Tag: abortion

Opinion

Abortion and the Value of Life

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“I felt her moving and I couldn’t go through with it. I couldn’t take her life.” The old woman’s eyes teared up as she began to tell the story of her daughter’s controversial birth. As enemies of the state in the communist, third world country of Albania, her family could barely afford the two children they already had, let alone a new baby. The emotional and financial burden of having a child seemed to outweigh any benefit. She was strongly encouraged to set up an appointment to terminate the pregnancy. However, a few days before the procedure, she felt her unborn child’s kick inside of her, and conviction overcame her. She kept the child, who would later become my mother. While my grandmother’s story took place almost fifty years ago, the abortion rights argument is highly controversial because of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling. My grandmother’s story brings up some of the biggest points in the debate. Someone who supports abortion might ask, “if the fetus is dependent on the mother, why would it be wrong for a mother to prioritize her life and well-being?” Likewise, abortion is the merciful solution if a child would grow up in an adverse environment. While I agree that there are many good points to be made on the mother’s side, abortion is immoral even when a child may inconvenience the mother. Similarly, there is benefit to giving a child the chance to live even if they are born into adversity. This matters because tackling these misconceptions can result in opposing sides making progress and finding common ground in the abortion rights debate.

News

Roe v. Wade Overturned: Pressing Political Responses on Both Sides

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On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court handed down its decision in the landmark abortion case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (No.19-1392, 2022). The decision held that the nearly 50-year precedent, Roe v. Wade 410 U. S. 113(1973), which federally barred states fromregulating abortions before fetal viability, and 30-year precedent, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey 505 U.S. 833(1992), would both be overturned in full. In effect, the Court ruled that the states (“the people and their elected representatives”) or the federal legislative bodies would be responsible for the regulation or liberalization of their respective abortion laws instead of the Supreme Court.