How has the position on both sides in the US regarding abortion rights changed over time?
How has the position on both sides in the US regarding abortion rights changed over time?
the story So Far: Roe vs. Wade There was a landmark decision passed by the Supreme Court of America (SCOTUS) in 1973 that ensured federal constitutional protection for the right to abortion. In the light of overturning this historic decision, here’s how abortion rights became such a polarizing issue in America
Historically, how have both sides of America viewed abortion rights?
Before political leaders, it was mainly various religious factions that held a strong outspoken opinion against abortion. The Roman Catholic Church has always equated abortion with murder. Not only the Catholic Church but also Eastern Orthodox and Evangelical Protestants oppose abortion because these denominations believe that life begins at conception. Therefore abortion is tantamount to murder.
However, just before the famous Roe vs. Wade Verdict, abortion started becoming a political issue. Last year Roe deer There was an election year where Richard Nixon won the presidency. Time The magazine featured an article titled “How Nixon Will Win” and mentioned that the Democratic nominee would be attacked for his views on legalizing marijuana, liberalism for draft dodgers, and liberalism on abortion. This was when the Republican Party took a moral high ground on abortion and campaigned that legalizing abortion would lead to a decline in traditional family roles and values. The Republican Party initially supported the Equal Rights Amendment and women’s reproductive rights. It cultivated its current pro-life stance to wrest urban Catholic voters from the Democratic Party in the north. For example, in 1967, Ronald Reagan (former US President of the Republican Party) as governor of California signed a bill that made abortion a criminal offence. This reflects the political apathy of conservatives regarding abortion.
How has the pro-life versus pro-choice narrative emerged?
After Roe vs. Wade decision, the issue of abortion became the paradigmatic center of mainstream American fertility politics. Choice-centred discourse interpreted judgment as a woman’s right to choose. Post Cry, The US allowed women to learn about reproductive health care, self-managed abortion care, and stop monitoring their bodies. An abortion industry emerged, and the 1980 elections saw an unfettered right to abortion on the Democratic Party platform.
Against this, the same year the Republican Party called for a constitutional amendment to ban abortion. President Reagan’s campaign itself was a form of conservative backlash that campaigned around the idea of banning abortion, while he himself signed a bill that legalized abortion. Later, the president would explain his stance in an essay published in Reagan human life review That abortion was related to two births – the life of the mother and that of the unborn child.
It should be noted that opposition to abortion as a movement is a separate aspect of American society. Conservatives around the world are united on issues such as limited government, respect for traditional values, low taxes and strong enforcement of laws. However, protecting an unborn child is unique to American conservatism.
Supporters of racial reproductive justice, rooted in black feminism and interactivity, argue to move beyond the polarization of the pro-choice/pro-life debate. They advocate a woman’s right to have children and not to have children. They also emphasize raising children in safe and sustainable communities.
What are the implications of overturning the Roe v. Wade decision?
turn of Roe deer Women have been denied the freedom to choose what to do with their bodies. This will lead to a further increase in illegal, unsafe abortions and ultimately put women’s lives at risk. The most vulnerable groups of the verdict will be black, Hispanic and minority women in the US, who have to travel long distances to states where they can take advantage of abortion. In addition, the Supreme Court is set to ‘reconsider’ its previous decisions on the right to contraception and same-sex marriage, according to a statement made by conservative Judge Clarence Thomas. This statement raises a serious question on the rights considered constitutional by America.
Does banning abortion help women?
According to health statistics data released by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which takes into account the health system reports of 37 high income countries like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, UK etc. The US has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries in the year 2020. This may be attributed to the over-representation of obstetricians-gynecologists (ob-gyns) compared to midwives. There is a severe shortage of obstetric care providers (both midwives and ob-gyns), and primary care is absent. There is also a lack of comprehensive postpartum support. The report says that women in the US are more likely to die from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. In the US, a greater proportion of pregnancy-related deaths occur after birth than in other developed countries.
Banning abortion will not stop the practice; It just makes it unsafe and illegal.
Priyanka is a Research Scholar in Canada, the United States and the Center for Latin American Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.