The shockwaves from the leaked Supreme Court draft ruling are reverberating across the US – in both anti-abortion and pro-choice circles.
Since Roe v Wade legalised abortion nationwide in 1973, many women have fought tirelessly to overturn it, believing the life of an unborn child begins at conception.
Others have clung to the hope that America’s highest court might uphold the almost fifty-year-old ruling that allows a woman the right to choose.
We asked six women – three from each side of this debate – how they felt after reading the draft majority opinion that suggests the conservative-leaning court is poised to overturn the national right to an abortion (the court has launched an investigation into the leak).
My first reaction to the leaked document was shock that the Supreme Court appears to be overturning Roe v Wade. As a pro-life conservative, I am used to watching the American political spectrum continuously shift farther away from my values, so I was cautiously optimistic about this apparent progress.
However, I did immediately consider the likelihood of Congress reversing this decision by pushing legislation, or states reacting by passing extreme laws in support of things like late-term abortions.
If Roe v Wade is officially overturned I will have two reactions. First, I would be pleased and grateful at the Supreme Court making a decision that upholds the law and protects the sanctity of life.
Second, I would be relieved that the leak of this document did not successfully pressure the court to change its decision.
That is a direct attack on the Supreme Court’s credibility and impartiality. I am worried to see the Court’s process infiltrated by rogue political agendas.
Credit: bbc.com
