by Hollis Lewis
Recently the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the long-standing case Roe v. Wade, which made abortion legal throughout the United States. This ruling will allow states to enact rigid regulations or make abortion illegal. This decision has caused great riffs across sociopolitical lines. While I don’t support abortion, the Supreme Court ruling sets a dangerous precedent that may be even more far-reaching than a woman’s right to choose.
I am pro-life; however, a woman should not be forced to have a child at the risk of her health or if the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. I believe that as much as we are physical beings, we are equally spiritual beings. A fetus’ consciousness and development begins early in gestation. In addition, I am deeply troubled by the racist origins of individuals such as Margaret Sanger, who helped usher in organizations like Planned Parenthood. Also, “Jane Roe,” aka Norma McCorvey, recanted her original testimony that she was raped, which was used in part to justify her seeking an abortion.
Many politicians and pro-life pundits say their primary reason for being against abortion is their personal belief that life starts at conception. While I agree with this sentiment, I would note this is a personal belief. Although our convictions may be strong, our personal beliefs should not necessarily shape public policy. As much as we may want others to adhere to our religious or moral standards, these standards may not fit into others’ belief systems and, even more importantly, may not serve the public interest.
According to a Pew Research study, nearly 60% of Americans favor abortion being legal in most instances. Our leaders must consider policies that will serve the greatest good for the most people and not be limited to only serving their base of supporters. Also, making abortion illegal could spark more criminality in an already overstrained system.
In addition to inflation, homelessness and a never-ending drug crisis, making abortion illegal could create another underground market. Our jails, prisons and courts are overburdened because of crimes related to the current drug crisis. Even medical professionals who have a high fiduciary standard have succumbed to the temptation of participating in the drug trade.
We do not want to create an unnecessary crisis in which unscrupulous doctors perform abortions for the highest bidder. Or worse, untrained individuals conduct unsafe and potentially hazardous procedures, threatening the lives of vulnerable women. Overturning Roe has the potential to expand the gap of protection between wealth, class and race. In addition to the potential for criminality, overturning Roe could infringe upon our most overlooked right.
While the right to privacy isn’t explicitly stated within the Bill of Rights or the Constitution, it is implied. This implication can be found in many amendments, particularly the Fourteenth. In the court’s original opinion in Roe, the court did not necessarily decide the case on the morality or legal grounds of abortions, but on whether a woman (along with doctors) had the right to privacy in making such a decision.
With social media and an increasingly digital world, many Americans voluntarily disclose personal information. However, the concept of maintaining privacy is still an essential aspect of our daily lives.
If the courts can dictate what a woman can do with her body, how far will federal, state and local governments go? Will the already fractured Fourteenth Amendment be overturned entirely? Will courts limit or restrict specific medical procedures? Will significant cases such as Brown v. Board of Education be overturned next?
While I am troubled by the court’s recent decision to overturn Roe, I’m still pro-life as a personal matter. If an unexpected issue arose within my family, we would deal with it as a family. Others may handle a similar situation differently. We must be free to agree, disagree or even arrive at the same conclusion but for different reasons. Most importantly, it is the right of the people to make decisions about the most intimate aspects of our personal lives.
