Monday marked the 45th anniversary of the decision in the historic Roe v. Wade case. Roe v. Wade was a monumental case for women’s rights. The case was a decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court that declared a pregnant woman is entitled to have an abortion until the end of the first trimester of pregnancy without any interference by the state.
In a 7–2 decision on Jan. 22, 1973, the Supreme Court struck down an 1857 Texas statute that made abortion illegal except where the life of the mother was in danger.
A woman's right to an abortion fell within the right to privacy, which is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. This decision gave women the right to an abortion during the entirety of the pregnancy and defined different levels of state interest for regulating abortion in the second and third trimesters.
Last Friday Jan. 19, President Trump addressed the abortion issue at the March for Life in Washington, DC., reminding those in attendance that ending legal abortion will remain a top priority for him throughout his administration. Trump proclaimed Monday, Jan. 22, 2018, "National Sanctity of Human Life Day."
“Under my administration, we will always defend the very first right in the Declaration of Independence, and that is the right to life,” Trump told thousands of anti-abortion advocates at a March for Life rally in Washington D.C., on the eve of the one-year anniversary of his inauguration last week.
Trump called on the Senate to pass a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks, with exceptions for cases of rape or incest and if the mother’s life is at risk, and touted an early executive order to block U.S. aid to foreign nonprofits that use other funds to support abortions.
Today, many people are still against the changes Trump is trying to make and feel that abortions are decisions left up to the mother.
Third-year FAMU economics student Alexis Barini believes that abortions can sometimes be a good thing for mothers. “From what I know abortions sometimes is the best decision based on the quality of life the child will have and the medical risks for the mother,” said Barini.
Abortion is one of the most personal, widely discussed, and controversial topics in American culture today. Some say yes, women should be able to have abortions no matter if the fetus is in the first trimester or well in to the second trimester of gestation. On the other hand, some people say that it is murder of a child no matter the stage of development.
FAMU alumna Epiphany Washington doesn’t believe in abortions, but she isn’t pro-Trump with his idea on the no abortion law. Washington feels that instead of an abortion there’s always an adoption option.
“From a Biblical standpoint there shouldn’t be any abortions. I understand in extenuating circumstance you would not want to carry that life, but in and and every case you could still find a good home for the child to barren parents,” Washington explained.
Thou shalt not kill; one-tenth of what may arguably be the most famous guidelines of morality in some cultures, and also the main driving force for pro-life advocates. The argument supporting their beliefs typically starts with the premise that a fetus is a person, and to destroy or to kill a person is unethical. While some may agree with Washington’s comment on adoption others think it’s easier said than done.
Fourth-year business administration student Ashley Walker believes that it’s easier said than done to just give up a child for adoption. “Some expecting mothers grow emotional attachments throughout their pregnancy. Most people believe you could just give the baby up for adoption, but its easier said than done,” said Walker.
Abortion is never an easy decision, but women have been making the choice for thousands of years. It’ll continually be one of the most contentious and talked about topics of our time.