24 June 2022 will forever represent a dark day in history after the Supreme Court of the United States officially reversed Roe v Wade and declared the constitutional right to abortion in America invalid. The overturning of almost 50 years of precedent has sparked mass protests around the country and is leading many to question what this means for the future of the US and countries around the world.
In May, we reported on the leaked majority opinion from Justice Samuel Alito, who said “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences.” And, on Friday, it was made official when the 6-3 conservative majority in the court (three of the justices being Trump appointees) voted to reverse the landmark decision made in 1973.🙍🏽
Stripping women of their reproductive rights has not gone down well. Thousands of people in the US have taken to the streets in protest of the decision. Yes, in some US states, abortion will remain legal, but 26 states have abortion bans or highly restrictive six- to eight-week bans that will come into effect. Thirteen of these are states with so-called “trigger laws”, where the bans can come into effect immediately now that Roe v Wade has been overturned. Furthermore, the Supreme Court decision will also lead to the defunding of Planned Parenthood, which has received funding since 1970. 🚮
The decision will hurt impoverished people and women of colour the hardest. Black women in the United States experience maternal mortality at rates two to three times higher than white women. It’s hardly news that America is plagued by structural racism, but it’s certainly worth mentioning that the negative consequences of the ruling will manifest themselves differently across racial lines.
It will also force more women to manage abortions themselves. With abortion pills available to order by mail, it still poses a legal risk for women seeking abortions and many will opt for more dangerous practices such as self-induced physical trauma.😞
Justice Clarence Thomas has also stated that rulings protecting gay rights and contraception should be reconsidered after Roe is overturned. As Trevor Noah put it, what’s next: outlawing nipple play?? It’s a joke but a dark one. What’s happening in the US is not pretty to watch. We hope this sort of politicising of these issues never reaches our shores.
Tshego is a writer and law student from Pretoria. A keen follower of social media trends, his interests include high fantasy media, politics, science, talk radio, reading and listening to music.
He is also probably one of the only people left who still play Pokemon Go.
