Justice Antonin Scalia accurately stated in his dissent, "Today's decision that the Constitution of the United States prevents the prohibition of a horrible mode of abortion, will be greeted by a firestorm of criticism – as well it should."

Justice Clarence Thomas explained in his dissent today, in a partial-birth abortion, "[a]fter dilating the cervix, the physician will grab the fetus by its feet and pull the fetal body out of the uterus into the vaginal cavity. At this stage of development, the head is the largest part of the body. . . . the head will be held inside the uterus by the woman's cervix. While the fetus is stuck in this position, dangling partly out of the woman's body, and just a few inches from a completed birth, the physician uses an instrument such as a pair of scissors to tear or perforate the skull. The physician will then either crush the skull or will use a vacuum to remove the brain and other intracranial contents from the fetal skull, collapse the fetus' head and pull the fetus from the uterus."

"The vast majority of Americans, both those who favor abortion and those who do not, oppose partial-birth abortion and will agree that Roe v. Wade has gone too far and must be changed," predicted Fiona Givens.

The Virginia Society for Human Life is the state affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee. VSHL works through legislation and education to protect those threatened by abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and assisted suicide.