In a historic but somewhat expected reversal, given the many hints from the people fighting the impending decision, the Supreme Court on Friday overturned the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision. This frees states in the US to again outlaw abortion.
50 years of federal rights have been overturned just like that, and now, almost half the states are expected to outlaw or severely restrict abortion as a result of this reversal. The decision has been made, the effects have not even started.
A 6-3 Decision Overturned Roe Vs. Wade
On Friday, the Supreme Court finally made reversed the 1973 landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion in the U.S., with a 6-3 decision. Now, each individual state has the power to set its own abortion laws and they don’t have to follow what Roe laid out. For 50 years, the landmark ruling permitted abortions during the first two trimesters of pregnancy.
This may not hold true in many states given that almost half of the 50 states of the United States of America are expected to outlaw or severely restrict abortion, given that now, they legally can. The other states plan to keep it more liberal but it’s all in limbo for now.
The reactions have started filtering in as Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has said he would take immediate action to enact the state’s trigger law, banning all abortions except those necessary to save the mother’s life.
Liberal states like Kansas now expect a deluge of women from neighboring states, given that they are more pro-choice.
Roe Vs. Wade: Explained
In 1973, Jane Roe was an unmarried pregnant woman who was denied an abortion under Texas abortion laws. She filed a suit on behalf of herself and women like her to challenge the Texas abortion laws and was supported by a doctor, who felt the laws were too vague for doctors to be able to follow them, successfully.
At the time, abortion was illegal in Texas unless it was done to save the mother’s life, and not just that, it was a crime to get an abortion or to attempt to get one. Any doctor caught performing one was also judged a criminal.
Suffice to say, Roe vs. Wade was won by Roe and at the time, the Supreme Court laid down two guidelines. One was that “The United States Constitution provides a fundamental ‘right to privacy that protects a person’s right to choose whether to have an abortion.” And secondly, “but the abortion right is not absolute. It must be balanced against the government’s interests in protecting the health and prenatal life.”
The Case That Brought Roe Down
Jamie Lee Curtis says it right:
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The one major case that led to the demise of Roe after 50 years of rights is Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which comes related to a Mississippi law that banned nearly all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. By far, Dobbs was the most significant and controversial argument presented.
This was the first case after 1992’s Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which posed a threat to abortion laws. In the 1992 case, Roe was upheld but now, it had crumbled.
Planned Parenthood has a message on Instagram for all:
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Social media reactions swing from shock to grief as comments flow in.
“This is a horrible day for America, how is it that we’re going back instead of moving forward??”
“But go ahead and own all your guns and shoot up real babies in schools says SCOTUS”
“From the party that believes in less govnt as possible in the people’s lives. The party that heavily advocates for little to no gun laws, while children are slaughtered in their classrooms.”
Many Predicted The Downfall
In an Instagram post shared just a few hours ago, Amy Schumer posted:
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Katie Couric went live with Neal Katyal and the two discussed the ramifications of this decision but the comments that followed were nothing but heartbreak.
“When hundreds of women die due to this who will be blamed? Probably us”
“his is a war on the poor and a war on women’s bodies and freedom. We have slid backwards. This is a devastating decision.”
Lisa Rinna posted: “He is going to be a judge on our court for the rest of his f***ing life.”
THE SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS ROE V. WADE”
The “he” in her post is likely to be Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who wrote the opinion on this case.
