I have never questioned whether the legality of abortion is right. I know that legalized abortion is a necessity, is something that we can never give up.
With what happened Arianna recently, with the knowledge that today her options would be so different, living in Texas worries me. Living in the US worries me.
At the same time, I despise that there are women who use abortion as birth control.
And because I do believe that abortion should be legal, news like this concerns me:
No challenge to Roe foreseen in Texas
Foes are content to chip away, let other states wage costly, risky fight
— reported by the Houston Chronicle
The GOP-led Texas Legislature hasn’t been quiet about its opposition to abortion or shy about restricting women’s access to it.
In recent years, lawmakers have required parental consent, a 24-hour waiting period, state-directed counseling and state funding for abortion alternatives.
All this, according to some abortion rights groups, makes Texas one of 21 states most likely to ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever gives them the chance.
But with South Dakota lawmakers last week approving the nation’s most rigid abortion ban — designed to challenge the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion — one might wonder: Is Texas ready to take it that far?
The answer, according to several of Texas’ most ardent abortion foes, is no. Though they may admire South Dakota’s gusto, most think a law blatantly violating Roe v. Wade at this point is hasty, risky and too brazen for Texas to attempt.
[snip]
Texas abortion foes say they’ll watch closely what happens in South Dakota. The bill, which would ban all abortions except to save a mother’s life, is awaiting the governor’s signature. Seven states have introduced abortion bans to replace Roe, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “protect reproductive choices.”
Those in Texas’ anti-abortion camp say they’re content to let other states take the lead on picking an expensive court fight over Roe. In Texas, abortion opponents are encouraged by their strategy of chipping away at abortion, one restriction at a time, hoping to end the practice with a whimper rather than a bang.
[snip]
ABORTION IN TEXAS
• Law before Roe v. Wade: Abortion was illegal in Texas, except to save the woman’s life.
• Current law: Abortion is legal, with certain restrictions, including parental consent for minors, a 24-hour waiting period, state-directed counseling and information. After 16 weeks, abortions can be performed only at ambulatory surgical centers or hospitals.
The idea that any state is trying to reverse Roe is alarming. More alarming, however, is the thought that they have a real chance of succeeding.
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