In the coming months, the conservative Supreme Court could roll back abortion rights nationwide in the United States, potentially even reversing the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, which granted the right to choose whether or not to carry a pregnancy until the point of fetal viability.
The Supreme Court already refused to intervene after a law in Texas, S.B. 8, banned abortions after six weeks (long before fetal viability) and even granted bounties to Texans who reported their neighbors for receiving or even facilitating an abortion.
The Court has already said it will hear arguments on the constitutionality of a similar law in Mississippi, which bans abortions after 15 weeks. In that case, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has directly asked the Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
While most Americans believe the government shouldn't force people to have babies and are disturbed by the decimation of abortion rights in southern states, others—like far-right Mississippi state Representative William Tracy Arnold—are hoping for the worst.
Earlier this week, Arnold posted a photo of a hawk preparing to devour a squirrel near the Supreme Court—a visual he quickly took as a sign that Roe v. Wade would be overturned.
Rep. William Tracy Arnold had a totally normal reaction to the sight of a hawk chowing down on a squirrel today:\n\n"I pray that this is a sign that Swift and Godly Justice will prevail in all matters! May Roe Vs Wade be overturned and every right and freedom be restored"pic.twitter.com/bWK4z4b5LK— Ashton Pittman (@Ashton Pittman) 1634701515
Arnold wrote:
"This Hawk has his talons buried in this squirrel and is about to devour him. This is located just in front of the Supreme Court Building. I pray that this is a sign that Swift and Godly Justice will prevail in all matters! May Roe Vs Wade be overturned and every right and freedom restored to every State in this Nation. May the Spirit of God rein [sic] over all and place all things in order according to his will!"
The online diatribe garnered attention for all the wrong reasons.
So the squirrel had been bad - and the hawk wasn't hungry but by killing the squirrel was bringing justice to America & returning order to the universe?\nSuch dark logic, I'm afraid to wonder how far Rep.Arnold & others might extend this predator morality.— Cathy Coleman (@Cathy Coleman) 1634739125
OMG. The Hawk of Gawd descended & killed the Abortion Squirrel. Surely a sign of the Second Coming.— LDuB \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\ude37\ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\ude37\ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83d\udc89 (@LDuB \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\ude37\ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\ude37\ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83d\udc89) 1634701785
In a chamber almost bereft of light, that boy is the dimmest bulb of them all.— Rickey Cole (@Rickey Cole) 1634702804
May the roadkill of destiny guide the talons of justice to feast upon the fluffy tails of perfidy, now and forevermore.— Aunt Rove (@Aunt Rove) 1634709055
Yes. We have booted the bald eagle in favor of a hawk as our national symbol, and squirrels preparing nests for the fall now represent the sin of abortion.— Snarky RainBOO \ud83d\udc7b (@Snarky RainBOO \ud83d\udc7b) 1634733730
Say wut?— Ann Lee Gibson (@Ann Lee Gibson) 1634754836
Some thought Arnold's projection onto animals was downright Pagan.
This kind of omen sighting & freestyle interpretation of the omen were characteristic of the pagans. Christianity replaced that with the interpretation of scripture. Is this William Tracy character a pagan druid?— Plebeus Pantomime (@Plebeus Pantomime) 1634701945
This is very pagan of her\u2026— Liz V (@Liz V) 1634737785
This is very pagan of her\u2026— Liz V (@Liz V) 1634737785
@BrentTerhune/X and @VivekGRamaswamy/X