In the United States, the summer of 2022 was extremely eventful in the political world. With people still coming to terms with the details of the Uvalde school shooting that happened in late May, it seemed that the brief period of somewhat calm in the middle of June was instantly thrown out of the window when the Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade was overturned. Although a sudden decision, many were anticipating this conclusion as in the beginning of May, Supreme Court documents were leaked to the public about the fateful decision. As many have stated, this decision has walked back on much of the progress women have made in the last two centuries. Reform upon reform has been dismantled due to the decisions of five Supreme Court judges that appear to hold a heavy and robust bias against women and their bodily autonomy.

For those who are unaware, Roe v. Wade is a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court Case in which abortion was legalized and the decision to have an abortion was left to the woman or person with a uterus whose pregnancy it was. This landmark decision saved a vast amount of women throughout the years. This is because although a country can criminalize abortions, that does not mean abortions will cease there, as demonstrated by multiple examples across the world. People will find ways to get an abortion no matter what. These ways, unfortunately, are often far more dangerous than the legal methods. Thus, in legalizing abortions, anyone seeking one was guaranteed a safe procedure. Roe v. Wade saved many American women’s lives, and overturning the decision has been viewed by many as catastrophic.

A select few may disagree, but religion or any bias of the sort has no place in a supposedly secular government. Someone in a position of power should not make decisions based on their personal feelings or religious ideals because the people most likely influenced by that decision probably do not hold the same beliefs – or may choose to express them differently and prioritise different ideals. Moreover, if you do not want to get an abortion, that is your choice, but forcing that belief or ideology upon others is immoral due to its rejection of the fundamental bodily autonomy of women.

To summarize, having the right to an abortion is a humanitarian right. To criminalize abortions is to cause risk to anyone who needs one. To say that you are anti-abortion in your own life and situation because of your religion is perfectly valid, but to expect and impose that others should conform to your beliefs is unthinkable. You can be pro-life for yourself and pro-choice for others; in this way, everyone has the choice in their own body. Overturning Roe v. Wade takes that choice away.