More chalk drawings appeared outside of Sen. Susan Collins’ home on Tuesday after she made headlines for complaining to police officials over the weekend about polite chalk messages left on the sidewalk. Because they were written with chalk, the initial messages were not visible by Monday. Despite this, Collins behaved as if she were severely threatened, and thanked police officials for acknowledging her claim.
Given her reaction, it is shocking that she hasn’t once again called the police for the repeated “offense” and “defacement” of her property.
The new messages read: “If I don’t own my body what do I own?”as well as “You work for us!” “There are more variables than just birth,” “You might not recognize our right to free speech, but I hope you recognize my right to an abortion,” “FOR WOMAN,” “S.O.S.—Save Us Susie,” “Blessed be the First Amendment,” “Vote for WHPA,” “Education is pivotal,” and “Mainers for abortion rights.”
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The initial message left outside of Collins’ home was asking her to vote for the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), which would codify the abortion rights of Roe v. Wade into law.
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“Susie, please, Mainers want WHPA —> Vote yes, clean up your mess,” the chalk message read.
Collins voted against advancing the bill to the U.S. Senate floor in February. While she is a Republican, this came as a shock to many pro-choice individuals because Collins has been openly in favor of abortion rights. She told CNN on Thursday she opposed the bill because she believes the bill wouldn't "protect the right of a Catholic hospital to not perform abortions.”
She even voted to confirm justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, knowing they posed risks to reproductive justice. Now those justices have signed the draft opinion that is expected to overturn the landmark case Roe v. Wade case—a 1973 ruling that protects the right to safe, abortions at the federal level, and one she has previously expressed support for upholding.
"I could not vote for a judge who had demonstrated hostility to Roe v. Wade because it would indicate a lack of respect for precedent," she told CBS News in 2018. Looks like she is moving toward the Republican norm of not only contradicting herself but not sticking to her word.
According to the Bangor Daily News, Collins’ husband, Tom Daffron, said he noticed the new chalk drawings Tuesday, but did not call the police.
While police officials who responded to the scene over the weekend said the "message wasn’t threatening" and therefore "no crime was committed," Collins’ office Tuesday claims she was alarmed because of other threats.
“Because Senator Collins periodically gets threatening letters and phone calls, we have been advised by Capitol Police to notify the local police department when there is activity directed at her around her home,” her office said in a statement Tuesday, according to BuzzFeed News.
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