Introduction: What are Pro-life and Pro-Choice?

People who oppose the idea of abortion call themselves pro-life; however, the only life they or many of them are considered with is the life of the fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus.

Pro-choice thinkers believe that a pregnant woman should have the freedom to choose an abortion; deliberate termination of human pregnancy, if she does not want to have a baby.

Recent discussion about the Roe V Wade case:

Allowing the government to strip away liberty based on pregnancy status opens the door to expansive public intrusions in personal decisions throughout pregnancy and childbirth. On Friday, June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, the landmark piece of legislation that made access to abortion a federal right in the United States. The decision dismantled 50 years of legal protection and paved the way for individual states to curtail or outright ban abortion rights.

Writing for the court majority, Justice Samuel Alito said that the 1973 Roe ruling and repeated subsequent high court decisions reaffirming Roe “must be overruled” because they were “egregiously wrong”, the arguments “exceptionally weak” and so “damaging” that they amounted to “an abuse of judicial authority”.

Because of trigger laws put in place before the ruling, abortion is now outlawed in many states automatically or through state action following the decision. In addition, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that certain other landmark rulings should be reconsidered, including established rights to contraception access, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriages.

The new situation across the country

Millions of lives will be immeasurably changed as states now can make abortion illegal. Nine states have already implemented it, and another dozen are in the process of implementing their abortion laws. Citizens angry about the situation held many protests around the nation, with banners and slogans hoping for their right to privacy and health to revive. The only alternative to abortion is childbirth, which has a 14 times higher risk of death than abortion, according to studies. So in denying a person access to a wanted abortion, states are forcing people to assume significant medical risk against their will.

This kind of situation has led to illegal and unsafe abortion planning, which is leading to a lot of harm to both the mother's and the child’s health. People are traveling to faraway places to get their procedures done, which becomes possible only for financially stronger families, and leaving others to illegal clinics which might not have the proper medical facility available.

Victims of rape or incest are now deprived of their right to abort. Among them are minors and young adults who are not physically, financially, or mentally capable enough to handle a newborn.

The news was met with horror and anger by the politicians and many leaders who serve as international allies of the country.

Among them was US president, Joe Biden who tweeted "It's a sad day for the country. Nearly 50 years ago, Roe vs. Wade was decided. Today, the supreme court of the United States expressly took away a constitutional right from the American people. Personal freedoms are on the ballot this fall."

Former president Barack Obama shared his feelings with a heavy heart "Today, the supreme court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, but it also relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues- attacking the essential freedom of millions of Americans.

Michelle Obama shared a heart-wrenching message - "I am heartbroken today... I am heartbroken for the people around this country who just lost the fundamental right to make informed decisions about their bodies..."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was one of the first to condemn the ruling. “The news coming out of the United States is horrific,” he said in a statement. “My heart goes out to the millions of American women who are now set to lose their legal right to an abortion. I can’t imagine your fear and anger right now.”

Elsewhere, France’s Emmanuel Macron and leaders from countries including Spain, Belgium, and Sweden all spoke out against the decision, making the U.S. one of only four countries to remove protections for legal abortion in the past 25 years.

Even with Roe V Wade, Racism and Discrimination prevailed

Having the constitutional right to abortion didn't stop systemic racism, ongoing white supremacy, and coercive reproductive policies and pushed access to abortion out of reach for many people. For communities that deal with centuries-old systemic barriers to health care- Black, Latino and Indigenous communities, immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQ, young people, and people dealing with a financial crisis - there have been greater barriers to abortion access.

Whether you could get an abortion done depends on your race, the money you had, your nationality, and your physique.

Is banning abortion the solution?

Banning abortions isn't particularly effective. When governments restrict access to abortion, abortions continue to take place at roughly the same rate, according to the World Health Organization. But they get less safe. When abortion services are denied or limited, coat hangers, toxic herbal medicines, unqualified practitioners step into the breach, and other illegal and unsafe ways are approached while medical professionals who provide proper care are criminalized.

Total bans or restrictive abortion laws in countries like El Salvador, Poland, and more recently several U.S. states including Louisiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri are designed to control and confine women and girls to stereotypical gender roles. They are an affront to their human rights and dignity and constitute gender discrimination. For transgender and queer people who need abortions, such restrictive laws are the latest in a long line of attacks on their rights and freedoms.

So rather than banning abortion, contraceptive methods like condoms and birth control pills should be promoted more and awareness should be there so that the need for an abortion can be reduced. Safe and legal abortion is a basic fundamental right to make informed decisions about their bodies.

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