"Abortion is health care. Abortion is freedom. Abortion is bodily autonomy. A country without this human right is not a free country."
—H.R. Bellicosa
Recently, The US overturned a fundamental rule enforced more than two decades ago, depriving a women's right to abort her respective fetus if desired. This regulation was named Roe V Wade after Normy McCorvey undertook an alias "Jane Roe" to prosecute Henry Wade, a district attorney of Dallas County, to legalise abortions. The court case was eventually a success where the majority voted for the law; thus, it was implemented nationwide, giving women the freedom to decide if they would like to terminate their fetus or raise their child. This article will cover the history behind the enforcement of the Roe V Wade ruling, how countries are affected by the overruling and the consequences of the supreme court's actions.
Prosecutors created Jane Roe, a fictional name for Norma McCovey, to protect her identity. Norma was born on 22 September 1947 in Louisiana to a rough childhood; her father left her when she was thirteen and left her and her brother in the care of their alcoholic mother. Furthermore, at around 15, she was sent to her mother's cousin's house, where she was repeatedly raped for three weeks, a statement the cousin denied. She married at the meagre age of 16 but subsequently left him after he allegedly assaulted her; hereafter, she gave birth to her first child in 1965. After this birth, Norma struggled with a crippling addiction to drugs and alcohol; soon after, her mother took custody of her daughter, and Norma gave birth to another child in 1967; however, she put the child up for adoption. It was only during her third pregnancy that Norma had the urge to obtain an abortion due to her inadequate scenario to raise a child.
Texas laws were highly restrictive at this period, only allowing abortions if they threatened the mother's health. In a news service interview, Norma stated, "I was a woman alone with no place to go and no job...No one wanted to hire a pregnant woman. I felt there was no one in the world who could help me." With all regulations working against Norma, she turned to prosecutors Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee. They were scouring for a plaintiff to challenge the Texas abortion laws alongside them. Weddington expressed how regulating abortions does not allow Americans the freedom to decide their future, thus a direct violation of the fourteenth amendment. This is where the case picked up pace as it was filed as a class-action lawsuit.
The name Wade is recognisable from Henry Wade, a famous district attorney in Texas in the 1970s. Even though Wade stated in interviews that he had an impartial opinion on abortions and was not part of the trial, Weddington directly filed the lawsuit against Wade and, following a trial majority (7-2), the court determined that illegalizing abortions was a violation of women's privacy.
Fast-forwarding to 2022, where the supreme court has just overruled the Roe V Wade law, criminalising abortions where the punishment can range anywhere from a hefty fine or prison time. This verdict will allow more than half of the states in America to immediately and effectively ban abortions, not considering the age or whether the individual got pregnant with consent. Currently, 61 % of American adults believe the government should legalise abortions, a significant increase since the Roe V Wade law started. By overturning this regulation, Americans will now face a dilemma of whether to travel thousands of miles without financial stability to obtain an abortion or raise the child in an unhealthy environment. The inadequate lifestyle the child will have to face if born is not considered, nor is the mother's well-being. Furthermore, if the mother was raped, they may not have the option to abort the fetus but instead give birth to their unwanted child, who would share a similarity with an individual who has traumatised them.
THE SUPREME COURT THAT OVERTURNED ROE V WADE LAW
Many individuals have stated America is going back in time. With abortions being criminalised, some women would resort to desperate measures such as illegal abortions to eradicate the fetus. According to the national library of medicine, "every year, 68000 women die due to unsafe abortions". These methods include breaking the amniotic sac with sharp objects like hangers or ingesting toxic mixtures. With such a monumental decision impacting almost all women, these fatality rates could skyrocket.
The public reaction has been highly prominent; some have even taken to the streets to protest against this controversial ruling. Many have expressed disappointment and frustration at how a majority white man court can control women's bodies. Likewise, on tiktok, there has been a series of videos posted by women worldwide opening up their homes in states where abortion is legalised for any victims of rape or individuals seeking medical treatment like abortions. Individuals have conspired that this could be the start of a colossus setback for America; criminalising abortions could pave the way for numerous biased rulings in the future.
An Image depicting the nationwide protest against criminalising abortions
To summarise, 13.2% of Americans live in poverty. 13.2% of Americans will not be financially stable enough to raise a child, yet they will have to. 21% of Americans experience bad mental health. Thus, 21% don't have the sanity to care for a child. According to RAINN, 1 out of 6 Americans has been the victim of attempted rape. Using this statistic, 16% of American women could resort to unsafe abortions in their lifetime. This is a prominent issue that needs to be addressed before the fatalities increase. Getting an abortion should be a freedom of choice to many, but unfortunately, in this day and age, it is a privilege.
Written By: Aadya Gulati 06/28/22
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