On June 24, a Supreme Court ruling overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that made abortion legal everywhere in the United States of America. The new ruling made the issue of legality regarding abortion go to the states, where each state can now have their own policies. 

Since the ruling, some states implemented restrictions or bans on abortion.  Certain states have what were known as “trigger laws,” laws to ban abortions that would go into effect if Roe v. Wade was overturned. 

Alabama did not have such a “trigger law.” Alabama Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed the Human Life Protection Act in 2019, which was the most restrictive abortion ban at the time. It provided an exception for when pregnancy posed a threat to the mother’s life. This law would have made it a felony to have an abortion, but it was struck down because it violated Roe v. Wade. Something similar to the Human Life Protection Act can now become state law in Alabama and lawmakers are looking into it. 

In my home state of New York, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law that protects medical professionals who are performing abortions from misconduct charges, protects the information of employees at abortion providers, and prevents extradition if someone is charged in another state. As a New Yorker, I am sad to see laws in defense of those who perform what I consider to be mass murder. 

My perspective is of a pro-life Libertarian. The Libertarians believe in very small government and that crimes are only crimes if there is a victim. I believe abortion is a crime because every abortion kills at least one human being. It is not a Libertarian member’s view to support murder in any form.

I personally believe that abortion is always wrong, with the exception if there is a medical threat to the mother’s life. The justification for abortion would be the same as self defense. 

Pro-choice members may cite a pregnancy occurring due to rape as a justification for all abortion. However, according to one study cited in 2019 article in USA Today, “just 1% of women obtain an abortion because they became pregnant through rape.” In addition, the situation in which a child was conceived is not the fault of that child and the circumstances surrounding conception do not determine the worth of a person.

Some people in the pro-choice movement may argue that a fetus is “not human” or “not alive.” I don’t agree. According to a publication by the University of Chicago, one study reported 95% percent of biologists believe life begins at conception.  In my opinion, people who claim to ‘follow the science’ choose to ignore that statistic. 

I also believe that the argument used by many pro-choice supporters of “my body, my choice” isn’t true in the slightest. It’s the baby that is being killed and the baby is a different person with a unique set of DNA.

If a woman does not want a child, I am in support of her putting that child up for adoption. Even if that child is never adopted, the child is given a chance at life they would not otherwise have. Who knows what the child could have done for society? They could have cured cancer or ended world hunger. Even if they didn’t do any of those things and was just an average person, they still deserve to live.

In my opinion, violence against the unborn is unacceptable. Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, the fight for life is still not over. I  believe we must rally against abortion in states where it is still legal. Fetuses are the only group that cannot speak up for themselves. We must speak up for them. We have the ability to save countless lives. We must do so. We must stand up, and in unison, against abortion.