ensara's corner

Hello Beautiful People,

Yesterday at work I was feeling very well because it was an easy day ahead, and I received a notification from BBC News saying: “Millions of women in US set to lose legal right to abortion as Supreme Court reverses landmark Roe v Wade ruling”. I couldn’t believe my eyes and still, there was a part of me hoping this was just referring to the leaked plan, and not an actual decision that passed.

This is a very heavy and sensitive topic and not necessarily something that impacts me, but since the leaked decision, and then the morning of the official announcement, I have felt extremely uneasy. It is a decision that impacts us as a society, therefore it can’t be ignored. To live in America is supposed to mean you live in a land where you’re free and safe, and the whole “the people control the government, the government is there for the people” spiel. 

I’m not saying anything unheard of, but putting all these thoughts together is a way to bring awareness and express my sadness and frustration. As it’s generally explained, Roe v. Wade, was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion. On June 24, 2022, this decision was overturned with a 6-3 vote.

Abortion truly will not disappear, just safe and legal abortions will. Before Roe, it is estimated that “between 200,000 and 1.2 million illegally induced abortions occur[red] annually in the United States.” As many as 5,000 to 10,000 women died per year following illegal abortions and many others suffered severe physical and psychological injury. This statistic will most likely not be as high this time around, because as of now abortion is only illegal or partially illegal in just 16 states, but it’s still a problem and raises concerns.

When compared to other countries similar to ours, the US is lacking in many ways when it comes to pregnancy and healthcare. Today almost all European countries allow abortion on request or on broad social grounds and only a very small minority maintain highly restrictive laws prohibiting abortion in almost all circumstances. The standard practice is to legalize abortion on request or broad social grounds, at least in the first trimester of pregnancy. Almost all countries also ensure that abortion is legal throughout pregnancy when necessary to protect a pregnant woman’s health or life. At the same time, almost all European countries guarantee their citizens paid maternity leave, free healthcare, and other types of aid for pregnant mothers and families expecting babies. They want to ensure the mother and the child have a safe and healthy pregnancy and birth.

Roe v Wade and the Weight of a Pregnancy/Abortion

Pregnancy should not be a punishment. Pregnancy is supposed to be a beautiful experience that creates a very special bond. As sacred as it is, pregnancy also has immense struggles that make it so much harder to deal with if you’re not going through the pregnancy willingly. In addition, an abortion also is extremely difficult to go through. From the moment the decision of abortion is made, to undergoing the procedure and dealing with the physical, emotional, and mental injuries that come with it, the choice to get an abortion cannot be an easy one. You don’t have to have been pregnant or gotten an abortion to understand that – it’s common sense and testimonies of people who have undergone abortions prove that this is by no means a decision thought lightly of. 

Roe v Wade and Religion

Roe v Wade, and no other case, should be judged based on any religious book. Even if you think America was founded on the Bible, the very dear Founding Fathers who wrote the Constitution specified that there should be a separation of Church and State. No matter if they themselves did it or not, it is part of our Constitution and since the Supreme Court is a huge fan of following all 200+year-old laws, they should take a closer look at this one. Separation of Church and State is a phrase that refers to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which tells us that the Church (or any other religious congregation for that matter) cannot have a say in the way all Americans live their lives. In addition to that, Freedom of Religion means Americans being able to practice their religion, and some religions allow abortions under certain strict circumstances, so all that combined, the overturning of Roe v Wade is unlawful when it comes to religious freedom granted by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. 

Roe v Wade and Privacy

The overturning of Roe v Wade doesn’t just mean abortions are illegal, but it puts all Americans’ privacy at risk, especially when it comes to healthcare. In 1973 when the decision in Roe v. Wade occurred, the United States Supreme Court recognized that a woman’s right to decide whether to continue her pregnancy was protected under the constitutional provisions of individual autonomy and privacy. Individual autonomy and privacy does not only impact abortions, but also other forms of healthcare that a person may need to access. The overturning of Roe v Wade is a direct hit at our right to privacy as Americans, not just in healthcare privacy, but also when it comes to our data privacy and what parts of our data are being sold to sometimes criminalize people.

Roe v Wade and Other Supreme Court Cases

Roe v Wade being overturned means that other Supreme Court rulings that ensure a “safe and equal” America may be overturned, and therefore those rights disappear. While people might bring up controversies around some of these rulings, I would like to remind you again that America is supposed to be a land where our freedoms are protected as long as they don’t overstep others’ freedoms, which is why these decisions are at risk with the overturning of Roe v Wade and important for American Civil Rights.

• Planned Parenthood v. Danforth: The Court invalidated a requirement that a married woman obtain her husband’s consent for an abortion, reasoning that such a requirement granted unconstitutional veto power to a third party.
• Griswold v. Connecticut: The Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects the liberty of married couples to buy and use contraceptives without government restriction.
• Obergefell v. Hodges: The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
• Loving v. Virginia: The Court ruled that laws banning interracial marriage violate the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Not all of these cases are highly at risk, some are more at risk than others, but they are still cases to watch out for and be aware of.

Politicians in power sending us condolences and publishing statements saying they are heartbroken are as disgusting as it gets. Thoughts, prayers, sadness, and heartwarming words do nothing for people directly impacted by these decisions. People in power have the ability to make abortions safe and legal in America if they actually cared about all Americans. We need to urge politicians to advocate for the right to abortion and healthcare privacy to be protected. Roe v Wade being overturned is just the beginning of disasters that attack human rights in America.

There’s so much more to touch on, such as the irony of two accused harassers voting for Roe v Wade to be overturned, or how this impacts victims of abuse, or how the foster care system, gun laws, etc. Obviously, there is so much more to be said even on the topics I brought up on this post, but bringing awareness as much as possible, and constantly educating ourselves can help ensure our rights, or at least help us fight for them correctly and consistently. Although at the end of the day, this is not something we should have to fight for. We the people demand change. 

This decision feels like a step backwards. While my personal/religious beliefs somewhat align with anti-abortion, each girl/woman has a very different story and it’s their choice whether or not they get one. A woman’s reproductive health should not be left up to the state to vote on. Reproductive health and bodily autonomy is a right.

Ensara Sejko

Sources:

• Willard Cates, Jr., and Robert W. Rochat, Illegal Abortions in the United States: 1972-74, 8 Fam. Plan. Persp. 86, 92 (1976).
• Lawrence Lader, Abortion 3 (1966); Cates & Rochat, supra, at 86-92; see also Nancy Binkin, Julian Gold and Willard Cates, Jr., Illegal Abortion Deaths in the United States: Why Are They Still Occurring?, 14 Fam. Plan. Persp. 163, 166 (1982) (Roe resulted in a dramatic decline in deaths due to illegal abortion).
• Messerly, M. (2022, June 24). Abortion laws by state: Where abortions are illegal after Roe v. Wade overturned. POLITICO. Retrieved June 24, 2022, from https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/24/abortion-laws-by-state-roe-v-wade-00037695 
• Center for Reproductive Rights – https://reproductiverights.org/