Monday, September 26, 2022

Near-total Abortion Ban, Dating Back to the 19th-Century, in Arizona is Reinstated

 

Protestants gather in Tucson, Arizona in 
opposition to abortion ban (Source: The Guardian)

    On Saturday, a new law that bans abortions past 15 weeks of pregnancy must now be enforced by all Arizonian residents. Judge Kellie Johnson of Pima County Superior Court released a ruling that now bans almost all abortions for women, including victims of rape and incest. The strict abortion ban dates back to reproductive policies in the 19th century-- setting the country, quite literally, over a century back. 

    After the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June of this year, legal abortion as a federal right was dismantled and threatened legal protection for women's reproductive rights. To what extent does the federal government actually care about the bodily autonomy of half the population of the country? Well, at this point, it seems like longstanding Constitutional rights are insignificant to the highest federal court in the judiciary of the U.S.

Dr. Jill Gibson, medical director for Planned Parenthood
Arizona, is legally obligated to stop performing abortions
after the Supreme Court Ruling (Source: NY Times)
    
    Undoubtedly, the overturn of Roe v. Wade is a green light for individual states to ban abortions entirely. It is no longer a fear, but now the horrid truth, that women would lose the freedom of their own reproductive rights.  As a result, governors hostile to abortion may advocate for the legislature to consider new abortion bans. 

    Quite frankly, it is appalling that federal policies no longer protect Constitutional rights. The abortion ban in Arizona is merely the tip of the iceberg because, to no one's surprise, the state is only 1 of 14 that have outlawed most abortions. Well, to put it simply, this really proves the fragility of the fundamental rights and freedoms of Americans; furthermore, the democracy of the country is now delegitimatized and the Supreme Court is acting in its own self-interest as opposed to public opinion. It is an assault on democracy and does not represent the ideology of the majority of Americans. 
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