Overturning Roe v. Wade would then allow states to make abortions illegal in many states (22 probably), but it wouldn't change in most states (27 probably). Those with means would still be able to get the procedure by driving hundreds of miles in some cases to neighboring states, essentially continuing a sad tradition that access is not equally shared amongst Americans. And even if Roe is not overturned, state regulations (like waiting periods, parental consent for minors, admitting privileges in nearby hospitals, etc.) are making abortion clinics close even though the procedure itself isn't illegal. My hope is this medical procedure for a group of Americans who bear the burden of being able to have a child (women) is provided equally. I know this is a difficult topic to talk about, but what's your reaction to this article?
While overturning Roe v. Wade most likely wouldn’t impact me (California believes women have a right to terminate a pregnancy), many women around the country would be losing their reproductive freedom. It is extremely frustrating that some states have strict laws to prevent abortion from taking place, like Georgia’s attempt in 2019 to ban abortions at 6-weeks (this ban was blocked!). Just because conservative Amy Coney Barret is a woman on the Supreme Court does not mean she is standing up for women’s rights. This article makes me sad and angry; the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned and many states’ strict laws preventing a woman’s right to safe and legal abortion makes me feel like we’re moving backwards in time.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, it claims if Roe v. Wade was overturned, it would affect mostly poor people. This is unfortunate since they most likely would not have the proper means to care for a child. I agree with the idea that people may turn to illegal or unsafe means in order to stop their pregnancy. If women are forced to have a child they did not want, they could neglect the child or treat them harshly. The facts stated in this article make me sad for those in areas were abortion is or may be banned, and as Abbie said, it does feel as if we are moving backwards in our progress for women's rights.
ReplyDeleteWhat most disturbs me is the word legal in that graph. It terrifies me how many women would not be able to drive the hundreds of miles as you have stated and instead revert to illegal, dangerous methods of abortion. Before the court decision in the 70s, illegal abortions disproportionately killed people of color and although it is almost 50 years in the future, it very well could lead to the same consequences.
ReplyDeleteIt really saddens me that we are still having this discussion almost fifty years after Roe v. Wade went into place. I completely agree with your perspective that all women should have equal access to abortion, the answer to this is definitely not reducing access nationwide. Furthermore, statistics show that when legal abortion is banned, rates of illegal abortion and in turn fatalities skyrocket. This idea that by overturning Roe v. Wade, women's lives will be far more difficult and at risk is absolutely horrific. By decreasing access to abortions, states in general are going backwards and harming their citizens.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am probably the least affected by this I still can't help but be disheartened by the possibility that women in many states might have the right to abortion taken away. Despite the many ways to prevent pregnancy, abortion should still be something that women can have the option to access in case of any complications that might pop up. I find it kind of weird and it seems very unconstitutional to have a law saying that a woman must keep an unborn/undeveloped child until it's born, especially since having a child is a huge burden and would consume a lot of time and be a large part of a woman's life. It also fails to take into consideration victims of sexual assault or accidental pregnancies as well as a family/individual's ability to provide for a child financially. Overall, this is probably the least progressive decision the Supreme Court could make in regards to women's rights.
ReplyDeleteDespite the fact that California will likely be left unaffected, this is one of the topics that I have extremely strong feelings about. I find it sad that women's rights and reproductive rights are even up for debate at this point, as I personally believe that anyone who is in this position should have complete power over what they choose to do with their body. While you may be pro-life for yourself, I think it would be completely unfair to potentially strip this right away from all other women. Many people do not take the context of the pregnancies and abortions into account, as many of these unfortunately occur as a result of sexual assault, or if the person is fully aware that they cannot support the child in the way that it needs. Something important to note is that by banning access to SAFE abortions, the amount of abortions isn't necessarily going down very much, it just allows for more unsafe methods to be used.
ReplyDeleteThis discussion about potentially overturning Roe v Wade is incredibly sad considering the day and age we live in. Personally, as a female, these kind of issues matter a lot to me, because my reproductive rights and autonomy is incredibly important. Even though California probably wouldn't be affected, I empathize strongly with those who aren't as fortunate as me, because life is incredibly unpredictable and those from the pro-life stance don't seem to understand that. Tons of variables could factor into a pregnancy, like sexual assault or plain accidents. I understand that some may have religious/moral beliefs that cause them to be pro-life, but I think women should have the choice always. In addition, those who are pro-choice don't necessarily want to get abortions either, but they know that one day, they might have to. And in the end, if a woman cannot or just does not want to provide for a child, nobody really benefits from the child being born.
ReplyDeleteAlthough California likely wouldn’t be affected by this, it’s still upsetting to me that overturning Roe v. Wade is even a possibility. If this happens, it would put a lot of women in danger. Making abortions illegal doesn’t mean that less abortions occur, it just forces women to resort to unsafe methods to get one, which can be very dangerous. Another aspect that bothers me is that a lot of people who are against abortion want to make it illegal because it is against their religion. I don’t think this is fair because there needs to be separation of church and state, and someone who doesn’t have those religious views shouldn’t be forced to have a child simply because someone else believes they should. Aside from being incredibly unfair towards women/people with uteruses in general, it’s unfair towards children whose parents only had them because they couldn’t get an abortion. There’s already thousands of children in the foster care system, which lacks resources and can be an unstable environment, waiting to be adopted. At the end of the day, no one should have to have a child against their will.
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