Why Abortion Should Not Be Banned
Abortion remains a constant debatable topic in America and around world. From the decision of Roe V. Wade back in the 70’s, part of our country has shifted its thinking to a more conservative view. Many people have reverted on this decision causing a major movement to limit a women’s right to choose. Furthermore, some even want to criminalize abortion through loopholes without overturning the actual decision. In order to keep a steady path in securing rights for all people, it essential to acknowledge the variables that are hindering women’s rights. In why abortion should not be banned essay positive and negative consequences of abortion ban are considered.
Many policies that have been passed in the last four decades are attempts to limit opportunities for a woman to choose the outcome of her future. When discussing abortion, it’s imperative to know where a person’s morals stands. Some believe that the government should not only intervene but also shouldn’t provide resources to obtain one. This is where economic come into play. Our country should take a more progressive approach when dealing with women’s health. This would make passing legislation that benefits women more acceptable for everyone.
As our constitution provides liberty for all individuals, our country would be doing a disservice by banning abortion since it takes away a women’s right to choose. Narrowing choices for a specific gender isn’t giving them the equal plain field they deserve. “The decision to have an abortion is personal and complicated, and any legislation that seeks to control such decisions is based on an anti-choice ideology that thinks very little of women. It assumes that women, if not kept in check by the government, are not to be trusted to make good decisions about their bodies and families.” This would essentially be chipping away at the liberties for all women. Various people in our government who are behind legislation blocking the equal rights of women hold a view that isn’t transparent with the agenda that most people feel. Majority of Americans don’t favor the anti-choice ideology. This stance has always been a blockade is moving in the right direction when It comes to granting equal plain field for everyone.
It seems that every four year in the United States we tend to discuss weather abortion should be legal. There are lots of evidence that demonstrate a movement to limit a women’s right to choose. In order to move our country in the right direction we should acknowledge efforts taken that would slowly repeal women’s rights which is known as the Hyde amendment. What is the Hyde amendment? “The broad answer is that it’s a measure banning federal funding for abortion. More precisely, it states that Medicaid will not pay for an abortion unless the woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.” This bill would tackle the economic aspect of abortion. People living in poverty would only be negatively affected by this law. Since most people living in low income areas rely on the government already for essential needs like food stamps and housing, they would in turn reply on the government for funds in such crucial time like a termination. Now this may be easier for citizen with great wealth since finances aren’t much of a worry. This would have zero impact on them considering they don’t rely on the government for anything but lower taxes. With large income disparities already, this only makes it harder for low- and middle-income communities to take care of their health.
Making abortions illegal creates a black market with many health risks involve. When women are limited in resources it forces them to explore other opportunities that might not be healthy for them. South Korea abortion laws have set an example of growing health issues that might arise. “When abortion is illegal, the risks increase for women. South Korea’s punitive laws on abortion mean that many abortions performed in the country take place illegally. This forces women and girls who seek abortions into a legal no man’s land where abortion care is unregulated, clandestine, and riskier than if it were legal.” Evidence shown highlights that restricting access to abortion does not improve the health of and safety of women at risk. Restricting this from women creates a significant amount of stress making unfortunate decisions that lead to more health issues. When something is illegal people find ways to get around it to complete what has to get done. Forcing women to step into the black market for a termination is an unregulated and unhealthy environment for many women who seek to do the same. Members of society naturally want to do things the legal way however certain restriction might stair them in a direction which might not benefit them in the long run.
With abortions being banned it is common for women to seek it elsewhere. This can cause problem with our HIPPA laws that protect patient’s privacy. “If women are self-inducing abortions with pills, then doctors aren’t the criminals, as most abortion bans are designed to make them. The criminals are the women. Moreover, the police need help from doctors to catch them. This puts doctors in a compromising position, with doctor-patient confidentiality on one side and the law on the other.” Current abortion laws make way for new criminals who are trying to make the best decision they could make in unexcepted circumstances. Not only are they worried about their health and the child they are carrying but now they would have the worry about incarceration. HIPPA laws wouldn’t protect women who seek to have a termination in a state where in would be illegal.
There are many more loopholes that republicans specifically are using in order to bring this issue to a higher court. States like Alabama are banning abortion in hopes that it would challenge Roe V. Wade in a conservative leaning supreme court. In efforts made to dismantle current abortion laws, “most Republicans oppose legal abortion, though the majority support limitations on abortion that would still permit the procedure in the case of rape or incest. So those expressing alarm about the Alabama bill are doing so because they think the legislation might ultimately prove counterproductive to their cause. Counterproductive because there’s a good chance the law won’t get before the Supreme Court, and because the unpopularity of the law nationally could put anti-abortion advocates on the defensive after, in their view, a decade of wins.” Even though the case hasn’t made it to the supreme court this still counts as a minor win for republican who wanted to overturn Roe V. wade for over four decades. Since the majority in the nation agrees on Roe V. Wade states are trying to make new strides on a national level by changing state laws. Therefore, our current president wants to stack the courts with conservative views that would lean in his ideology. Making decision like a banning abortion much easier to enact.
Instead of trying to reverse rules already set by the supreme court that favors women's right, we need to think of ways to provide resources to planned parenthood. The thinking of human rights has gone far too right. We need to reexamine the way we view women and the way we envision a society we want to live in that would benefit both sex and race.
Many agree that conception is a form is life. The truth about women's rights should be highlights to the public in order to shift the view that the government or religious authorities should not have a say in this since it is a women’s body and not an institution. These institutions should not have jurisdiction over a women’s body. No human body should be warranted by any establishment to do as they please based on what they deem to be accurate.
According to The National abortion federation “One of the greatest public health achievements of modern medicine was the legalization of abortion, which resulted in at least a 90% reduction in abortion-related deaths. Today women can be assured that abortion is one of safest and most commonly provided medical procedure in the united states.” Most women would interpret this as a safe procedure moving forward and the best way to go about a termination that would limit health risk.
One scenario that people fail to mention, since is proves why abortion should be legal, is the instance in which someone is raped. Most people going through that traumatic experience don’t want to carry the burden in a 9-month period that highlights a horrific experience for them. This involves putting ourselves in a women's shoes to understand the appalling struggle they face. Being part of the opposite sex, we can’t even begin to fathom the emotional impact brought upon a women after a series of wrongful events have occurred.
On the other hand, there are members of our society that would like to see abortion banned for religious reasons. Many hold on to the religious ideology that abortion is a sin from god which makes society frown upon this act. This shouldn’t be a viable defense since not everyone is religious to begin with and not everyone has the same religious beliefs. As a democratic country we shouldn’t subject our citizens to religious belief since our government is a church state. The constitution not only explains how everyone has the right to be free of religion but specifically (The establishment clause) prohibits government from encouraging or promoting religion. The constitution itself makes this argument redundant.
It is great to advocate for public policy debate in order to shift the public opinion in throughout the media. With all the research and experts that have spent years in the health sector dealing with abortion, the public would have a better understanding about this situation and how it effects their peers. They would also be informed about the risk and medical concerns that are being dealt with. “These items are supposed to be bold, even provocative, attracting stares and prompting questions. This is the whole point: to interrupt the silence around abortion, to get people to talk about it more frankly. They’re supposed to make viewers a tad uncomfortable, taken aback—and are also supposed to make them wonder why they feel that way.”
Many philosophers have taken into consideration the lack of women represented in the laws being passed that affect them. Having men make laws in which they have no personal experience dealing with can create a misunderstanding within congress. These laws wouldn't be reflective of how our society feels since one gender seems to hold the ultimate decision. More female representatives from different backgrounds and ethnic groups provides our lawmakers with common knowledge about an issue that would be transparent with the citizens in our nation.
In conclusion to abortion should not be banned essay, pregnancies are situations in which a woman has total control over there bodies. It is also her decision to continue her pregnancy or follow through with a termination for many difficult reasons. The government should have zero involvement in her decision with her pregnancy. Legislation like the Hyde amendment is a form of stripping a woman rights away by not providing the necessary resources they need. This would in turn make abortions easier for the wealthy. Abortion laws not only take away the rights of women but creates an illegal system for women to turn to which would be harmful to their health. State laws continue to make strides to overturn Roe V. Wade on a national level. It is up to the citizen of this nation to put pressure on our representative to do the right things and protect women’s rights. Expressing our fundamental values and beliefs as a society can help lawmakers pass legislation that reflect how its citizen feel. This would be an enormous help to congress to have law that aren’t going back 50 years but moves our country forward.
References
- Valenti, jessica. (2014). There is absolutely no reason to restrict women's options for abortion access. The Guardian.
- Astor, M. (2019, June 7). What Is the Hyde Amendment? A Look at Its Impact as Biden Reverses His Stance.
- Grant, R. (2017, November 8). Does it Matter if Abortion Is Legal?
- Coaston, J. (2019, May 17). Why some anti-abortion conservatives think Alabama's abortion law goes too far.
- National Abortion Federation (2019)
- Donegan, M. (2019, December 3). The Pro-Choice Movement Has Won the Culture War.
