Roe V. Wade Remains Under Attack

Gabriela Enamorado/Staff Writer

Reproductive rights have never been more in danger than now. After Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away in September, many were afraid of an ultra-conservative taking her place. Our fear came true when Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative jurist and lawyer, was appointed to the Supreme Court in October. If you care about reproductive rights, you should be paying attention to how this can affect Roe v Wade. 

Roe V. Wade was a landmark decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 which protected women’s rights to terminate a pregnancy without government interference. It came about after “Jane Roe”, the name used to protect the identity of plaintiff Norma McCorvey, filed a lawsuit against Henry Wade which was her local district attorney. McCorvey had become pregnant with her third child and wanted an abortion but she lived in Texas where it was illegal. 

Amy Coney Barrett could be a threat to this landmark case and we need to be wary of her. The New York Times said that Barrett is considered “ a home run by conservative Christians and anti-abortion activists.” Barrett is a Roman Catholic who is pro-life and has said in the past that she wouldn’t let her Catholicism get in the way of her work as a judge. 

However, she clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia who was known for his anti-abortion views and also has support from anti-abortion groups such as the Susan B. Anthony List, Americans United for Life, and the Judicial Crisis center. She also signed an anti-abortion advertisement when she was a law professor. 

Barrett’s appointment to the Supreme Court seems to be a decision made by President Trump to fulfill his promise of appointing judges that would overrule Roe V. Wade. 

Making abortions inaccessible will not stop abortions from happening. It will only make it more dangerous to come by. As always, rich women will be able to get abortions with no problem but women in poverty will either be forced to give birth or perform illegal abortions, which usually has a much higher risk factor. 

Reproductive rights should be secured. Women’s bodies are not a playground and the right to have an abortion is a women’s health choice.  Abortions are often done for concerns about the mother’s safety, in many instances abortions are done because carrying the baby full term may put the mother’s life at risk. In addition, women who are forced to carry on with an unwanted pregnancy often delay prenatal care which then leads to a number of medical complications.  Moreover, a woman’s physical and mental health could be affected if she is forced to give birth unwillingly. We should have the right to a legal, safe and voluntary abortion. Not having that as a medical option will endanger thousands of lives. 

While we can’t change who gets appointed to the Supreme Court, we can make changes and resist in our own ways.  The best thing to do to help is to donate to abortion funds. Funds like that help arrange and pay for abortions for those who need it. A great abortion fund to donate to for South Florida is the Women’s Emergency Network. They help cover abortion in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe county. Of course, donating to Planned Parenthood is a great idea as well, especially since their funding is constantly under attack.  

Do not let your guard down. Our reproductive rights are constantly under attack and we should remain vigilant. Nearly 50 years after Roe V. Wade and the battle is far from over.

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

Photo by Maria Oswalt on Unsplash

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