Jake Mireles

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022, millions of pregnant people have been fighting for their rights and their lives. These individuals have had to seek reproductive help in alternative and unsafe ways. According to The National Library of Medicine, “42 million [people] with unintended pregnancies choose abortion, and nearly half of these procedures, 20 million, are unsafe.”

This ruling is fatal, and Republican states are taking advantage of the ruling and have furthermore been restricting pregnant people’s rights and access to a safe abortion. In Oct. 2023, Lubbock became the largest county in Texas to approve the abortion travel ban. By implementing heavier restrictions in their areas, lawmakers are putting pregnant people’s lives in danger and stripping them of their right to healthcare. 

But all hope is not lost. In the 2024 presidential election, there are a few ways that change can be made to alter the abortion laws. Depending on the opinions of the presidential candidates, their beliefs will affect the voting turnout to support your judgment of abortion. Another way change could happen is if a member of the Supreme Court retires and a new member is put into place by President Joe Biden. That will add more variety to the collective viewpoint of the current Supreme Court. 

Citizen initiatives and popular referendums are both forms of direct democracy. In 23 states, citizens can put constitutional amendments on the ballot to bypass or appeal their legislature. So, depending on the state you live in, you can place proposed statutes or collect signatures to put constitutional amendments on the ballot in your state and fight for change.

So much in this world needs to be fixed; a person’s body is not one of them. People should have the liberty to make personal decisions about their bodily autonomy. Receiving an abortion is more than just trying to get rid of a mistake. People with happy pregnancies will not always have healthy pregnancies. Abortion is healthcare, and it saves lives.