According to Washington Post , CNN and other media reports, on June 24, the U.S. Federal Supreme Court overturned the landmark "Roe v. Wade case" on the issue of abortion rights in the United States. This means that Women's right to abortion will no longer be protected by the U.S. Constitution.
US President Biden said: "This is a sad day for the entire United States." Protests and demonstrations broke out in many places in the United States.
News Background
Roe v. Wade
For nearly half a century, "Roe v. Wade" has been regarded as a landmark case that confirmed American women's legal right to abortion. The abortion rights it granted women greatly promoted women's education. , as well as improving employment and social status. However, nearly half a century later, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned this decision.
In the "Roe v. Wade case", Roe was a Texas girl who became pregnant out of wedlock and wanted an abortion, and Wade was a Texas prosecutor. In August 1969, Luo had an unexpected pregnancy. Because she was unmarried and unemployed, she planned to have an abortion. But according to Texas law, abortion is only allowed if the pregnancy is raped. Luo lied about being raped, but was rejected by the hospital because he could not provide police proof.
In 1970, Rowe sued local prosecutor Wade, accusing Texas' abortion-banning laws that violated his right to privacy. The lawsuit went on appeal from the district court to the Supreme Court. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Luo's favor by a vote of 7:2, confirming that the U.S. Constitution protected women's freedom to have abortions. But anti-abortion activists and groups have sought to overturn that precedent.
On June 24, 2022, the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5:4 to overturn the women’s right to abortion established in the Roe v. Wade case, which means that women’s right to abortion will no longer be protected by the U.S. Constitution.
This time, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to outlaw the constitutional guarantee of women’s right to abortion and leave it to the laws of each state to decide. This means that U.S. states will be able to decide on their own whether to allow abortion, and half of the states may completely ban abortion.
CNN reported that more than 20 states in the United States are expected to ban or severely restrict abortion, and abortion bans in 13 states will take effect immediately after the "Roe v. Wade" case is overturned.
Reproductive rights are women’s rights
Restricting abortion will only make it more dangerous
As Biden said, the "Roe v. Wade" was overturned, and the United States immediately became "an outlier among the developed countries in the world." After the Supreme Court announced this decision, many world leaders and international organizations spoke out in support of American women.
The Washington Post stated that the United States is now one of only three countries that restricts abortion in the 21st century. Over the past few decades, more than 50 countries have gradually relaxed abortion laws, but the United States has gone in the opposite direction.
French President Macron said: "Abortion is a fundamental right for all women and must be protected. I express my solidarity with those women whose freedoms have been challenged by the U.S. Supreme Court, and I will stand with American women."
Canada Prime Minister Trudeau called the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision “horrible.” He tweeted: "I sympathize with the millions of American women who will lose their legal rights to abortion. I can't imagine the fear and anger you are feeling right now." The country's foreign minister said: "Today I express my sympathy to the millions of American women who will lose their legal rights to abortion." It is a dark day for women."
United Nations Secretary-General Spokesperson Dujarric said that the United Nations has repeatedly reiterated that reproductive rights are an important part of women's rights and a principle of human rights upheld by international agreements. This is reflected in laws to varying degrees in many parts of the world. Restricting abortion will not stop people from pursuing abortion, it will only make it more dangerous.
Biden opposes
Let the United States go back 150 years
Blame former President Trump and Republicans
U.S. President Biden stated on the 24th that he "stands with" women across the United States and promised to use "all appropriate legal powers." to defend women’s reproductive rights. He bluntly said that this decision of the U.S. Supreme Court has set the United States back 150 years.
Biden spoke at the White House and said: "This is a sad day for all of America.The Supreme Court has clearly stripped away a constitutional right that is vital to many Americans, leaving the health and lives of women in this country now at risk. This is a manifestation of extreme ideology and a tragic mistake by the Supreme Court. "
According to CNN, the five justices who supported the overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision were all conservatives, and three of them were appointed when Trump was president. Biden also blamed former President Trump for this He said: "The three justices appointed by Trump have now decided to subvert the judiciary and eliminate the core of the basic rights of American women. This decision will destroy the legal balance in the United States and will have real and direct consequences."
Biden said: "This decision makes the United States an outlier among the developed countries of the world, but it is not over yet, and the Supreme Court's decision cannot be the final word. I will urge Congress to act and the American people to act with their votes. Get up. It shocks me that some states ban abortion even in cases of incest or rape. The U.S. government will guarantee women access to oral abortion pills, birth control pills, and the ability to travel to other places where abortion is prohibited. The state receives medical care."
Trump supports
"It's all because I nominated 3 justices.
This is the greatest life victory in a generation."
According to The Associated Press report, American politics and society showed their disapproval of the verdict. As divided as ever: Democrats were heartbroken, angrily criticized the Supreme Court and expressed their solidarity with women across the United States; while Republicans and a group of anti-abortion supporters were excited. Former President Trump called it "the greatest victory for life in a generation." ".
There are 9 justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. Currently, 6 are conservatives and the remaining 3 are liberals. The Republicans hold the majority. In this vote, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with 5 votes in favor and 4 votes against.
analyzed that for a long time, various polls have shown that the majority of the American people support the constitutional protection of women’s abortion rights, and the Federal Supreme Court can also understand this public opinion. However, during his four years in office, former President Trump sent three justices to the Federal Supreme Court. The three justices were not only conservatives, but also devout Christians, and the situation began to change. Trump even issued a statement saying: "The Supreme Court's ruling was only possible because I nominated three justices. It is a great honor for me to do so!"
State reactions
23 states have announced a ban on abortion
New York City mayor : Welcome to New York Abortion
After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it does not mean that abortion will automatically become illegal in the United States, but the issue of the legality of abortion will be left to the states to decide. There are perhaps 26 states in the United States that ban or severely restrict abortion.
The Washington Post pointed out that 13 states in the United States have so-called automatic bans. Once Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion will be automatically banned, including Florida , Louisiana , Utah and other states, but the effective time ranges from immediately, after a few minutes and after 30 days.
After the Supreme Court ruling was announced, 23 states including Louisiana, Texas, Ohio immediately followed suit and banned abortion, and 4 more states may quickly pass similar bans.
In September last year, Texas in the United States passed the "Heartbeat Act", known as "the most restrictive abortion law in the United States". It prohibits women from having abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy. If the fetal heartbeat is heard, the child must be born. Rape and incest are no exception. . The reward for reporting an abortion is US$10,000, and a woman took medication to have an abortion on her own and was even arrested by the police for murder.
Oklahoma makes abortion a felony and prohibits abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancy. There are no exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape and incest. Abortion is only allowed in emergency medical situations. Offenders are subject to a maximum penalty of $100,000 and a maximum of 10 years in prison. Year.
However, 17 states including California , Colorado , New York still support legal abortion. New York State Governor Hochul said: "This is a dark day. The Supreme Court's decision is not only reckless, but also reprehensible. Abortion is still legal and safe in New York State, and new laws are being prepared to hedge against the Supreme Court's decision. Impact.”
Hochul encouraged out-of-state women who couldn’t access abortions to come to New York to get them.She said: "New York has always been a beacon for those who long for freedom, and we will always be a safe haven for abortion seekers seeking care." The mayor of New York also said: "To people across the United States, we will do everything we can to provide you with Abortion services."
People protested
Cross-state abortion became inevitable
Demonstrations broke out in many places to protest and many people were arrested
According to US media reports, at least 26 states have or are advancing relevant laws, which means that 36 million women of childbearing age in the United States may The poor and minorities, in particular, will be the biggest victims of losing their legal abortion rights. A
CNN poll showed that 66% of the American people do not want Roe v. Wade to be overturned; 58% of the people hope that the state where they live can enact more permissive abortion laws after the Supreme Court's ruling.
reported that with nearly half of the states banning abortion, interstate abortion will become inevitable. Abortion will become more difficult for those with low incomes, black women and immigrants. Currently, only a handful of states in the United States have no restrictions on abortion, so women who live in states with abortion bans have to go to these states for the procedure. Nearly one-third of abortion facilities in the United States are located in New York and California, which means that women who want to have an abortion must travel hundreds of kilometers to complete the abortion. For those who are financially disadvantaged, it is even more difficult to obtain a safe abortion. They simply cannot afford to travel to have an abortion, so they may have no choice but to visit black clinics, buy abortion pills online, or even use folk prescriptions to self-abort.
As the two political parties and state governments in the United States debate endlessly, American women are venting their frustration and anger. Today, a large number of protesters have gathered in front of the Supreme Court, and demonstrations of varying sizes have occurred in Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, New York and other cities.
At least 70 protests are planned across the United States this weekend. In Los Angeles and other places, protesters also clashed with the police. On the evening of the 24th, thousands of demonstrators surrounded the state Capitol in Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, to protest against the Supreme Court's ruling. The police fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. In Washington, demonstrators burned the American flag in public. In New York, about 17,000 people demonstrated. During the demonstration, demonstrators spray-painted buildings and broke windows. The police arrested at least 25 people.
According to the " New York Times " report, many doctors and clinic owners are seeking advice from lawyers or guidance from state attorneys general. They are worried that providing abortion services will suddenly become illegal after the Supreme Court ruling, and they will eventually have to close their doors. Huashang Daily reporter Guo Ji compiled
