There is No Plan B
Roe v. Wade might not make it to the end of this year
For the past 50 years, American lawmakers have been hell-bent on pursuing a terrifying goal: overturn Roe v. Wade.
The right to choose has been surrounded by controversy and chaos for far too long, despite how clear-cut the issue is. “My body, my choice!” we cry, but it falls upon deaf ears.
Since the Texas six-week ban on abortions that passed last year, states have either followed suit, tried to implement other bans, or did not change their abortion laws, permitting a woman’s right to choose. Now, there are varying abortion laws across the United States.
Yet, a disjointed mix of states with access to abortion and others without is not what we should be striving for. Abortion law is not an issue that should differ from state to state. It must be protected on a national level by the highest court in the United States.
Dobbs v. Jackson is the case challenging Roe v. Wade. It was heard in December 2021 and members of the Supreme Court are still deliberating on its outcome. This case concerns the constitutionality of Mississippi’s ban on all abortions after fifteen weeks of pregnancy, challenging the existing 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that protects the right to abortion up to about 23 weeks of pregnancy.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn said that Roe v. Wade is just an instance of personal opinion in the form of “judicial activism” during Kentaji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings. This is a blatant misrepresentation of judicial activism. Justices must interpret the law in the context of the 21st century–our more progressive society has moved past the minimal rights of over 100 years ago. The ban is an egregious assault on fundamental liberties; upholding Roe v. Wade is anything but the court overstepping its jurisdiction.
It feels surreal that a nation-wide ban on abortions could happen by the end of the year. I grew up being taught that, no matter what, an abortion should always be a choice. In a matter of a few months, this integral pillar of rights and autonomy has unraveled at the hands of lawmakers who are unlikely to ever get pregnant themselves.
We have yet to reach a true state of equality and equity if those seeking abortions cannot even be provided the privilege of choice over their own body. Lawmakers and judges value their political alliances and ideologies over established, basic rights, emphasizing the reversion America continues to experience.
This must not be a situation where we underestimate the power of politics. Trump misguided the masses and nominated ideologically conservative Supreme Court justices that are aiming to overturn Roe v. Wade. A right to an abortion is written in unstable law, so we can’t be oblivious to the political decisions to come.
The United States is on the precipice of a serious shift in ideology. Without Roe v. Wade, abortion seekers will be left with even less protection, rights and hope for equality in the future. Right now, it appears that there is no plan B for a right to abortion–it is time to stock up on it.