Introduction
The United States Supreme Court is the most powerful institution and plays a crucial role in interpreting the Constitution and individual rights. However, the debate has risen on whether Supreme Court decisions have influenced social justice. This study aims to understand abortion rights and how they were significant in women’s equality. Roe v. Rode was a case that challenged the rule about abortion, where it was allowed to save a mother’s life. The court ruled in favor of Roe, stating that a patient was free without state regulation to terminate a pregnancy in case their life was in danger. Therefore, a woman was protected in her choice of abortion and reproduction. However, protests have been witnessed across cities after a decision made on Roe v. Wade was overturned. Protestants against this ruling argue that women’s constitutional rights have been stripped away. The right to abortion should be upheld to demonstrate support for women and their culture and promote social justice.
Claim
A social justice protest is a declaration of objection against a rule that poses an outrageous injustice. Women feel that their rights are not protected concerning abortion. Protesting without forming an institution is ineffective and cannot raise solutions. Further, women’s protests are successful when they engage in non-violent resistance. Roe v. Wade left women in agony for their rights, leading to various consequences. Overturning Roe v. Wade allowed states in the U.S. to choose the legal restrictions on abortion. This depicts that a woman’s reproductive choice depends on a state’s laws and regulations. Thus, a particular group of people is at risk of suffering from pregnancy-related issues. Research depicts that people of color and low-income earners are likely to suffer death since they have less or low access to care (Price and Kimala 35o). Additionally, women of color are among people who receive late or no prenatal care and, hence, are more likely to experience birth risks. Research finds that high rates of adverse birth outcomes occurred in black individuals as these restrictions became more effective.
Reason
Numerous women unable to obtain an abortion will have unplanned children, hence suffering from economic hardship. Overturning Roe v. Wade hurts women, affecting their long-term educational and career opportunities. A group of women who experience unwanted pregnancies and denial of the right to abort depicts that they cannot change their status. Virtues of self-respect and self-esteem are lower since they will feel the guilt of an act they can avoid. History of racism may rise since different communities may despise such acts. More so, overturning the Roe v. Wade case impacts the relationship between politics and health policy. This raises concerns over when life begins and the self-control a person has in their own lives. Therefore, overturning this case demonstrates unfavorable opinions in defining abortion. For instance, in the case of rape, there tend to be disparities in whether abortion is considered legal or illegal. Women are entitled to enforce their rights and express their freedom without interruption from the church.
The separation of church and state is a concept that creates independence for each group. Thus, the relationship between these groups is entirely different and does not depend on one another. The separation demonstrates a relationship where both entities interact as an organization while they have separate authority. However, the slow dissolution of the separation of the church and the state has resulted in various concepts. Religion has provided its position in the state and how they should work together. The state is obliged to protect and promote religion by safeguarding human welfare. During the years of separation, the state did not have the authority to act in favor of a specific religion. However, the recent events of overturning Roe v. Wade demonstrates favor over a group of people. Various individuals have expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling, whereby they depict it as influenced by the religious movement. Therefore, in the past, religion has had a crucial role in the political state. It has provided positive and negative impacts throughout time. The dissolution of church and state separation raises concern about how the two institutions will balance their power.
Evidence
The Roe v. Wade case provides support for abortion in women. Various individuals have expressed full support for this case, whereas others have argued against abortion. The abortion ban has been a result of religious motives. The religious community has firmly demonstrated its opinion not to support abortion. They argue that life is God-given and can only be taken by God. Therefore, religion pinpoints abortion as a form of death punishable by God. As a result of Roe v. Wade, the Catholic Church incorporated the National Right to Life Committee to advocate the need to ban abortion (Bentele et al. 500). An individual may be willing to abort; however, their religious position may be against the act. Religion poses a strong motive for abortion, highlighting the consequences if a person is caught. However, the Jewish religion supports abortion by stating its necessity in protecting a woman’s health and mental and physical well-being. Therefore, there exists a difference in various religious groups despite numerous acts against abortion.
Counterclaim for Abortion
Despite a category of people supporting abortion, others have opposed this right, citing its impacts on a woman. Their arguments try to promote solutions that could drive women away from abortion. Individuals against abortion argue that the act does not liberate women but only drives them away from society. Women engaging in abortion lack a chance to associate with others who categorize themselves as a mother since society cannot cater to them. Attaining equality among women should not be based on free access to abortion services, but they should be supported socially and financially, raising their social status. Recognizing mothers by integrating them into the workforce acknowledges the support, and providing maternity leaves demonstrates an appreciation of their pregnancy stage. The argument against the right to abort pinpoints that the government would be investing money to support mothers if they did not seek this service. More so, supporting abortion tends to provide a way of side-stepping to other fundamental issues that should be addressed. In this situation, different women may be experiencing various issues that need concern in distinct ways.
A woman may be raped and get a problem, but their pressing issue is not pregnancy but rape cases. Further, a woman might be pregnant while they are in an irritating relationship. Therefore, advocating for abortion in these situations will focus on pregnancy rather than addressing the pressing issues. Abortion may result in long-term emotional and physical suffering in a woman. A group of people depicts that drugs used to abort may lead to cancer. However, clinicians have been unable to demonstrate such cases hence critiques against the assumptions. More so, abortion infringes the activist principle of opposing all forms of violence against a woman. Activists argue that a woman deserves control over their body no matter where they exist, even if it is inside their mother’s body. This principle calls for a ban on the right to support abortion since it is inconsistent with non-violence and just acts. Additionally, individuals against abortion define the attempt as a male conspiracy. They argue that most men support abortion to hide their actions.
Pregnancy stops men from having sex since most are not ready to engage in parenthood. Therefore, supporting abortion enables women to exploit women since they will not be responsible for the pregnancy. Therefore, a woman is left in a dangerous situation to abort, whereas men walk away freely. Anti-abortion campaigners argue that a decrease in access to abortion facilities may lead to a decrease in this case. In this case, once a woman lacks abortion services, they will be obliged to carry the pregnancy. However, research illustrates that countries supporting and against abortion have roughly similar rates.
Rebuttal for Abortion
A woman should have the right to safe and legal abortion. The government must respect a woman’s decision regarding her reproductive life and facilitate facilities that will enable them to terminate their pregnancy safely. Failing to facilitate safe abortion is considered a threat to a woman’s life. Unsafe abortion can lead to mortality and a complex, life-threatening situation. The right to abort aligns with women’s right to health (Moseson et al. 100). The right to health does not guarantee wellness to all women; thus, the government must create a conducive environment where quality health is accessible. Additionally, the right to abort demonstrates a non-discrimination act towards women. Everyone is attributable to gender equality, and denying women access to abortion is a form of discrimination. Discrimination against women includes an attempt to prevent women from exercising rights based on equality with men. Therefore, denying women access to abortion could limit the enjoyment of life. Laws that prevent abortion are considered discriminatory and undermine women.
Advocating the right to abort allows a woman to determine the self-reproduction process. A woman has the right to decide concerning her body and privatize her concepts. This depicts that women have the right to plan for their families, such as deciding the number of children and spacing between them. More so, they have the right to decide when to acquire pregnancy willingly, and any act of nonconsensual sex can be aborted. Women should have the right to abort to protect them from engaging in illegal forms. According to research, despite numerous countries banning abortion, millions of people still engage in the act (Moseson et al. 100). Thus, it is safer to safeguard a woman by facilitating abortion and avoiding risky and harmful procedures. Most women argue that a fetus exists inside their body, and they can choose whether it will exist or not. Further, they believe that abortion should not be banned since a unanimous decision has not been concluded to define abortion as morally unacceptable.
Delivering a baby may be associated with complications in a woman’s body. Therefore, agreeing to deliver demonstrates a woman putting her life and health at risk. Therefore, it is clear that death and injuries resulting from unsafe abortion are preventable. This death mainly occurs in states that prohibit abortion since women are denied these services when they most need them. The right to abort seeks to protect women in marginalized areas who cannot access quality maternity and hence consider abortion the easiest option. Further, abortion protects women on a low income, migrants, and refugees for whom it may be challenging to raise a child. Therefore, women’s health should be protected first by ensuring total freedom. Religion against abortion should review their law on representation of women towards raising their voices. Sexual and reproductive rights advocates continue to raise awareness on the need to avail abortion services to all women without any grounds for discrimination. Additionally, women have the right to report health clinicians who harass and condemn them when seeking abortion services. Cases of stigmatization should not be experienced since a woman should benefit from the human right law of autonomy.
Conclusion
Therefore, Roe v. Wade supports the need to support abortion. It demonstrates that abortion is a woman’s right that should be accessible. The case for supporting the right to abort illustrates the pros that enable women to raise their voices and receive equal treatment as men. Religion should consider the need to promote a just society that supports feminism rather than despising it on the occasion of abortion. Religion should not determine abortion laws since a woman is free to change their belief to those in support of Roe v. Wade. Protests against it do not demonstrate powerful arguments that could lead to a ban on abortion. Thus, women have the right to determine their status as opposed to when they follow men on sexual decisions. Therefore, we live in a generation where every person has the freedom to choose what they should do with their bodies, which applies to the right to abort.
Works Cited
Bentele, Keith Gunnar, Rebecca Sager, and Amanda Aykanian. “Rewinding Roe v. Wade: understanding the accelerated adoption of state-level restrictive abortion legislation, 2008–2014.” Journal of Women, Politics & Policy, vol. 39 no. 4, 2018 pp. 490-517. Web.
Moseson, Heidi, et al. “Self-managed abortion: a systematic scoping review.” Best practice & research Clinical obstetrics & gynecology, vol. 63, 2020 pp. 87-110. Web.
Price, Kimala. “What is reproductive justice? How women of color activists are redefining the pro-choice paradigm.” Meridians, vol. 19 no.1, 2020 pp.340-362. Web.