Samuel L Jackson Fires Race-Based Shot At Conservative Justice Over Roe Vs Wade

Samuel L. Jackson has taken a shot at US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas following the overturning of Roe Vs Wade. 

Thomas is one of six conservative justices to rule in favour of overturning Roe Vs Wade last week, which granted millions of US women the legal right to abortion.

Established in 1973, it legalised abortion nationwide up to the point of foetal viability, which is generally accepted to be around 24 weeks into pregnancy.

Since it was overturned last week, however, outrage has been sparked worldwide and a wide range of famous faces have voiced their opinions... including Samuel L Jackson.

On Saturday (25 June), Jackson tweeted: “How’s Uncle Clarence feeling about Overturning Loving v Virginia??!!”

‘Uncle Clarence’ is thought to be a reference to the title character in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Beecher Stowe’s anti-slavery novel. Since the book was published in 1852, ‘Uncle Tom’ has become a racially-loaded term that refers to a Black person who is considered subservient to white authority figures.

Thomas is married to Ginni Thomas, a white attorney, and Jackson seemingly drew attention to their interracial marriage.

After Roe Vs Wade was retracted, Thomas also called on his colleagues to overturn rulings on contraception and same-sex relationships.

However, he failed to mention the right to interracial marriage, protected by 1967’s Loving Vs Virginia court case, which explains the second half of Jackson’s tweet. 

After Thomas called on his colleagues to overturn rulings on contraception and same-sex relationships, protesters swiftly gathered outside his home.

Writing in his concurrent opinion on Friday’s ruling, Thomas said the court should also reconsider Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell.

Griswold v. Connecticut ruled that states in North America had no right to ban contraception. Lawrence Vs Texas ruled that states could not criminalise sodomy, and Obergefell Vs Hodges ruled same-sex couples could legally marry.

In his opinion, cited by The Independent, Thomas continued: “Because any substantive due process decision is ‘demonstrably erroneous’... we have a duty to ‘correct the error’ established in those precedents...

"After overruling these demonstrably erroneous decisions, the question would remain whether other constitutional provisions guarantee the myriad rights that our substantive due process cases have generated."

Following the release of Thomas's concurrent opinion, protesters travelled to his home in Virginia to wave signs and flags and chant about their rights.

Responding to Thomas's references to overturning other landmark cases, Jim Obergefell, whose lawsuit led to the legalisation of same-sex marriage, said he was ‘terrified’. 

He commented: "This is a signal to people who are opposed to marriage equality, who are opposed to LGBT+ equality, who are opposed to progress, giving them actual words that they can use in a lawsuit to challenge something. 

“And it’s a signal to judges in state and federal courts that if cases come before you using this argument, the Supreme Court might be on your side."

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