The reaction I had toward the leaked Roe v. Wade documents disgust really. To me there’s no reason why they should be overturning this law. This law if it does get passed, they’re not taking into consideration no one this is affecting. I honestly feel like even if it does go into law, there’s still going to be clinics, doctors doing the procedure under the table. So many women are scared right now about the decision that’s about to take place. The government doesn’t care if they are financially stable, in a healthy relationship, mentally stable, if they were raped or not, if you have a roof over your head, if your health or the babys health is good. Abortion should be our choice. What if something is wrong with the baby, and you just found out in the ultasound appointment because that’s what happened to my sister, we found out that my baby nephew was going to need open heart surgery the same day he was going to be born. And there was a very high risk, he wasn’t going to survive that. With all the hurt in the world my sister had to make a decision to terminate the pregnancy at 6 months. She had to do a two day procedure. She was depressed for a long time. But she didn’t want to bring my nephew into this world to suffer. And its reasons like this why they should not take away OUR rights. In the short film “This Is Lisa” there was a similar story with one of the women that called the hotline. The abortion hotline, is based on donations. They help you cover the cost of the abortion but it depends on the amount of money they have that day. This is very helpful and I wasn’t aware they did this. There were woman calling because they can’t make ends meet already and bringing in a new person into this world is going to make them struggle more. How its it that our right that we had once is again in the power of them. History is literally repeating itself. They want to control us. Aside from my feelings towards everything, this weeks reading was very insightful. I learned more about the leak that I wasn’t aware of because I dont watch the news. I found out about it through Instagram. We have to fight no matter what. Its OUR BODIES! We can not feel trapped in OUR bodies.

The government was trying to get the HYE amendment illegal, even while it was an affect 33 States had the insurance not paying for abortions for a woman. “ the this is Lisa” tries to help a woman pay for their abortion. But it’s base of donations. The government, Medicaid isn’t covering for abortions because of the HYE Amendment. The film the abortion divide mainly focuses on, how abortion clinic started. Many women get abortions two to rape, lack of money to be able to maintain a child (not being financially stable). Some woman feel embarrassed when getting an abortion because they are afraid of being judged by others. This film shows how woman feel well getting checked out before getting the procedure done, it’s difficult with the different cases. There are protesters outside of the abortion clinics trying to convince women and I got abortions. Most women usually get the RU468 pill because it’s less painful. For surgical abortion patients are sedated while the procedure is done.Medical abortions are carried out when a pregnant woman is given prescription drugs at a clinic and then sent home with the remaining tablets to finish the abortion at home. They will return for a second visit to ensure that the process was completed successfully. These allow the woman to be in a comfortable environment of her choice. They usually feel like a heavy  cramping like when your’e on your menstrual cycle that lasts about couple of hours. Most protesters are older white men, who think they can have an opinion about a woman’s body. According to the mothers home they are pro life, they don’t just hope the woman while she’s pregnant, they hope the woman when the baby is also born and make sure they have a place to live and food. In my opinion I believe men shouldn’t have an opinion on a women’s body wether she should have a baby for get an abortion because there are many risks with pregnancy, the person could be doing drugs or can be an alcoholic and isn’t in the right state of mind to keep a baby that’s one of the many reasons. Also not being mentally stable is one of the biggest issues that many women have when they see themselves forced to get an abortion and they have no help from their family or parent or even the government.

The draft leak is about Roe v. Wade being overturned. States may eventually make the decisions regarding abortion laws. The reason why this is such a huge deal is that it leaked while it’s still pending, which is the first draft decision in history this has happened to.

If this case is overturned, it will automatically lead to many problems for women. Many states, especially in the south, will ban abortions. My reaction is disappointed. Abortions will never stop, just the legal ones. If the government was truly concerned about saving lives, they would do something about the ones who are here now that are suffering. Vasectomies can be reversed, why not regulate a mans body? It’s like it’s too much to ask. The abortion helpline taught me that the Hyde amendment prevents federal funds to pay for an abortion. Hearing the women who called sounded hopeless. Women have to scramble for money just so they’re not stuck having a child against their will. One of the callers was pregnant while in an abusive relationship. The mental toll this has on women should be illegal. The government wanting to take away abortion rights will ultimately lead to women putting the child in foster care, where the child will have to grow up without their birth parents. People don’t take into consideration that having a child is not a cookie cutter process. Mothers will be left with trauma and poor mental/physical health. Another caller knew her child was sick and wanted to have an abortion because the baby was going to die regardless. If they’re going to die, why force her to suffer through pregnancy until it does? it’s inhumane.

The reading about Women On Waves was interesting to read, especially because I watched a documentary on them for this class earlier. Women on waves has saved women who don’t have access to abortion pills. They put in the work on the boat to make sure women get abortions. The fact that we have to sail the sea just to get women their needs should show that the government doesn’t care about us. They see us as “murderers”, when we’re just concerned for our health and lives.

The history in the announcement taught me that once again, almost everything is linked to racism and the desire for money. Enslavers treated slaves like objects and banned abortions so they could do the same to their children. Illegal abortions started to occur and many women died. With the government knowing that banning abortions led to more deaths, who’s really the murderer here? More people will die, so it cancels out that whole argument. Mostly minorities are in poverty, so it makes me wonder if they are doing this to keep us poor.

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn abortion rights will impose serious consequences on women, especially from low incomeareas and minorities. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of abortion, insisting that women reserve the right to an abortion without extreme government control. However, based on the leaked information surrounding the Supreme Court’s decisionand the video “Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa” the choice to overturn abortion rights will disproportionately affect low income and minority women,drastically exposing their lives to danger. Although the draft “does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any members on the issue in the case,” the idea of such a thought is an egregious breach of trust (Gerstein and Alexander 1).

The Hyde Amendment of 1976 legislated against the government’s intervention to help women seeking abortion with financial aid. The vetoed funding bill for the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (WEV) disproportionately affects minorities and low-income families. The video “Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa” shows how low income and minority women struggle with abortion, even when pregnancy possesses immediate risk to the mother.The implications of illegalization of abortion will impact medical facilities.

Various pro-abortion individuals have acknowledged that medical institutions that have been providing women with abortion procedures need to brace for a future where they will be punished and criminalized for providing abortion care.It is inconceivable to fathom how women can be punished and criminalized for opting for a procedure that directly impacts their life and health.

One of the arguments that the former Republic Congressman, Henry Hyde of Illinois proposed was that the American federal government voted against WEV because it was supposedly standing up for the rights of the unborn child. However, he spoke like the government truly cares about everyone equally. Many of the individuals impacted by the Hyde Amendment are the low income and minority families. If the government truly cared for them, it would enact various measures that enhance economic equity. Furthermore, abortion is neither the immediate nor pressing issue for minority and low-income families. The argument that the anti-abortion bill is standing up for minority and low-income children is not true, because what happens for those unplanned children once they are born. Are they simply forgotten, or do they not matter anymore? 25% of Medicaid beneficiaries seeking an abortion carry unplanned pregnancies to term because of the Hyde Amendment (“Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa”).Low-income and minorities are forced to see their pregnancies to term. If one can barely afford to care for themselves, how is it that they are forced to bring another human being into a situation of suffering and pain?

this weeks reading is something I been waiting for us to discuss and im glad that we are able to before the end of this class. hearing the news about this decision thats about to take place really broke my heart. millions of women right now are scared because is still very difficult to get an abortion either way because the cost is outrages but to being scared to be prosecuted as well is something women do not need to go through because I believe we all have the human right to do as we please with our body. my reaction was sadness I felt for our women who will have to fight to have some rights in this country as discussed in our previous post women who are denied these rights are not considered citizens but half citizens. I have been learning about this news thankfully to all the women in my social media who have been sharing post, signing petitions and going to protest. I believe abortion should be a right that everywomen deserves. we are not only allowing women to make decisions for themselves but we might be saving their lives along the way. many women get abortions for many different reasons like the women in the video on the abortion line many of these women are in abusive relations who do not wish to bring babies in this world to suffer others might bring sick babies into the world to suffer as well and many suffer from medical conditions that might result in their death if they proceed with the pregnancy. the part that really left me speechless about this whole situation is the last few mins of the video when hyde confirms that he wants poor women to give birth to babies because they are defesenless but what about the millions of children who are in foster care? what about their life? this is just something to think about. right now the united states is going through a shortage of baby food which is something to think about before banning abportion how are these women supposed to feed their babies if they are not able to breast feed? many women cannot medically do it cause it can cause harm to the newborn. bring a baby into this world is just someting that needs to be carefully thought about because its a big responsability for many women who are for exmaple in college or underage girls navigating thought life.

After finding about the leaked document about Roe v. Wade, I think the first thing I felt was exhausted. I thought to myself, “not again”. There has always been much conflict around abortion laws and there are states that have made it impossible to get abortions, but in my head I always thought at least it’s not a federal offense. There are alternatives, albeit difficult ones, but all hope wasn’t lost. Now, I can’t help but feel hopeless even though I know a decision hasn’t been made yet. The news coming out about how some states representatives want to ban birth control, and enforce many other invasive, oppressive policies to govern our bodies infuriates me to no end. I feel like this leak gave them all the fuel and excuse they needed to claim ownership and encroach upon women’s reproductive rights.

This week’s reading as well as the readings from previous weeks has really taught me so much about abortion that I didn’t know. I had vague knowledge about abortion pills but didn’t know it is the most common method of abortion. Also, I wasn’t aware that women helplines like Aid Access existed. I also didn’t know that abortion procedures (pills or otherwise) weren’t covered by insurance. This was the most shocking to me, and I think it perfectly highlights and summarizes the topic of intersectionality that we have been discussing throughout this semester. It is clear to see how low-income households, women of color, and people with disabilities are disproportionately affected by such policies. I know the issue right now is about how abortion may be criminalized, but I think it’s also important to realize that even when abortion is legally sanctioned, there’s still thousands of women that can’t get access to it. While it may read like a right, the truth is that abortion is still a privilege. Like we saw in Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa, there are a lot of women that cannot afford to get an abortion and are forced to carry to term. Add to that, restrictive state policies that create countless barriers to access, and the threats, harassment, and abuse people going to Planned Parenthood or healthcare providers that provide abortion services face, it’s clear to see the de facto criminalization of abortion. It’s ironic how they hide behind veils of “right to free speech” while completely trampling on others’ rights to privacy and body autonomy.

If Roe v. Wade doesn’t get overturned, that doesn’t mean we can sit back and pretend everything is ok when there’s marginalized communities that will still be affected the same way they would be, even if it was overturned. For women barely making ends meet, for women with disabilities, for women with health concerns dismissed by health professional, access to safe abortion is still that much further. Right to abortion cannot truly exist until all women get access irrespective of their household income and their reasons. Like bell hooks said, “Concurrently there can be no such thing as “power feminism” if the vision of power evoked is power gained through the exploitation and oppression of others”.

Abortions, during the 18th century and until about 1880 were allowed under common law and widely practiced. They were illegal only after “quickening,” the highly subjective term used to describe when pregnant women could feel the fetus moving. While I was reading the leaked document about Roe v. Wade, many questions came to my mind, and in a certain way I felt sad for those women that are going through those hard situations. The idea to overturn the decision that protected women’s rights to have an abortion really impacted me and it also brings a lot of conflict in society.  Some believe fervently that a human person comes into being at conception and that abortion ends an innocent life. Others feel just as strongly that any regulation of abortion invades a woman’s right to control her own body and prevents women from achieving equality. And others think that abortion needs to be allowed under some but not all cir­cumstances. One thing I can say is that making this type of decision requires a lot of responsibility, and the truth is that what really matters is that the child can be given a good upbringing. I believe that any decision made by a person, in this case a woman, aware of the consequences that could occur, is not our business. The reading from this week was very interesting, I was able to learn a lot about the different types of abortions, the process and everything that is involve, depending on the duration of the pregnancy. Being honest I am not totally against abortion, I can understand the different situations behind the decision that a woman can make, and it must be so hard and difficult to deal with. But, at the same time I think that abortion is not the only option we have. At the end, this is a decision that people have to respect, a right that we have as a woman and to finish this our body and we can make the decision that we think is right for us.

When I first learned about the leaked document regarding Roe v. Wade, I was left in complete shock. To learn that the Court is planning to overturn a decision that protected women’s rights to have an abortion was, literally, gut wrenching to me, and all I could think of were the many women that would be greatly affected by this. Although the draft that was leaked does not reflect the final decision by the Court, yet, I feel that their intention to even revise it was, for lack of better words, a slap in the face. One could only wonder why, mostly men, in a courtroom, could justify the need to violate any woman’s rights, but just as Rebecca Gomperts simply stated, “Because if you can prevent abortion, you can keep people poor, and when you can keep poor, you can control them”. I myself, and many of the women I know, mothers and not, openly speak about how difficult it is to survive in this world by just taking care of oneself, so I can’t even imagine how those who struggle on a daily basis to meet basic living expenses would feel if they didn’t have a choice to do what they personally felt was right. By banning women’s rights to have an abortion, they are not only going to harm the woman who needs care herself, but the child’s upbringing as well. There are various reasons for why women make the choice to have an abortion, and it’s definitely no one’s busines; especially the business of men in a courtroom who will never have to make such a tough decision in their lifetime.

This week’s readings, and video’s, were extremely insightful and I got to learn so much more about they many different kinds of abortions there are, as well as the choices one can make if necessary. The videos, especially “The Abortion Divide”, gave me abbeter understanding of what the abortion process is like and how over the last many years, they were able to care for thousands of women from each year who all came from different financial backgrounds, ethnicities, religious, and ages. What I appreciated most were the many women in the video, The Abortion Divide, who shared their stories with the world. I think that many times, people often forget the emotional side and the physical/mental state women are in when making such a tough decision. When thinking about what I think is important to keep in mind right now during these horrific times are the women we are failing to provide care for. To remember that the rights that they are trying to take away from us are OUR rights, that pertain to OUR bodies, and to fight for not only ourselves, but for others.

• This is not a space to proselytize. Please base your response on the readings and video. Please note that you will not likely change your classmates’ or my opinions on abortion. Always remember the bell hooks quote I included in the week fourteen announcement when writing your posts.
• What, if any, reactions did you have to the leaked document about Roe v. Wade?
• What did you learn from the readings from this week (including the Week Fourteen announcement I wrote) and/or what were you reminded of that you think is important to keep in mind right now?

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