Abortion was not
always something that was seen as immoral or an action that required a criminal
defense. In the 1700’s and early 1800’s the word “abortion” only meant the
termination of a pregnancy after the fetus began to make movements large enough
to be noticeable and felt. The termination of a pregnancy before this point,
which is called “quickening” did not have a name because women in the 1700’s
tended to lean towards drugs to end their unplanned pregnancies. “Abortion” as
we know it today did not coin its “criminal” stigma until the mid 1800’s when
the American Medical Association decided that abortion physicians were “unwanted
competition” so they went about excluding the practice. The Catholic Church
join alongside the AMA even though they had been accepting of the termination
of a pregnancy before quickening. By the 1900’s almost all states had laws
against abortion, but it was not until the late 1930’s when the laws were
enforced. These enforcements lead to the famous court case, Roe V. Wade which recognized
that women have the right to make their own medical decisions, including her
right to a legal and safe abortion.
The
right to legal and safe abortions has been a constitutional right for the past
40 years. Why is the right to a safe procedure up for grabs now? Pro-choice
challengers continue to make it harder for women to receive the safe health
care that we deserve. There is already an existing Federal Abortion Ban which
was ruled in 2003 and upheld in 2007 which criminalizes certain abortion
procedures that take place in the second trimester. As part of the effort to
eliminate Roe v. Wade pro-life politicians have been writing and pushing bills
through congress to restrict access to an abortion at any point in a pregnancy,
and pro-life members of congress have been trying to pass a “nationwide ban on
all abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy” for years. Donald Trump’s Supreme Court
Justice nominee has a charming history of intrusive behavior when it comes to
reproductive rights and health and this year the Supreme Court will rule challenges
to Roe v. Wade which could get rid of the right to a legal and safe abortion
nationwide.
American’s
do not support this attack on Roe v. Wade. 70% of Americans do not want to see
Roe v. Wade overturned, which is the highest rate since the case was decided. And
as the pro-choice challengers continue to make it more difficult to access safe
health care, the resistance movements gain momentum and grow, flourish, and
make it harder for them to take away our rights. After Trump was elected, on
January 21st, The Women’s March took place, where an estimated total
of 2 million people worldwide came together to peacefully protest the
restriction on human rights that Trump exemplifies. The mission of the Women’s
March was: “We stand together in solidarity with our partners
and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our
families - recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the
strength of our country.” No arrests were made and the march as an organization
continues to provide resistance opportunities and support for the pro-choice
movement.
The bottom line is every person deserves
the access to safe and legal health care weather that be a yearly check-up or
the ability to have an abortion. Without the legal access abortions will still
take place, but will be dangerous and risk the life of the patient. We need
access to safe health care without the interference of any politicians.
Work Cited
Parenthood, Planned. "Roe v. Wade." Planned
Parenthood Action Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
"Roe v. Wade." History.com. A&E Television
Networks, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
"Mission & Vision." Women's March on Washington.
N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Alcindor, Anemona Hartocollis and Yamiche. "Women's March
Highlights as Huge Crowds Protest Trump: 'We're Not Going Away'" The
New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Jan. 2017. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
I like your blog post and I think this topic is really important. During the last election, I know that there was a lot of talk about women's reproductive rights and hence the Women's March. I was wondering if looking toward the rhetoric that Trump supporters were spreading would have been a valuable addition to your blog post. I have family that voted for Trump and on Facebook one of their main reasons was his stance against abortions, as an abortion is "killing babies" and there were all kinds of pictures that were quite graphic. You say in your post that "70% of Americans do not want to see Roe v. Wade overturned" and I would have liked you to discuss how that 30% rationalize their positions.
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