Why Is Abortion Even Up For Debate?
As the news of the Supreme Court's leaked decision regarding overturning Roe v. Wade continues to dominate the news cycles, as well as our various social medias, I have to ask; why is this even up for debate? I fully understand the severity of it, in fact more than many as I understand the greater ramifications as well, but in the end how did it even get this far? What rights do the federal and state governments of our nation have to rule on, or legislate, abortion? I could understand if we were speaking of how it is funded or how it is carried out with a view on safety or malpractice, but when it comes to the right to make decisions on whether abortion is legal or not and to punish those found to be in violation of these decisions there is no right that exists. The Government we have is a democracy and not a monarchy. In the latter all persons under the rule of the monarch are subject to the whims and wishes of said monarch as much as the chattel that is owned by the monarch. They are his/her/their property, which everyone should know as the most common tropes used when discussing kings and queens in the dark ages have to do with killing those who displease them. That is not the world we live in. There is a right to bodily autonomy and it should be legislated and guaranteed, though that's another story. There are, however, Rights that HAVE been legislated and added to the Constitution already that should have stopped this argument in it's tracks long before now. Rights that are directly violated when someone is accused of breaking a law and punished due to having an abortion. In the First amendment to the constitution we all have a guaranteed freedom of religion. This does not just mean that we are free to not be persecuted for holding religious beliefs, this also means we are free from having those religious beliefs of others forced upon us. (Think of it as you have the right to say I can't do this because of my religion, but you don't have the right to say YOU can't do this because of MY religion) I personally have not heard one argument for abortion that uses any explanation devoid of a religious (specifically Christian) definition of life. As all of the definitions of life being used today that put forward by those who are anti-abortion do not align with any scientific or medical definitions, they should not and cannot be used in legislation or in Judicial decisions as a basis to control any citizens or residents of this country. Secondly even ignoring the fact that these decisions are a violation of the right to freedom of religion for every person capable of becoming pregnant in this country there is still yet another rights violation this act commits. The last time I checked the 13th Amendment to the constitution prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude. What is forcing a person to carry a child if not involuntary servitude? I would argue it would also be considered slavery personally but I feel that may be a tougher hill to climb. But by prioritizing the life of an unborn fetus that has no ability to survive on it’s own or any guarantee of survival to, or post, birth over that of the parent takes away their autonomy that the 13th amendment guarantees. These laws are forcing them to involuntary servitude for anywhere from 9 months to 18.75 years, not to mention that in many instances they would very well be sentencing some people to death if there are zero exceptions to these laws. Those trying to make these laws are taking away their ability to make their own decisions, forcing them to endure physical labor, forcing them to endure pain ( both physical and emotional), forcing them to endure permanent bodily alteration, forcing them to devote at least a portion of their life to supporting this fetus against their will and they are essentially legislating that this thinking, feeling, human is worth less than a bundle of nerves and muscle tissue that can be equivocated to a parasite. By trying to force this issue these states and the Supreme Court are in direct violation of the constitution itself and those who are forcing the issue should be relieved of duty for they all take Oaths to uphold the constitution and by pushing these objectives they are in clear violation of those Oaths, not to mention that they are selfishly endangering the very people they were elected or appointed to protect and represent.