Abortion has been a controversial issue for years, but with the news of Justice Anthony Kennedy announcing his retirement, supporters of the Roe v. Wade case are concerned that the 1973 ruling in favor of making abortions legal will be overturned. Kennedy himself is a Republican, but often had "many swing votes over the years [that] can make his ideology difficult to define" according to Vox. President Donald Trump will be able to appoint a new justice in his place that could potentially reverse similar policies as a result of a new majority vote.

I understand why so many are opposed to the concept behind abortions. The beauty of America is that we are supposed to be the Land of the Free, so if you don't like abortions, then you don't have to have one if that's what you choose for yourself. In my eyes, the problem arises when these same people try to police others who are seeking an abortion procedure because of their own beliefs.

First of all, you have no idea what that person is going through. You are neither them nor their doctor, so you have no way of knowing if that person could be having a life-threatening pregnancy, has already miscarried and needs medication to end the pregnancy, was raped, cannot afford to adequately raise a child, or have any other valid reason that is, frankly, none of your business unless they choose to share it with you. This is the entire basis behind the pro-choice movement: you have the right to CHOOSE.

With the discussion about abortion also comes with citizens' access to a variety of birth control methods to block a potential pregnancy in the first place, and it starts with comprehensive sex education for youth. It has been proven that abstinence-only sex education leads to higher rates of pregnancy, especially among teens. If you want to see less abortion in the world, then it needs to start with providing accurate knowledge about sexual reproduction and STIs along with how to practice safe sex. This can include the use of condoms, hormone birth control pills, intrauterine devices (IUDs), patches, etc.

In addition, some critics of the pro-life movement often speculate that its members care more about unborn children than the ones who have already been born and struggle to live financially, or those who are being ripped away from their parents at the U.S./Mexico border after they try to seek legal asylum.

Others try to deter people from getting abortions through the use of fake facts about the procedure or different stages of the pregnancy. This is absolutely despicable behavior because we have children currently who are suffering (including in the adoption and foster care systems due to overcrowding and abuse) and pregnant individuals who are already going through a difficult, emotional time that are being intimidated by false information and harassed by the extreme pro-life individuals.

Making abortion illegal doesn't stop it from happening.

When countries have this stance, it is only the safe procedures that are stopped. You don't have to agree with abortions, but blocking another person from getting one and doing what's best for THEIR body/life because of YOUR beliefs is a violation of human rights.