What Do You Think?

Last Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson temporarily blocked Alabama’s “near-total abortion ban”, which would have taken effect next month to make abortion a felony to perform, except under specific circumstances. 

Although I know that Alabama is a Republican state, the support from Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall was surprising to me. It also shocked me that Alabama Republican Representative, Terri Collins, sponsored the ban because I can’t imagine this ban gaining public support from so many officials where I’m from. 

Although no state bans officially went into effect yet, Alabama probably could have stood a chance of getting the abortion ban passed because these decisions can be made at a state-level and because of the amount of support for the abortion ban. Republican-led legislature even passed the Alabama Human Life Protection Act in 2019, which would make abortions at any stage of pregnancy be punishable for up to 99 years or life for the provider of the abortion! 

Another surprising factor to this ban was the strictness that the Alabama law was hoping to achieve; the law would have banned all abortions unless it was medically necessary to abort; This would include no exceptions for rape and incest victims. 

Although, I do understand that aborted babies don’t stand a chance in the world and giving birth to them, even if the babies cannot be provided for or become abused, at least have a chance at life… However, I don’t think a state should be able to ban abortions for all citizens; I think everyone should be able to decide for themselves what they want to do.

Some people are calling the Alabama ban unconstitutional if played out, whereas supporters of the ban argue that the Constitution doesn’t prohibit states from protecting unborn children. But how are they going to say that the Constitution doesn’t protect women’s rights to make their own choices (um Roe V. Wade)?

What is your interpretation of this argument? Do you think abortion bans are unconstitutional, or do you believe that states should be able to make their own decisions in protecting unborn babies?