The Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a draft written by Justice Samuel Alito. Roe v. Wade was a landmark decision from 1973 that guaranteed constitutional protection of abortion rights under the 14th Amendment and the right to privacy. In 1992, this decision was upheld again in the Planned Parenthood v. Casey case.
For nearly 50 years, the right to receive an abortion has been federally protected. If this decision is overturned, it will have dire consequences not only on women's reproductive rights but on human rights as well. Overturning Roe v. Wade would set the precedent that any case can be overturned, such as Lawrence v. Texas which struck down sodomy laws across fourteen states. This case made private, adult, consensual sexual activity between same-sex partners legal across the U.S.
It is imperative that we do not let Roe v. Wade be overturned.
Twenty-six states are likely to ban abortion and thirteen have trigger laws that will immediately ban abortions should Roe v. Wade be overturned. This decision will cause harm and death to thousands of women throughout the states that decide to ban abortion. Women who are poor, physically unable to have children, or do not want the responsibility of carrying and raising a child will no longer be able to access safe abortion methods.
For some women, pregnancy poses severe health risks and could even result in death if the fetus is carried to term. In the absence of Roe v. Wade, women desperate to save their own lives no longer have safe options and will turn to unsafe procedures, self-harm, or self-induced miscarriages. The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and ban abortions will not stop them, it will just make abortions dangerous. This decision will affect mostly ethnic and poor people who cannot afford to travel out of state, let alone pay for the care required to have a child. It will cause more turmoil within ethnic communities that are already under constant attack by the government through various means such as the militant police force which over-police ethnic neighborhoods, resulting in the imprisonment and death of ethnic peoples. The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade would not just be an attack on women, but also an attack on ethnic women who are already under constant pressure.
According to Justice Samuel Alito, the decision to uphold Roe v. Wade is wrong because it has divided America.
“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.”
-Justice Samuel Alito
This lie is pushed by white men to justify their ruling - more than 60% of American citizens are in favor of Roe v. Wade, and in recent polls it has reached nearly 70%. Their potential decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is not because it has divided America, it is because abortion is affecting the status quo.
It is increasingly more expensive to live in the United States, so for many people, especially among the poor and middle class, it is not affordable to have a child. The process of giving birth in the United States is unreasonably high and inaccessible to many marginalized communities. For example, in California it can cost upwards of $30,000 to give birth in a hospital. For the past decade, the population in the US has been slowly decreasing, especially amongst the white population. This is a problem for the elite members of society who rely on re-population for two reasons:
The US is especially interested in protecting the fetus because that fetus will one day become a worker. If the population is declining, then that means fewer workers and fewer workers equals less profit for the elite. Overturning Roe v. Wade and consequently banning abortion ensures that more people will be giving birth and in turn producing more workers.
The “majority” is supposedly white people and if white people aren’t producing enough children, then that means the “minority” will become the dominant group in the United States. Banning abortion will ensure white people, especially poor white people, will continue to produce white children and maintain the status quo of white people being the dominant group of society.
Alito claims Roe v. Wade “…was wrongly decided because the Constitution makes no specific mention of abortion rights.” But, the Constitution also does not mention Black rights, LGBTQ+ rights, or women's rights either. If this decision is overturned, then any decision that has no specific mention in the constitution will be called into question. Not only does this affect women's bodily rights but it will affect everyone else that is not straight, white, or a man.
Keep in mind, this is still a draft and has not been decided yet. This draft means that the majority opinion in the Supreme Court is that Roe v. Wade should be overturned. We must not let this decision be overturned. We must protest, fight, and create public outrage to defend Roe v. Wade and codify it into law. This is not just a fight to protect women's bodily rights, it is a fight for human rights.
-Pierce Rasmussen & Olivia Morrison, CULTURE Society Incorporated
Additional Information:
Roe v. Wade Overturned:
What is Roe v. Wade:
How overturning Roe v. Wade could affect other rights:
The majority of Americans want to protect Roe v. Wade:
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