Government's Involvement in Abortion Essay Example
Government Involvement & Women’s Reproduction Rights
There are few topics in America today as highly debated as the topic of abortion, and no matter which side of the fence one sits, there are many monumental questions surrounding this debate. What should be the involvement of America’s government in women’s birthing rights? Should the government be allowed to have a say at all? If there is going to be government involvement, how much is deemed “acceptable”? On January 22, 1973 a landmark Supreme Court case by the name of Roe v. Wade made it legal in all of the U.S. for the first time for women to have an abortion. Prior to this decision, most states banned abortion, or limited it, performing the procedure only when the mother’s life was in danger (Lewis, 2011). The Roe v. Wade decision states that an abortion may be performed up until the fetus is “viable”. This means that if the fetus can survive outside of the womb, it cannot be aborted legally (generally this is anywhere from 20-24 weeks into the pregnancy). One of the most prevalent debates regarding government involvement in abortion surrounds the question, “Should the government be allowed to be the one to state which point human life is considered human life?”
Throughout the 1960’s when abortion was still illegal, women were relying on black market abortions performed by unlicensed physicians, or even putting themselves in danger by performing the procedure themselves (ushistory.org). Women’s groups began to organize and rally. They sought the opinion of the Supreme Court because there was no definitive outline or ruling from the federal government at this time. In Texas, the law prohibited any kind of abortion unless the mother’s life was in imminent danger. This is where the battle of Roe v. Wade took place. When the decision came back, it was the biggest milestone in the history of women’s rights that the country had ever seen, and until this day it is a hot-button debate topic. While people
There are few topics in America today as highly debated as the topic of abortion, and no matter which side of the fence one sits, there are many monumental questions surrounding this debate. What should be the involvement of America’s government in women’s birthing rights? Should the government be allowed to have a say at all? If there is going to be government involvement, how much is deemed “acceptable”? On January 22, 1973 a landmark Supreme Court case by the name of Roe v. Wade made it legal in all of the U.S. for the first time for women to have an abortion. Prior to this decision, most states banned abortion, or limited it, performing the procedure only when the mother’s life was in danger (Lewis, 2011). The Roe v. Wade decision states that an abortion may be performed up until the fetus is “viable”. This means that if the fetus can survive outside of the womb, it cannot be aborted legally (generally this is anywhere from 20-24 weeks into the pregnancy). One of the most prevalent debates regarding government involvement in abortion surrounds the question, “Should the government be allowed to be the one to state which point human life is considered human life?”
Throughout the 1960’s when abortion was still illegal, women were relying on black market abortions performed by unlicensed physicians, or even putting themselves in danger by performing the procedure themselves (ushistory.org). Women’s groups began to organize and rally. They sought the opinion of the Supreme Court because there was no definitive outline or ruling from the federal government at this time. In Texas, the law prohibited any kind of abortion unless the mother’s life was in imminent danger. This is where the battle of Roe v. Wade took place. When the decision came back, it was the biggest milestone in the history of women’s rights that the country had ever seen, and until this day it is a hot-button debate topic. While people