If you’ve been watching the news recently, you’re probably well aware that the Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade is drafted to be overturned. This draft jeopardizes a law that was ratified in 1973, granting pregnant people the right to get an abortion if they so wish. In 1973, before the law was confirmed, Roe v. Wade was leaked by the Washington Post, and then again by Time magazine, hours before the court officially announced it as a ruling. Though eventually the mass of people who fought against it died down, the Supreme Court faced a lot of backlash from the public at first. America is in a reversed situation right now.

On May 2nd, 2022, The Supreme Court’s plan to overturn and completely undo Roe V. Wade was leaked by the news site Politico. This resulted in an uproar from anti-abortion protestors and abortion rights activists. Many social media outlets blew up with posts and reposts, and masses took to the streets, regardless of where they lived. Even though these news sites and outlets can make it seem like there is a majority of pro-birth conservatives who are informed about this bill, a poll taken by Morning Consult verified that half of U.S. voters don’t even want Roe v. Wade to be overturned, more than the 45% of voters in December.

Roe v. Wade being overturned is a terrifying thought to a large portion of Americans. It restricts options for anyone with a uterus, and it could have a huge impact on the foster care system. 

Currently, there are over 400,000 children in foster care in the U.S., the CDC says, yet only 135,000 kids in America are adopted every year. Reports from 2019 show that a total of 629,898 abortions happened that year. If all of those fetuses were carried to term in 2019, aside from the babies that died due to birth complications or were passed on to family members, that would still cause about half a million children to be put in the foster care system. Though it’s not talked about nearly enough, being in the foster care system can cause a lot of psychological damage to a child as they’re developing. Though America tends to promote putting children up for adoption as the best option when a pregnant person expresses their concern about having a child, it can severely impact the child’s health and the parent’s well-being to go through with that.

After the Supreme Court takes their vote on this draft, there are so many other basic rights that could be up for debate as well. For example, Roe v. Wade is set on the idea that every American has a “right to privacy”. But because Roe v. Wade isn’t the only law set on the right to privacy, if it gets overturned, so could many other laws that protect minorities. Two of the laws that could be brought back on the table are Lawrence, a law that allows LGBTQ+ people to engage in sexual activity, and Eisenstadt, a law that allows unmarried couples to purchase contraceptives. Even if overturning this law was the only thing being set into motion by the Supreme Court, the action itself could cause thousands of people to die because of complications with their birth or illegal methods of terminating their fetus as a last resort.

Suppose Roe v. Wade is overturned but allows the states to decide their own policies. That would only allow people who can pay to travel to other states to get safe abortions. While this might be okay for some voters to think about, that still forces many working-class people to carry the fetus to term, when they may not be able to financially or emotionally support a child. This also brings in the fact that “about 700 women die each year in the United States as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications”, provides the CDC.

In the end, the results of this ruling are up to the Supreme Court, but that doesn’t mean your voice doesn’t impact someone else’s views. Before you continue with your day, just imagine what it would be like to be told you would die in labor if you carried your pregnancy to term. Imagine what that decision would be if you had access to safe abortions. Imagine what that decision would be if you didn’t have access to safe abortions. Imagine what that decision would be like if you were a working-class American without a support system who lived in a conservative state. In conclusion, while a single individual or voter can't change the minds of the Supreme Court, together we can spread awareness about abortion health and make listening to minorities first the norm.

Sources:

Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows - POLITICO

Roe v. Wade - Wikipedia

What has happened in week since draft Roe v Wade opinion leaked? | Women's Rights News | Al Jazeera

Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution - Wikipedia

Where Americans Stand On Abortion, In 5 Charts | FiveThirtyEight

The Supreme Court Appears Likely to Strike Down Roe v. Wade. Voters Are Most Likely to Say It Should Be Upheld

Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2019 | MMWR

Preventing Pregnancy-Related Deaths | CDC

About the children - AdoptUSKids

The original Roe v. Wade ruling was leaked, too

Privacy | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute