Split
The populace was divided when the US Supreme Court’s draft opinion that could overturn the country’s abortion law was released. On the one hand, Republicans breathed a sigh of relief as they saw victory in a decades-long struggle drawing ever closer; On the other hand, Democrats and major groups defending abortion rights took to the streets to loudly demand that a right recognized in 1973 should not be abolished.
In the United States, abortion is legal at the federal level thanks to the historic Roe versus Wade ruling, based on a particular interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which protects the right to privacy. Fifty years ago, judges recognized in their ruling that the constitutional right to privacy “is broad enough to include a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.” However, there is no uniform law that defines the modalities: each federal state can enact regulations to regulate abortion internally, whereby the limits of punishment are always observed.
The controversial story of Jane Roe, who legalized abortion in the US
Beyond the divisions and political connotations, the leaked draft (unique in US history) is an alarm bell ringing for all citizens of the United States and beyond. The text, signed by Judge Samuel Alito — which is not yet a final decision — is 98 pages long and, in its brevity, marks a step backwards (or forwards, depending on your point of view) in the politics of major western democracies.
For Chief Justice Alito, the son of two Calabrians who emigrated to the United States, the abortion journey to abortion rights began the day after he graduated from law school. Alito, 72, first graduated from Princeton in 1972, discussing a 100-plus-page thesis on Italy’s Constitutional Court and how it works on the civil rights front, ranging from relations with the Vatican to conflicts with the Supreme Court and ordinary judges. Studies that anyone would consider surprisingly relevant even today in the beautiful country.
And then, with a dissertation under his belt on Italy’s constitutional body, he joined the prestigious Yale and graduated in 1975, two years after the famous Roe v. Wade verdict. Even before he went to court thanks to the nomination of Republican President Bush (in 2006), Alito had been working on a historical reconstruction to support the non-existence of a constitutional law regulating abortion.
By adopting the axiom of pro-life groups, those opposed to the practice of abortion, Alito has emphasized the protection of women’s health. However, this position is contradicted by the figures. According to the World Health Organization, there are about 73 million induced (i.e., non-spontaneous) abortions worldwide each year, accounting for about 29 percent of pregnancies. WHO estimates that more than 47,000 deaths per year are caused by the use of unsafe procedures and about 5 million hospital admissions due to complications such as bleeding or infection. And it is most likely a very weak phenomenon.
The US on its way to saying goodbye to abortion? It’s already banned here
In a temporal digression that has its roots even before the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision, Alito also identified the conditions for which it was time “to listen to the Constitution and the question of abortion to the elected representatives of the people return”. , as there is no constitutional right prior to application of the ’73 sentence.
With the draft report, which attempts to overturn freedom of choice and female self-determination, the conservative judge recognizes a hard-won right for women, the right to vote.
“Women are not without electoral or political power,” reads the document, signed by Alito. A very true statement to bear in mind every time you go to the polls. Because despite the peculiarity of the US electoral system, the downside of the social rights of US women is the consequence of those who have moved into the White House.
How much can a government decide about women’s bodies and lives?