A story is told of Robert the Bruce, the 14th century hero of Scotland. Down and out and taking refuge in a cave, Bruce is supposed to have marveled at a spider who kept restarting his web even after it was destroyed repeatedly. As the story goes, Bruce took inspiration from the spider and redoubled his efforts to become king of an eventually united and independent Scotland.
That's the right reaction for abortion opponents learning that the latest pro-life measure in Massachusetts has failed.
A petition drive seeking to make it possible to stop public funding of abortion in Massachusetts has come up short on signatures, meaning voters won't see a referendum on it in 2022.
Thomas Harvey, chairman of the Massachusetts Alliance to Stop Taxpayer Funded Abortion, announced Tuesday that petition supporters "have fallen well short of the number needed."
