Abortion, Public Policy, & Texas

Over the duration of the last century, abortion in the Western hemisphere has become a largely controversial topic that affects every human being. In the United States, at current rates, one in three women will have had an abortion by the time they reach the age of 45. The questions surrounding the laws are of moral, social, and medical dilemmas that rely upon the most fundamental principles of ethics and philosophy. At the center of the argument is the not so clear cut lines dictating what life is, or is not, and where a fetus finds itself amongst its meaning. In an effort to answer the question, lawmakers are establishing public policies dictating what a woman may or may not do with consideration to her reproductive rights. The drawback, however, is that there is no agreement upon when life begins and at which point one crosses the line from unalienable rights to murder.

In 1973, in what has become a landmark ruling for women’s rights, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a woman’s right to an abortion. Ever since, individual states have adopted, altered, and/or mutilated the edict to fit their agendas – Texas included. However, the decision made by the justices in Roe v. Wade didn’t set clear cut, inarguable demarcation lines, which has allowed the fiery debate to consume the nation. Rather than establishing a legal ruling of what life is, or is not, the Supreme Court has remained silent on the issue.

In the absence of an agreement determining when life begins, state sovereignty has allowed state legislators the authority to shape a state’s policy on abortion. Thus, what has occurred across the United States is the ability for states to enact legislation which places severe limitations on when and how a pregnancy may be te...

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...therwise the majority’s rights lose their meaning.

Works Cited

Al-Arian, L. (2014, April 25). With new laws in Texas, self-induced abortion likely to rise. Al Jazeera America. Retrieved April 25, 2014, from http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/fault-lines/articles/2014/4/25/with-new-laws-intexasselfinducedabortioncouldrise.html

Dave, P. (2014, April 16). Judge rules North Dakota's ban on abortions after 6 weeks unconstitutional. Los Angeles Times. Lost Angeles, CA. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-north-dakota-abortion-ban-unconstitutional-20140416,0,2368017.story#axzz2zxVTvNT4

McDermott, L. B. (2014, April 11). Arkansas to appeal ruling on abortion restriction law. Reuters. Texarkana, Arkansas. Retrieved April 25, 2014, from http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/11/us-usa-abortion-arkansas-idUSBREA3A1ZL20140411