Photo by: Anna Moneymaker / Staff
In a 6-3 decision on Friday, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established the constitutional right to choose to have an abortion.
The court’s controversial but anticipated decision grants each state the freedom to enact its own abortion regulations without worrying about breaking Roe, which for nearly 50 years had legalized abortions during the first two trimesters of pregnancy.
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As a result of the Supreme Court’s ruling, which is connected to a new, extremely stringent Mississippi abortion law, over half of the states are anticipated to abolish or severely restrict abortion.
Other states intend to keep their more lenient restrictions on pregnancies being terminated.
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the lawsuit that ultimately led to Roe’s repeal after almost 50 years, was based on a Mississippi legislation that outlawed almost all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
As the breaking news began to pour in, people took to social media to voice their opinions.
“The Supreme Court just over turned Roe v. Wade 😨,” one person tweeted.
Another Twitter user stated, “We have a “democrat” president and we can’t get any sort of gun reform or student loan forgiveness. But the republicans can overturn Roe v Wade at the stroke of a pen. Obviously voting isn’t working 🤷🏻♂️.”
“Roe v. Wade gone. I would be deathly afraid as a person of colour or as any marginalized group in America, what happened to the shining beacon on the hill,” said another Twitter commentator.
“This is a dark day in American history. The SCOTUS decision overturning Roe v. Wade is a direct attack on a woman’s fundamental right to make decisions about her body and her health. This is a clear attempt to unwind the clock on human rights progress. My heart is heavy,” Representative Shontel Brown stated.
Back in May, advocates stated their fears if Roe v. Wade was overturned, due to the possibility of leading other countries also possibly ban abortions.
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Tarah Demant, Amnesty International’s interim national director for programs, advocacy, and government affairs stated that striking down Roe vs. Wade would also erode the steady progress made in the global push for greater abortion rights.
The Center for Reproductive Rights, a pro-choice human rights organization, maintains a database called “What if Roe Fell?” that forecasts that if Roe v. Wade is overturned, over 20 states will outlaw abortion completely. (An abortion prohibition in the first trimester is currently deemed unlawful, yet some states have implemented such bans regardless.)
According to the New York Post, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming are the states that can be affected by the newly overturned Roe vs. Wade.
This is breaking news. Updates will be provided as follows.
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