What Roe v. Wade means for Our Community and the World

Discussion over the Right to an Abortion

When Norma McCorvey (legal name pseudonym “Jane Roe”) succeeded in the initial Supreme Court case through a vote of 7-2, it was concluded that the US government did not have the power to bar any abortions. Thus, the case established a trimester system which, for abortions, allowed an absolute right in the first three months of pregnancy but maintained government regulation to an extent in the next three months. In the final trimester, one could attain an abortion, overruling any legal means, if it would if necessary for their health. 

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the previous ruling of the notable Roe v. Wade case which protected a pregnant person’s right to an abortion. Despite the leaked decision already being contentious, the overturning itself caused even more controversy, sparking both protests and celebrations across the nation. Now that the previous constitutional right to abortion that was held for nearly 50 years does not exist, what does this mean for America, and possibly, the world?

The present-day overruling allows individual states to ban abortions and make their own decisions regarding the issue. Many states have begun to implement “trigger laws” that will outlaw abortion immediately after the Supreme Court’s official ruling. 

First, how has this affected students at Mira Loma? 

The students interviewed, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the growing controversy over the issue, all shared differing viewpoints.

A student who preferred to remain anonymous stated that “I think it’s a horrible decision that will affect many students at this school and others around the globe,” while another said “I’m not too well versed on the issue, so I’ll have to look into it more. It’s been on the news a lot.”

A common theme that was shared among interviewed students was that there was not enough education surrounding the issue. Many said that there can be education in the classroom about the topic without any bias to quell the polarization that has been caused, but others suggested that this would only incite more arguments and disruptions. The students seemed to be split on how to address the situation for now, but many still have stated that they will be open to having meaningful discussions later next school year.

Now, how has the rest of the nation and the world responded?

Tech companies have responded strongly to the decision. For example, Apple, Alphabet, J.PMorgan Chase, and Meta have acknowledged that they will pay if employees need to travel to another state to seek reproductive care, because it is banned in that particular state. Jeff Lawson, the CEO of Twilio, stated that “Stripping away this basic human right disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable women across the country. Both I and Twilio support every woman’s right to choose.”

World leaders have also expressed their opinions; Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, stated that “The news coming out of the United States is horrific. My heart goes out to the millions of American women who are now set to lose their legal right to an abortion.” On the contrary, the Vatican has praised the decision, stating that the decision challenges society to reflect on its values that have been established. 

However, most prominent world leaders have implied their disagreement with the Supreme Court decision. Many see it as a first step towards banning abortion across the world. There are concerns that there is now a potential for anti-abortion sentiment across nations where abortion has been decriminalized, an example being Mexico. Only time will tell how this decision affects society.