The Dangers of Reversing Roe

This was written by Alice, one of our student interns. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue.

On September 18, 2020, I was sitting on the living room steps, phone in hand, when I received a breaking news alert: Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died from pancreatic cancer complications. As I rushed outside to tell my mom, I was hit with the reality of the situation. Trump was going to nominate someone (despite the obvious hypocrisy in the act), and the Supreme Court would be 6-3 majority conservative. Essentially, it was terrifying, as it was for every pro-choice woman across the country. Our rights, our reproductive freedoms, now laid in the hands of 6 conservative judges. The abortion issue was one of the first thoughts in everyone’s minds following the shock of Ginsburg’s death. I recently watched Reversing Roe, a documentary following both the pro-choice and anti-abortion movements. The documentary, to be quite honest, was even more concerning. The immense push for the ban of abortion is infuriating, but the fact that the majority of these advocates also oppose abortion-reducing measures (comprehensive sex ed, accessible birth control), is beyond scary. It simply highlights the anti-abortion movement for what it is: an effort to control women’s bodies. 

The documentary itself followed the abortion argument from the 1950s to the present. While I would have liked to see the history of abortion starting from the 1700s, or possibly earlier, I understand the documentary was focusing on Roe v. Wade and the buildup to the landmark case. I enjoyed how the film interviewed both pro-choice and anti-abortion advocates, though the anti-abortion advocates were frustrating. There were also several details concerning abortion and Republicans, which given the topic of this year’s Civitas Internship (political factions), was very interesting. It was compelling that prominent Republicans (Reagan, H.W. Bush, Trump) all started as relatively pro-choice, but after seeking national public office, switched their stance to anti-abortion. After all, a significant amount of the Republican voting block is Evangelical Christians, who are adamantly opposed to abortion. It seems crazy to me that it used to be somewhat normal pro-choice republicans and anti-abortion democrats to remain in public office. Now, the political climate is significantly more divided over the issue, and it is completely partisan. 

Reversing Roe also included the story of a gynecologist in St. Louis, who is a pro-choice advocate, and even travelled around the country to give abortions in areas where they are not accessible. She talked about the disappointing, but not particularly surprising legislation in Missouri that aims to restrict women’s access to abortions. There is only one abortion clinic in all of Missouri. It is located in the Central West End, near Metro, the school I attend. We often drive past it on the bus ride home, and there are almost always protesters outside. Once there was even a guy dressed as the grim reaper — ridiculous. But this is the reality of abortion access in conservative states. The documentary also followed bills that went through the Kentucky and Texas state legislatures. This further showed the reality of the abortion issue in our country; with a conservative court, and the current push for anti-abortion legislation (2021 is set to be one of the most devastating anti-abortion legislative sessions ever), it is entirely possible that Roe v. Wade could be overturned. Again, terrifying. 

I am not a doctor, nor am I a lawyer or legislator, but I am a 15-year-old girl who is scared about the direction abortion access is heading. The idea that birth control will become increasingly inaccessible, that sex education will remain inconclusive and abstinence-based, and that abortion will be banned is extremely upsetting. But I want to make the point that I am a 25-minute car ride away from the abortion clinic in Illinois, which will likely remain open given how liberal the Illinois state legislature is. I can afford to buy effective birth control, I have parents who have provided me with comprehensive sex ed. But what if you didn’t have the money for birth control, or you were over 200 miles away from the nearest abortion clinic, or you were never taught how to have safe, consensual sex? The reality is, anti-abortion legislation will hurt poorer women and women in rural areas. At the end of the day, abortion has always happened, and always will. Outlawing it will drive lower-income women to get unsafe, illegal abortions, while wealthier women can afford to travel to receive the services they need. 

My biggest takeaway from the documentary is that anti-abortion advocates do not understand this. They don’t understand that no one LIKES abortions, that if you really want a decrease in abortions, you must give people access to birth control and comprehensive sexual education that will prepare them for having safe sex. However, you have to ask yourself, what if they do understand this? It’s a pretty simple concept, the science behind decreasing abortion. You just have to read an article or two to fully grasp it. Which begs the question, is abortion really about the act of aborting a fetus itself? Or is it just another tool of the patriarchy, one that can be used to control women’s bodies?