The push back against the overturning of Roe v. Wade isn’t an argument of morality; it’s a fight for the right to choose. In 1973, the United States Supreme Court took on the Roe v. Wade case. This case dealt with the constitutionality of the ban on abortions.
The criminalization of abortion was determined to be a violation of women’s right to privacy and due process under the 14th amendment. The ruling on the case was seven to two in favor of the legalization of abortion in the United States.
As a result of the Supreme Court’s ruling, abortions were made legal at the federal level. However, the plaintiff Norma McCorvey, also known as Jane Roe (to protect her identity), believed in the absolute right to terminate the fetus at any time during the pregnancy.
The Supreme Court did not unanimously agree with McCorvey’s opinion. As a result, the court decided that abortions are only legal until the fetus is viable, which occurs approximately at the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy.
On June 14, United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. This is the only legislation protecting American women’s constitutional right to have an abortion.
Since June, Idaho, South Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas have enforced their trigger bans. These trigger bans prohibit abortion from taking place within the state, and in some cases it criminalizes having or performing an abortion by all methods.
Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Georgia, South Dakota, South Carolina, North Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania have varying restrictions and bans based on how far along the pregnancy is. In Virginia and New Mexico, abortion remains accessible for the time being.
This leaves only nine states in the entire country that do not prohibit women’s right to autonomy over their own bodies.
Republicans idolize the idea of small government and privacy. The reversal of Roe does the exact opposite.
Roe gave women the initial right to choose for their own bodies, since being overturned the power is now left in the hands of the individual states. The issue with this is in a majority of the country abortions aren’t easily accessible.
Roe should never have been overturned because access to abortion is a reproductive right which falls under the umbrella of healthcare. It also protected women’s rights to birth control and contraception.
Denying millions of women access to healthcare is unconstitutional. Conservatives use their personal moral values as justification for seizing women’s basic rights.
Abortions have been happening for hundreds of years; they will always happen. This can be compared to the 1920s to 1933 Prohibition era.
In 1920, the 18th constitutional amendment was ratified by Congress. This amendment banned the manufacture, sale, and consumption of alcohol throughout the United States.
As a result, illegal bars also known as speakeasies began to pop up. People also began to illegally manufacture and distribute alcohol.
The problem with prohibition is that alcohol was still being made, but the moonshine that was produced contained methanol, a main ingredient in antifreeze, which was making people go blind.
Just like how alcohol was made illegal during prohibition and was still produced, abortions will still be performed. Criminalizing abortion only stops safe procedures from happening.
According to CBS, “Women, by more than three to one, think the ruling will make women’s lives worse rather than better.”
This leads into the issue with the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, that the majority of women throughout the country disagree with the court’s ruling.
“I’m on a train right now and the number of women who have tears in their eyes, including myself, is something I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” said former White House Homeland Security Advisor Olivia Troye.