In the final presidential debate, the issue of abortion came up, I had a mixture of reactions when the Orange Baby opened his mouth, and none of them were good. It infuriated me because not only does he not support women reproductive rights, he also avoided answering the question at all and just kept referring to the fact he will appoint pro-life judges which will reverse everything Roe V. Wade did for women in this country.
What is Roe V. Wade? Well, for those of you living under a rock of male privilege:
A pregnant single woman (Roe) brought a class action challenging the constitutionality of the Texas criminal abortion laws, which proscribe procuring or attempting an abortion except on medical advice for the purpose of saving the mother's life. A licensed physician (Hallford), who had two state abortion prosecutions pending against him, was permitted to intervene. A childless married couple (the Does), the wife not being pregnant, separately attacked the laws, basing alleged injury on the future possibilities of contraceptive failure, pregnancy, unpreparedness for parenthood, and impairment of the wife's health. A three-judge District Court, which consolidated the actions, held that Roe and Hallford, and members of their classes, had standing to sue and presented justiciable controversies. Ruling that declaratory, though not injunctive, relief was warranted, the court declared the abortion statutes void as vague and overbroadly (sic) infringing those plaintiffs' Ninth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The court ruled the Does' complaint not justiciable. Appellants directly appealed to this Court on the injunctive rulings, and appellee cross-appealed from the District Court's grant of declaratory relief to Roe and Hallford. (U.S. Supreme Court)
Basically, the Supreme Court had a stroke of common sense and determined a women’s right to have an abortion was an extension of the 14th Amendment.
Why am I outraged about Trump’s decision then? Well, for one, as a woman I don’t like the idea that in 2016 the government, mostly made up of men who probably have no working knowledge of a woman’s anatomy or pregnancy, gets to decide what I personally do with my body. You may counter-argue this and say “Well he said it would be determined by the states if he appoints these pro-life judges!!!” Okay, so let’s see, most likely, all Republican states (because Republicans are known for being “pro-life”) will overturn Roe V. Wade, and I live in good ole Florida: Home of the Republican Elderly. (I may seem angry, it’s because I am.)
As a woman, I am allowed to make decisions regarding my medical necessities, including my reproductive rights, and also my mental necessities. Here are some quick facts on the dangers of pregnancy, which doesn't include any social or economic consequences of having an unwanted child (maybe you can see why women choose to have an abortion):
- Bleeding: If a woman is bleeding heavily then it can indicate a miscarriage (which I believe Trump’s Vice President wanted to sign a state law where a woman must then have a funeral for) or an ectopic pregnancy. What is an ectopic pregnancy? It is when the egg implants somewhere other than the uterus and can kill a woman if not caught on time.
- Nausea: If a woman vomits so much and is unable to keep anything down, she can become dehydrated and malnourished very quickly.
- Preeclampsia: This is marked by high blood pressure and a lot of protein in the urine and can kill the mother if not taken care of.
- The Flu: If a pregnancy woman gets the flu, it can cause serious complications for the mother.
And that’s only a few of the many, many complications during pregnancy. This doesn’t even account for the after effects like post-partum depression and anxiety or vaginal tearing.
So, Donald Trump and Mike Pence, I understand you wish to bring this country back to the 1950’s and have nuclear families, colored drinking fountains and no rights for anyone but white men but that is NOT making America great.
