Abortion has always been a touchy subject among many people. Because there are so many different opinions surrounding it, it’s been a difficult subject for the government to pass laws regarding it. The Supreme Court was able to pass a law that made abortion legal in all 50 states in 1973. However, as more Supreme justices have been added to the Supreme Court, the rights of the original bill have slowly been getting smaller. Under the Trump administration, 21 states had begun to pass laws that challenged Roe v Wade. Their goal is to limit the weeks available where a woman could legally get an abortion. Texas’ new anti-abortion law would not allow any women more than six weeks pregnant to receive an abortion.

These bills should not be legal because of the danger it puts on women. For example, Texas has recently passed a law allowing people to be rewarded with money if they gave authorities information regarding anyone who was receiving or aiding in an abortion. By paying people to out their coworkers, friends, and neighbors, they’re putting a hit on the women, doctors, and service providers involved, which only puts them in even more danger. Not only that, but the bill is also targeting lower-class women, as most women who get an abortion have a low income or are people of color. Even if Roe v Wade was overturned, wealthy people and people in power would still have access to safe abortions, and anybody who could not afford one would have to suffer and deal with the consequences of risking an unsafe abortion.

Pro-life people care more about the baby being born than the mother, but few advocate for better aftercare or adoption options. The aftercare for babies in the United States is currently terrible, many children are abused or separated from their siblings, and infant adoption is often traumatic for the biological mother. Not only is the decision of abortion extremely hard for women, but it also puts stress on a woman’s body that can harm and change her body during pregnancy, and many women do not want to put themselves through that. Being forced to deal with it often leads to trauma or desperate decisions. Even if abortion was outlawed, it would never truly stop. Legal abortion results in fewer deaths by allowing safe access because women who want or need an abortion will find a way to get one, even if it results in their death. Roughly 25 million unsafe abortions are performed each year, however, for every 100,000 abortions performed, roughly 30 to 220 women die from complications. This could easily be avoided if safe abortions were provided, without judging the woman.

Former President Donald Trump was able to elect three Supreme Court justices during his presidency, which allowed Republicans to hold the majority. However, Republican Justice Brent Kavanaugh chose to uphold a case on abortions in a surprising turn of events. Despite this, due to Republicans holding a majority in court, Roe v Wade is being challenged again. Many Republicans use their power to advocate against Roe v Wade because of either personal beliefs or their biases.

If Roe v Wade did end up being overturned, it would be historic. The Supreme Court does not typically reverse its decisions, as they’ve only been changed 233 times since 1789, in which they’ve seen a couple thousand cases. These overturned cases include topics such as slavery, civil rights, and free speech; however, they were only overturned a few decades after they were originally passed. Abortion cases in themselves have been seen in the Supreme Court 17 times since Roe v Wade initially passed.

The Supreme Court will not decide on this case until later this summer. However, after passing Texas’s updated anti-abortion law, it seems they have a clear idea of how they’ll handle future cases. By passing this they’ve taken a stance against women’s rights and they’ll only continue to make stricter laws until they can overturn Roe v Wade.