Abortion in the United States
Abortion is a choice that many women are allowed to have. However, as of the recent years, there have been a lot of controversy surrounding the idea of abortion. Arizona has been a primary state where there has been a lot of controversy as to whether or not a ban on abortion would take place. Furthermore, there have been a lot of movements and protests that have been made across the United States to ensure that women can continue having a choice. However, as of recently, it seems that this may not be the case, and a 160-year-old ban may be reinstituted.
160-Year-Old Ban
Initially, there was a ban in 1864 that prohibited women from having an abortion whatsoever. However, this ban was lifted, and women were then able to have the choice to have an abortion or not. However, an abortion ban had sat for decades within the government of Arizona, and nothing had been done with it until now. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, nothing prevents Arizona from following through with their plan to ban abortions state-wide. There would be absolutely no exceptions to this law, except in cases where the mother’s life is in danger, and abortion is the only way to safe her life.
However, if this was not the case whatsoever, they are facing 2 to 5 years behind bars, and a hefty fine. Therefore, many women are outraged by this decision, as they know they do not have a choice anymore, no matter what happened to them. As aforementioned, there are no exceptions, not even if they were raped, or there was incest involved. They would still end up behind bars.
The Future of This Incident
As soon as this decision was made hours ago, many women took to the streets to make their voices heard. They feel that the government does not have their best interest at heart and are making the decisions for them. They also feel that this is not constitutionally sound, and that they are going against what America stands for completely. However, it may still take weeks before this law is put into effect.
Written by David Loran Jr
Sources:
The New York Times: Arizona Reinstates 160-Year-Old Abortion Ban
NBC News: Arizona Supreme Court rules a near-total abortion ban from 1864 is enforceable
Featured Image Courtesy of Victoria Pickering’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Victoria Pickering’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
