicians who voted for or publicly supported Oakland to be an “abortion sanctuary.” Abp. Cordileone just barred Rep. Nancy Pelosi from reception of Holy Communion.
Oakland is a wasteland of failure. This isn’t a surprise at all. The best thing that could happen to Oakland is if they ran out of people, the place was bulldozed, planted with trees and turned into a natural wildlife center.
I can’t believe a priest talks like this, especially in public.
Father one the best lines I’ve ever read, will be borrowing that one
That’s not in the spirit of Vatican II
Sanctuary city for abortion? They do realize that Oakland is in California? That’s like San Francisco declaring itself to be a sanctuary city for Chinese restaurants. Do California politicians do *anything* that isn’t pandering?
It’s called grandstanding. It’s what Democrats do.
If Roe is overturned. Calif legislature will be able to legalized abortion. No need for Oakland to do this. Killing Fields.
oddly enough, the motto of
the city of Oakland is “Love Life.”
hard ta figure, huh?
Wow! I did not know that. Ironic. When dad started a health care program for employees, shipyard and steel mill workers, it was about healthcare, not abortion.
Wow, such hate filled missives throughout the comments. I get your against abortion, for your own reasons, but to wish a city to die in its entirety? How shameful! You’re also equating being a sanctuary city with being a murder capital – yes, by the standards you place, you could make that meme, but be careful that the church (or just this site) be hit with a slander suit. Equating abortion with lynching? Apples and oranges to my mind, but if you prefer, that’s okay. I’ve heard of the idea that all “good, dogmatic’ Catholics should pick just five cities, then move to those cities and make them a Catholic stronghold where there is no abortion for any circumstance, no birth control method beyond rhythm is allowed, and churches are packed with good Catholics whose children attend CCD religiously, and of course, with large families, the third son is offered up and encouraged to become the next priest. LGBTQ+? Definitely not allowed. What a wonderful world it would be. However, until that day, all born Americans are allowed to be who and where they are, despite any religious rhetoric that, instead of showing Christ’s love, have deemed themselves judges (or is it Pharisees) who get to decide who is or isn’t good…
I think you over react to opinions expressed here. Basically people are reacting to a city taking it upon itself to guarantee the death of innocent babies.That is a pretty vile stand to take, even for a CA city. But Fr. Higgins makes a point that Mr. Dremel has missed: Abortion is murder and telling the truth is not slanderous.
From a strictly spiritual perspective, there is absolutely a demonic element that is introduced by progressive policies and their advocates. In west coast cities up and down the California coast into Portland, Salem, Eugene and the Seattle metro area it’s been going on for some time so it doesn’t stand in relief so much to the rest of the western US. But now that the influence is making it’s way east into places like Boise, Idaho, it is very obvious. The influence in city politics and departments causes religious intolerance and a spirit of toxic hostility among residents. Such evil….
Don’t know what Oakland is all worked up about. If Roe is overturned, the states laws will prevail. Basically anything goes where abortion is concerned in California, so there won’t really be any changes there. It’s unfortunate, but true. The states that support killing babies will continue to do so. However, states that have curtailed abortion will be allowed to keep their laws intact. Pray all states will soon see the evil that is abortion.
Without reading too much into Fr. Higgins’ comments, I think it’s important not to miss the big “if” which he included. IF Oakland were to lose all its population due to abortion, murder, flight, etc., then it would so deserve to be given back over to nature, a better steward than man.