A Supreme Controversy (Extra Post)

    On May 2, 2022 documents were released from Supreme Court discussions regarding possibly striking down Roe v. Wade. This is unprecedented for the Supreme Court. First off, leaks of information from the Supreme Court are rare as the information is known by very few people so the topics are usually kept tight-lipped until the result is announced. Additionally, this is unusual because the Supreme Court is using strong form of judicial activism to strike down what many have considered an important precedent. This is so controversial because most people interpret the case as all about abortion rights, so the right and left side of politics will argue because of the possible result, but in fact the case is more about the overall right to privacy. 

    The case in 1973 did not necessarily determine if abortions were legal and morally right, instead they said that the Texas abortion laws were unconstitutional because it violated the fourteenth amendment and the over enompassing right to privacy and right to choose how to live your life. This is important to recognize and value because as individual citizens we do not want to be told how to live our lives by the government and this is one of the main safeguards that protect the way we live our lives in private and with free choice.        

    In saying this, it is important to understand that this decision is not final as it is a leaked document from the draft of the majority opinion and justices can still change their mind before it is made final. Also, it is important to note that the original case only protected first trimester abortions, but still allowed restrictions for second and third trimester abortions. Overturning the case would not outlaw abortions, it would just allow the states to restrict them as they see fit. In the end, it is of my personal opinion that Roe v. Wade should not be struck down as it is important to the privacy of individual U.S. citizens to live their lives the way they wish without government oversight and restrictions.