By Navpreet Singh
Much of the world is split between the access to abortion in the United States. As such, the revisiting of the Roe v. Wade case has America on its toes waiting for a decision.
A Supreme Court case that was passed in 1973, Roe v. Wade was brought into effect when Texas resident Norma McCorvey, under the alias of Jane Roe, was an unmarried pregnant woman that had not been granted the right to have an abortion. In many states, Texas included, women did not have the right to have an abortion unless it was to save the mother's life. The case was brought from Texan courts up to the Supreme Court which resulted in a ruling that permitted women to have an abortion at any time during the first trimester, and allowed abortions in the second and third trimesters only if it was related to the health of the mother.
“There are very few situations in which it is okay to have an abortion because you are able to control whether or not the fetus is conceived in the first place,” senior Rama Surya said. “Unless in cases of rape and incest I presume. If you willingly engage in an act that can lead to procreation, and you get pregnant, you should procreate.”
It was a general consensus that since the ruling of Roe v. Wade, abortion was legal. However, Roe v. Wade has been brought back up with the challenge of Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act that banned abortions in Mississippi after 15 weeks, or the second week of the second trimester. Roe v. Wade was considered constitutional per the Due Process clause in the 14th Amendment that protects a citizen’s “right to privacy.” Yet, Mississippi has challenged the ruling’s constitutionality because the state believes a fetus is considered viable at 15 weeks and that abortions are riskier to the mother at this stage. On May 2, 2022, a draft was unexpectedly leaked from the offices of the Supreme Court stating Roe v. Wade had a very high chance of being overturned.
Artwork by Guneet Hanjra
The recent Supreme Court leak has brought renewed attention to the decades-old court case of Roe v. Wade.
Many states have pending bills that are only enactable once Roe v. Wade is overturned, challenging the legality of abortion. For the state of New York, abortion will stay legal before the stage of viability or before the fetus is considered mature.
“I think they [Supreme Court] are prudent people and really intelligent people. Not only are they staying with the Constitution of the United States, they are obviously also listening to the moral compass they have inside themselves, and so I respect their decision. I respect that each state will make adjustments in order to address the abortion issue as the people of their state see fit,” Coach Dolan said.
“The overruling of Roe v. Wade is a big step backwards after all the changes women have fought long and hard for...”
Many people fear Roe v. Wade could impact other laws regarding medical and reproductive health, such as restrictions on birth control. Preventative birth measures including Plan B and fertility treatments could become restricted or illegal.
Some believe that this an infringement on a woman’s reproductive right, allowing external influences the power to make decisions on their behalf.
“It’s really unbelievable how you see all these people who you think should have no influence over your body, especially older white men, who are predominantly on the supreme court who wish to overturn the decision," senior Sydra Daniyal said. "They will never have any idea what it's like, what the true impact of overturning the court case will do to hundreds of thousands in the United States. It does not matter if you're pro-life or pro-choice, it should be your decision, in your own body.”
Overall, much of the world is anxious for the decision that could change the United States of America forever.
“The overruling of Roe v. Wade is a big step backwards after all the changes women have fought long and hard for,” junior Birrkaren Singh said.
“I guess I would say that it is surprising that people are trying to overturn such an important and impactful decision,” junior Max Zembera said.
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