This past week, Alabama officially signed the nation's most restrictive abortion law into existence. The law outlaws almost all abortions, even the case of rape and incest. Abortion is only allowed if the mother's life is at risk. The potential punishment for a woman who is raped and who seeks an illegal abortion in Alabama could exceed the sentence of her rapist. This development is shocking, even to those who are pro-life. The probability of this law going through had seemed slim due to the Roe v. Wade decision, but Alabama's law seems to be making an effort to overturn the Supreme Court's long-standing decision on abortion. Several states are following in Alabama's footsteps, such as Georgia's recent fetal heartbeat bill, which attempts to ban any abortion in which a fetal heartbeat can be detected.
While these new laws and bills may be attempts to challenge the Roe v Wade decision, they will have devastating effects on those who live in these states. History has repeatedly shown us that even when abortions are outlawed, women do not stop seeking them out. Outlawing abortions increases the chance of women going to untrained individuals to receive an abortion or attempting the procedure on their own, and this increases the chances of complications and even death. Alabama's law also states that doctors who perform an abortion risk facing up to 99 years in prison.
The statistics show that the majority of the women who have sought out legal abortions in Alabama are black women, and all of the Republicans who voted on the law were white men. Alabama's new law not only completely takes away women's right to choose, but it is also a law that will disproportionately affect women of color and further disadvantage black women. To have a law voted into place without any representation from the people who it actually effects is despicably ignorant and thoughtlessly cruel.
The topic of abortion is a very sensitive and divided issue but despite what a person may or may not believe in, the extremity of Alabama's new law will harm countless women. Even if the law is just an attempt to force the issue to the Supreme Court, the women of Alabama will suffer as lawmakers attempt to come to a decision. These women do not have as much representation as the white men who continue to push their pro-life agenda and as a consequence, their voices are less likely to be heard, even though their opinions are the ones that matter most.
It is typical of the United States to sideline and oppress women, especially when it comes to women of color. This law is a way for the people who support it to express their disregard for women's healthcare and rights. While abortion may be a complicated issue, those who tend to be pro-life don't seem to have the energy that they have for unborn fetuses when it comes to supporting children in the foster system or children of undocumented immigrants.
Believing in the rights of a child or baby should mean believing in their right to be with their family, to be fed, safe, educated and taken care of. Unfortunately, these lawmakers' disregard for these other issues and their contrasting support for embryos points to one thing, and one thing only: a complete and total need to control women and their lives.
