Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Causing Danger for U.S. Citizens

In a horrifying recent decision from the Supreme Court, the original ruling of landmark case Roe v. Wade has been overturned. Specifically, this means that the right to an abortion in the United States is no longer protected by federal law. Now it is up to states to decide their own policies about access to abortion. Even one state refusing a person’s right to an abortion is dangerous and unacceptable. At a time when public support is at an all time high, citizens of our nation are being steamrolled as one small panel makes decisions for hundreds of millions of people across the country. Not only does this ruling violate human rights, but it also puts children and adults alike in serious danger, and, historically, does not even put a stop to abortions. As sensible people in this country, we cannot sit back and allow this tragedy to remain our reality.

The most obvious problem with this overturning is that it jeopardizes the human rights of anyone who may become pregnant. Not only is this unconstitutional, but it is utterly inhumane. People at risk for pregnancy will be stripped of their privacy in the name of the law. In the original ruling of Roe v. Wade in 1973, the right to privacy was cited as evidence in favor of the right to have an abortion. When abortion is a crime, the government has the right to investigate instances of its potential occurrence. Abortions are performed for many reasons; one of which is to make sure that those who have miscarried avoid complications by safely expelling all of the necessary tissue. If pregnant people can be investigated for miscarriages, not only will this put an unbelievable emotional strain on those already experiencing a great grief, but it will lead the way for further invasions of privacy. Will people be punished for involuntary miscarriages? Will emergency contraception be banned, restricted, or reported to the authorities? What about proactive forms of birth control? Will those who can become pregnant be able to maintain any safety in sex, or will we be forced to choose between absitnence or physical and emotional danger?

Not only is this decision harmful for those who can carry children, but it is also harmful for the children themselves. Children who are raped, suffering already from a harrowing violation, will then have to carry to term and give birth to a child of their own: another violation. Are those in power so concerned about potential lives of children that they are willing to endanger the lives of children who are already alive? Children born to children are much less likely to have the same comfortability or opportunities in life as children born to adults. Aside from this, even children born to adults who do not want them are less likely to have stability and the proper environment for them to thrive. If these children are given up by their biological parents, their circumstances are still far from acceptable. Foster care is a notoriously flawed system; with so many children already in need of adequate homes and safe environments, it is simply immoral to make a decision which will only add to the growing number who reside there. 

The one desired result from the overturning of this ruling is that abortions in the United States stop. However, restricting access to safe abortions fails to prevent abortions from occurring at all, but rather forces pregnant people to go through with unsafe abortions, which often lead to health complications. The rate of unsafe abortions plummeted by thousands after the original Roe v. Wade ruling, and will certainly skyrocket due to its nullification. Not only does this new ruling fail at its only intended effect, but it is physically dangerous for those who may be forced to resort to unsafe methods to exercise their human rights. Rather than protecting life, the overturning of Roe v. Wade will harm many lives of all different kinds. 

Aside from these numerous pressing problems, in the days after this dreaded decision, the fear and stress involved with such news is already a crushing burden to anyone who can possibly become pregnant. On the very first day, the protests started; not only do we have to fight for our freedoms time and time again, but we have to do so through every moment of our grief, for we do not have time to spare. Our government has failed us, not for the first time, and we cannot be complacent. As scary, as difficult, as heart-wrenching as it is, we have no choice but to protest, to donate to abortion funds, to raise awareness, to never stop talking about it. We must protect our future selves, our children, our fellow Americans. It should not be in the hands of the people to confirm our own basic rights. We should not have to fight, but we cannot afford not to.