Roe vs. Wade Turns 49 and Faces a Mid-Life Crisis
Reflecting on the 49th anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court case, the war on birthing bodies and the audacity to keep fighting for our rights.
By Sasha Ashton
From a young age, I knew my reproductive rights would never be guaranteed.
Growing up in Texas, where abortion is now illegal after six weeks of pregnancy, I was familiar with Roe v. Wade, the landmark supreme court case protecting the right to abortion without excessive government intervention early in life. I vividly remember the first pro-choice rally I ever attended, in 2013, when I was 10. I saw firsthand how deeply committed so many people in this country are to protecting the right to choose, and conversely, so many others are stripping it away. A parade of counter-protesters went by right behind my mother and me at one point. It felt like the whole demonstration was drowned out by their chants as they made their way through the crowd with judging eyes and badly composed signs. My mom pulled me aside and, with her hands on my shoulders, told me not to worry. She knew I knew that if I ever needed an abortion, it may be difficult or near impossible to accomplish. We would figure it out, she said.
In Pennsylvania, where I live now, abortion is legal until the 24th week. The knowledge that I could access one if I needed is an incredible privilege that I’ve been reflecting on recently this week, which marks the 49th anniversary of Roe—and managing the widely held fear that we may not see the 50th. Just this past week, on January 20th, the supreme court rejected a request from abortion providers in Texas to overrule the aforementioned Heartbeat Act, allowing it to stay in place indefinitely despite its violation of Roe v. Wade.
This rejection is the fourth time since the act commenced in September that our nation’s highest court has declined to protect the constitutional right of abortion-seekers in Texas, in effect blocking them from life-saving healthcare. Unfortunately, Texas is far from the only state where the right to choose is under attack—21 other states are on track to pass similar laws if Roe is overturned. Many have bans in the works in their state legislature right now, including but not limited to a ban at 20 weeks in Virginia, a ban at 15 weeks in West Virginia, and a copycat bill in Arizona.
(via Gutmacher )
It is easy to be hopeless. It is easy to be scared. I know I find myself feeling that way often…
Sasha Ashton is a writer from Austin, Texas living and working in Philadelphia, PA. For more from Sasha, you can find her on Instagram @ashasashton or on Twitter @slashatrashton.
