In recent years, there has been a government crackdown on abortion laws. Abortion has been a fiercely debated topic now for decades.
Back in the 18-century abortion was legal and safely practiced across the United States until around 1880. Once abortions became criminalized in the United States, people took to the streets in protest and many women began finding their own ways to get an abortion.
Unfortunately, many times street abortions were extremely dangerous, causing women to have severe health issues or to die.
Abortion remained illegal until 1973 when the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that women have a constitutional right to have an abortion without excessive government interference.
In the summer of 2019, the Ohio legislature passed a law called the Heartbeat Bill, which would have limited abortions to the first six weeks of pregnancy.
This bill was quickly vetoed by the Supreme Court and is not currently in effect. While women can still receive a safe, legal abortion in the state of Ohio, certain laws trying to deter women from receiving one are still in play.
For example, in April, a federal court ruled that Ohio can enforce a 2017 law banning abortions when medical tests show that a fetus has Down’s Syndrome. Last year Ohio passed a bill that states you must cremate or bury the fetus after aborting.
The war on abortion is sure to rage on while rules and regulations are becoming stricter, and members from either side of the aisle are becoming more and more polarized.
Pro-life supporters argue that it is unethical to receive an abortion and it is the same thing as killing a human baby. On the other hand, pro-choice supporters simply believe it is a woman’s right to decide if she carries a pregnancy to term.
Marquie Peyton
Intern