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Understanding the Abortion Debate in the USA

Credit: NBC
In May 2019, protests sparked across the USA after Alabama, Georgia Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Ohio moved forward to limit the procedure of abortions. Although most states have been pending on the introduction of these bans, Alabma has passed a law to ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. The law bans abortions at every stage of pregnancy and criminalizes the procedures for doctors, who could be charged with felonies and face up to 99 years in prison. The exception of the law will be for cases of rape or incest. The state senator, John Milkovich said that “God values human life, and so do the people of Louisiana, we believe this is an important step in dismantling the attacks that of the abortion cartel on our next generation.” 
The History
Up until the late 19th century abortion in the US was legal. Before this abortion was often dealt with the illegal sale of dangerous drugs that women use to self induce abortions. In Texas, 1973, Roe v. Wade case had reached the conclusion by the US Supreme Court that the state’s abortion ban was illegal becasue it violated the US constitution. The law stated that the choice to terminate a pregnancy in the first trimester was solely up to the women. In the second trimester, the government could regulate the abortion however not ban it in order to protect the mother’s health. In the third trimester the state could prohibit the abortion to protect the fetus, except when a woman’s health was in danger. 
The Opinions
The two main opinions that challenge these laws are Pro-life and Pro-choice. The opinions for Pro-life contend that the individual human life begins at fertilization and therefore abortion is the immoral killing of an innocent human being. Their opinions entails that abortion inflicts suffering on the unborn child. The founder of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition, Eric Johnston said that “Until now, there was no prospect of reversing Roe, so why not go all the way?” Johonstin has spent 30 years trying to ban abortions. Johnston and many of the Republican lawmakers are supporters of the bill as they believe that God has created the miracle of life and to take away that life would be a crime. 
However, the opponents of this bill are prominent democrats such as Senator Rodger Smithersan - “Abortion is health care. When we pass Medicare for All, we will be guaranteeing a woman's right to control her own body by covering comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion.” The support from female candidates such as Senator E;izabeth Warren, Senator Kamala Harris and Senator Kristen Gillibrand states that this “war on women” calls for all Americans to “fight like hell.” 
The Conclusion
Although the bill was signed into law in May by the Alabama governor, Kay Ivey, In October 2019 the abortion ban was temporarily blocked by a Federal Judge. Judge Myron H.Thompson of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama wrote that the law violates Supreme Court precedent and “defies” the constitution. Moreover, six federal judges from other states have also blocked these types of laws from going into effect. 

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