On Thursday night, President Joe Biden delivered a State of the Union address that focused heavily on reproductive freedom. The speech highlighted the powerful stories of individuals impacted by anti-abortion policies, showcasing the real harms that can arise from such restrictions.
While there were many aspects of Biden’s speech to appreciate, some advocates immediately noticed a key omission: the word “abortion.” This has been a recurring issue for the president, as he has been criticized in the past for avoiding the use of this term. However, there was another word missing from his address that is possibly even more significant: “Comstock.”
Anthony Comstock was an anti-vice crusader who succeeded in passing the Comstock Act in 1873. This law banned the mailing of anything deemed indecent or immoral, including contraceptives and materials related to abortion. While the law has not been enforced for nearly a century and has been deemed presumptively unconstitutional, there is concern that anti-abortion activists may attempt to revive it.
These activists argue
