Any news story can have an impact on us. The news can be “small” stories like Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift dating or “big” stories like political or global issues like the Israel-Gaza war. Any story that impacts people is considered “newsworthy,” and one major event that happened recently was the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
On January 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court. This decision decided that the U.S. Constitution protected an individual’s right to an abortion. Sadly, almost 50 years later, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, and a woman’s right to an abortion was taken away. On June 24, 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not protect the right of women to obtain an abortion, and this decision paved the way for states to ban abortion.
This landmark news story has an immense impact on every woman in the United States in one way or another. This ruling impacts me because, as a woman, I cannot fully decide my future. After all, I no longer have full body autonomy. I am no longer able to choose what to do with my own body and with my own life. If I were to get pregnant, since I live in Oklahoma and Texas, I would not be able to get a safe and legal abortion.
In Oklahoma, abortions are completely banned in all cases except if it is life-threatening or a result of rape. The law states that an individual can travel outside the state to get one. Still, for someone unable to pay for a trip like that, unfortunately, there is nothing to do except keep the child unless she was to get an unsafe and illegal abortion. The story’s moral is that in Oklahoma, performing an abortion is a crime and will result in criminal offenses and effects. According to NBC News, the Governor of Oklahoma signed a bill in April of 2022 that would make performing abortion a felony. The bill says, “Anyone convicted of performing an abortion would face up to 10 years prison and a $100,000 fine.” This went into effect 90 days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. v. Wade, back in June of 2022.
In Texas, the result of obtaining and performing an abortion is not too different. As of July 1, 2022, only 23 short days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. v. Wade, abortion was entirely banned. This decision was not a complete shock to Texas residents because of the Heartbeat Act passed in May of 2021. This act, signed by Governor Greg Abbott, prohibits abortions once a ‘fetal heartbeat’ is detected, except in emergencies. According to the National Library of Medicine, this bill does not only ban abortion after a certain point, but it also is dangerously broad. It can impact a vast amount of people involved in the process of abortion besides women. The list includes health professionals, reception staff at healthcare clinics, family and friends who counsel the woman, and even Uber drivers who take the woman to the abortion clinics. Currently, in Texas, abortion is a criminalizing act, and the only exception is if the woman faces a life-threatening condition directly caused by the pregnancy. The scariest part about being a woman in Texas is that these abortion laws hold no exceptions for rape or incest.
As a person living in this country, I respect and appreciate all the rights and freedoms we have been given. Still, after June 24, 2022, It was obvious that my country does not return that respect women previously had because now we are at the mercy of hoping we don’t get raped, hoping we don’t accidentally get pregnant, and hoping we aren’t going to require an abortion. After all, if we do, we need to be ready to face criminal charges or pray that we survive a back alley abortion. The overturn of Roe v. Wade pushed back the women’s rights movement for about 50 years and will have a lasting effect. This decision Is not isolated to one group of people and isn’t targeting only pro-choice individuals. The overturning of Roe v. Wade affects every woman in the United States. Whether it is you, your friends, or your family, this ruling will affect your life somehow.