News Breakdown: How the Overturning of Roe v. Wade Demands a Call to Action
- alexisgtrifon
- Jul 3, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 3, 2023
By Alexis Trifon
On May 2, 2022, a Politico article was published and leaked the Supreme Court of the United States's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. In the landmark Roe v. Wade decision from 1973, the Supreme Court upheld women's constitutional right to an abortion. 49 years later, on June 24, 2022, this decision has been revoked.
The Supreme Court is comprised of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Stephen Breyer. Justice Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett are Republicans while Justice Sotomayor, Kagan, and Breyer are Democrats. This leaves a 6-3 political divide in the court. The only Republican to vote against the overturning of Roe v. Wade was Chief Justice Roberts. As a result, 1 woman and 4 men denied women the right to make decisions about their bodies and proved, once again, that we are not equal.
America's current political climate has become hostile and violent. Further, our political spectrum has been reduced to two opposing sides; red and blue. During Donald Trump's presidency, he nominated three ultra-conservative Supreme Court justices who represent only a fraction of the GOP's views. For example, about 40% of Republicans support legal abortions, according to the Pew Research Center. Moreover, 6 out of 10 Americans agree with the statement prior, making the highest court in the country unrepresentative of the people's views.
Just a few days ago, Justice Clarence Thomas stated, "In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court's substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell..." The cases he mentioned protect birth control and same-sex marriage in the US.
While the younger generations did not choose this future, it is critical that we rise to the occasion and effect change. In Michelle Obama's wise words: "Our hearts may be broken today, but tomorrow, we've got to get up and find the courage to keep working towards creating the more just America we all deserve." Remember that change can start on any level: have a conversation with your family or plan a peaceful protest! Also, the resources below explain ways to support women's reproductive rights in the US.
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