Abortion opponents got what they have been fighting for nearly half a century when the Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade.
"This is a monumental thing that we never really thought we'd have this in America," said James Cook, pastor at Lighthouse Gospel Church. "We never thought it would get overturned."
Cook is among those who have been protesting abortion services outside Planned Parenthood clinics for years now. For him, this is a watershed moment returning the debate and decision on reproductive rights to local communities.
"It should have been in the state's hands the whole time," Cook said. "Every state should have made those decisions by the people of the state."
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John Dennis, the chair of the San Francisco Republican party, calls the end of Roe a reasonable decision. He also disagrees with those who believe the ruling will not only limit a woman's choice, but could actually put her life in danger.
"I think there may be some extraordinarily rare circumstances, but the vast majority of abortions are those of choice," Dennis said. "They are not where lives are in jeopardy."
Dennis expects the ruling to lead to some heated rhetoric in the coming weeks, but also believes this move will actually strengthen the country.
"This is the reason why the union survives and the union lasts, because communities that don't want the practice happening in their states they can make the decision for themselves, the states where they find the practice OK to do, they can make that decision," Dennis said.
In a statement, Bishop Oscar Cantu with the Diocese of San Jose said he also welcomes the Supreme Court's decision -- affirming what he describes as his belief that all life if precious, valuable and should be protected.
Some political leaders, including former Vice President Mike Pence, are now calling for a nationwide ban on abortion. But the local anti-abortion advocates declined to go that far, saying they feel each state should be responsible for setting its own abortion policy.
