What Happens if SCOTUS Overturns Roe v. Wade?
The United States is collectively holding its breath as the Supreme Court debates a case that could end up overturning its 1973 decision to legalize abortion. A draft opinion, leaked last week and verified by the Court, would overturn Roe v. Wade (if backed by a majority of justices) and return the issue of abortion and its legality back to the states.
Chief Justice John Roberts described the leak as “an egregious breach of trust” and confirmed it “does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case.” However, it is necessary to consider the effects such a decision may have on the United States.
In 1973, the Supreme Court affirmed in a 7-2 decision that a woman’s right to receive an abortion fell within the right to privacy under the 14th Amendment. The decision allowed abortions prior to “viability,” which typically occurs around 23-24 weeks of pregnancy, and gave states the leeway to regulate abortion procedures prior to viability so long as they didn’t pose an “undue burden” on the mother. This decision was reaffirmed in 1992 with Planned Parenthood v. Casey, in which the Court determined that a Pennsylvania law requiring spousal awareness prior to abortion was creating “undue burden” on the mother.
The opinion leaked last week comes at the tail end of a case that began late last year regarding a Mississippi law that prohibits most abortions after 15 weeks – far earlier than the 23-24 weeks established through Roe v. Wade. The law was signed in 2018 but has been blocked by federal courts.
A recent poll conducted by Fox News suggests 54% of voters support the Mississippi law. A separate poll conducted by USA Today shows that 73% of Democrats support legal abortion compared with one third of Republicans.
With a conservative majority including three justices appointed by former President Donald Trump, there is a real chance Roe v. Wade could be overturned. According to the Fox News poll referenced above, the number of voters who believe abortion should be legal all (27%) or most of the time (17%) is at a record low.
“Americans’ opinions on abortion are more nuanced than is often assumed,” notes GOP pollster Daron Shaw. “Sixty percent think abortion should be legal, but with restrictions. The question is where to draw the line.”
While a handful of Democrat-led states like California and Colorado have passed legislation expanding access to abortion, as many as 26 states have laws in place suggesting they intend to ban the procedure completely if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
The following 13 states have “trigger laws” in place that would go into effect almost immediately after the court’s decision, banning nearly all abortions and threatening doctors with exorbitant fines and up to 10 years in prison: Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
“If Roe v. Wade is overturned, it will be a hand grenade in the middle of an already chaotic political environment,” warns Democratic pollster Chris Anderson. “There are so many potential repercussions that predictions about how this will play out in the midterms are premature.”
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden urged the Supreme Court not to overturn Roe v. Wade and warned that “who you marry, whether or not you decide to conceive a child or not, whether or not you can have an abortion” are all at stake. Also at stake is a return to the Del-Em, dangerous pharmaceuticals, and other DIY abortion tools women will turn to if they lack access to abortion.
President Biden has stated in the past that he “[does] not view abortion as a choice and a right;” however, as the head of an increasingly-progressive political party, he has been forced to change his mind. “I was 29 years old when I came to the United States Senate, and I have learned a lot,” said Biden. “I’m a practicing Catholic, and it [abortion] is the biggest dilemma for me in terms of comporting my religious and cultural views with my political responsibility.”
Biden has reversed a handful of abortion policies that were put into place during the Trump Administration but has largely avoided drawing attention to the issue. But now, with the Supreme Court poised to make a decision, Biden is being forced to acknowledge abortion as a key issue for his constituents and one that will forever be linked to his presidency. Already, pro-choice advocates are demanding he consider federal solutions to the possible abolishment of Roe v. Wade.
Whatever happens, the Court’s decision is sure to impact the midterm elections.
“This will have an extraordinary galvanizing force with some of the very Americans who don’t always turn out or weren’t really looking to the midterms yet,” said a Biden adviser. “This is a seismic thing coming out of the Supreme Court, and it’s going to take a seismic movement in response.”
Sources:
Supreme Court to hear restrictive Mississippi abortion law on December 1
Fox News Poll: Just over half favor banning abortions after 15 weeks
The Future of Abortion in a Post-Roe America
What happens in Tennessee if Roe v. Wade is overturned? Here’s a guide
Protests swell across major cities as US reckons with supreme court decision draft – as it happened
” I’m a practicing Catholic, and it [abortion] is the biggest dilemma for me in terms of comporting my religious and cultural views with my political responsibility. ” Either you’re a Catholic and abortion is a sin so prepare for your life after death in Hades or you’re a liar and a hypocrite. Wait a minute, I’ve got it. You’re a democrat so that makes you a liar and hypocrite.
” I’m a practicing Catholic, and it [abortion] is the biggest dilemma for me in terms of comporting my religious and cultural views with my political responsibility. ” Either you’re a Catholic and abortion is a sin so or you’re a liar and a hypocrite. Wait a minute, I’ve got it. You’re a democrat so that makes you a liar and hypocrite.
Joy Behar on the view threatened a sex strike over the abortion ( baby murder) issue. Great idea. Who would want to fuck that bitch? I would have to have some serious beer goggles.
This is not the real frank stetson
500,000 abortions a year. 150,000 adoptions. Somehow in our vast wisdom to force unwanted babies into God’s world, we forgot that the devil’s in the details of nurturing 500,000 unwanted babies. I guess the result is God’s will since man totally screwed the pooch on the consequences of his actions.
Fuck it, it’s mother’s day; it’s a woman’s problem, her body is now controlled by the state, the state determines whether to term or not to term, women shoulda known better, men skate again, they can just run away. Good thing it will mostly impact the poor, the rich can fly to friendly States still. Lots of poor, unwanted babies on welfare, super. It’s a long bus ride from Texas to NYC at a pretty oenny for the poor.
Hey, it can get better, Trumplicants already have the game book to enact the federal version once they take over both houses of Congress. Then we can go national with unwanted babies. Half a million a year. More unwanted babies. Poor people’s babies. Minority babies. Life will be grand… For some of us.
The best way to fix this is to vote. Good luck.
Great. A damned moron trying to second guess God. I’m sure that HE will take you under advisement
Not just a moron but a damned moron. Wow, that’s harsh 😁
Second guess God? Whatever could you mean? That’s just silly.
The truth is that socialism and radical democrats do more harm to minorities than republicans ever did. Sorry pal. The gig’s up.
Well, at least you went with socialism. Yup, the gigs up, the minorities are going Trumplicant, women love Trumplicantism, Latino’s streaming to Trumpublican platform. Thank God for voter fraud and Italian satellites. Donate today, Don needs 10k a day just for the contempt. He who would be King will rise and run again. JFK Jr is waiting. Can convicted 1/6 patriots vote? Donate dollars for Don today. Buy a flag, Ivanka has Chinese kids make them. Only $200. Stop the steal while there’s still.time. Donate now.
It’s all ways back to trump. So tell us. Is Biden a better president? With zero accomplishments. But maybe you’re attracted to senile old men
What if roe v Wade is overturned? Simple. The people who want babies murdered will ratchet up their violent behavior. And some of them will fuck with a truck and get ran over. We’ve had enough of their bullying shit. Bullets can fly in both directions. Be prepared to stand and fight to survive. The leftist have been wanting a civil war. Let them start it. We will finish it.
It depends. On some things yes. In others no. But in total, yeah Biden is better IMO.
You’re as damned stupid as he is. You’re probably ghetto trash.
And you’re probably a racist pig fucker compensating a pygmy prick getting his thrills by yelling at liberals on anonymous web sites.
At least Rick is calling for violent civil war against liberals. He’s got some real anonymous balls.
Neither of these fools can form a cogent argument so they bay at the moon like a pack of wild dogs.
Whattta bunch of stooges. Tough guys all. Probably live with Mom still.
Rick was only suggesting that people should defend themselves. And that’s true. And our idiot in chief won’t condemn the violence. Just like with antifa. And I saw nothing racist