Opinion: Abortion is a Matter of Choice

The Supreme Court ruled in 1973 in Roe vs. Wade that a woman’s right to an abortion is protected by the Constitution of the United States. The Supreme Court’s plans to overturn Roe vs. Wade was recently leaked.

What does this mean for the American people as a whole?

States will have the final say if the Supreme Court rules against them. Abortion is still legal in some states, despite the recent ruling, but other states have already made significant changes as a result of the ruling. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, Georgia’s Heartbeat Bill could become law. After a fetus’ heartbeat is detected, abortions will be prohibited.

At six weeks, the majority of heartbeats are detectable. There is a major problem with this bill in that most women find out they are pregnant at six weeks or later. This ban gives women a narrow window of opportunity to decide whether to have the procedure. There is already a ban on abortion in most states, especially in the South. The reproductive rights of many women in the South are under threat. The ability to make their own decisions can be revoked.

The U.S. is a democracy and in the Constitution, freedom is repeated many times. Freedom of speech and religion are two examples. The fact that the U.S. prides itself on being “the land of the free” must not apply to women. If a woman does not want to give birth, depending on the state she lives in, she will have to carry. 

In the event of sexual assault or molestation, and the victim becomes pregnant, she must carry. Depending on state law, a woman cannot terminate her pregnancy if she experiences pregnancy complications that could be harmful to both her and her unborn child. 

Pregnant women aren’t the only ones affected by the repeal of Roe vs. Wade. Abortion doctors may be influenced by this. All parties involved in an abortion procedure may be charged under new legislation in some states. 

As of now, the leaked draft is not the final decision. The Supreme Court has two more months to finalize this decision. Justices have changed their votes before after hearing opinions from the public. The best thing to do now as a citizen is make your voice heard. We can only hope that the protests can get to one justice. 

A spokesperson of the court seems more upset with the fact that this draft was leaked rather than the decision to overturn this landmark case. I applaud the person who leaked the draft. I do believe had this not been leaked, people would not find out until it was too late. Two months is not much time but changes happen. 

Making abortion legal is the main issue but it is not the only issue. 

Our choice to choose what to do with our bodies is threatened. For those who are having a hard time understanding why this is important or for those who simply do not care, imagine someone took your choice away to do what you wanted. Most people do not understand how traumatic being pregnant and giving birth can be. It should be a choice in this country to do so. No person should have to be forced to carry. 

If there can be freedom of religion, there should be freedom of reproduction. Let the choice be ours.