By Arren Joseph-White
The election is over. The votes are in. Realistically, we do not know what America’s future holds. The idea of the unknown can be terrifying. One of Florida’s most controversial and important amendments this year was Amendment 4, which determined the right to abortion past the current six week law in Florida.
Results shocked and even scared some citizens-a 57% vote stating that women should be able to get an abortion if needed. While, to some people’s surprise, the majority voted for the amendment, it did not go into effect. Unfortunately, a 60% majority is required to pass, and that missing 3% ended up being the amendment’s downfall. With this dissenting decision, the coming months might be rocky and nerve-wracking.
But the question to ask ourselves is whether or not we have gotten rid of the problem. Has this continued six-week abortion ban really gotten rid of the problem? Something as major as the termination of a pregnancy is a big deal, and it can’t just disappear overnight. So, have we completely gotten rid of the possibility of someone getting an abortion, or will they continue on the down-low?
Unfortunately, there is not a simple answer to the question. To begin with, a woman is technically still allowed to have a legal abortion performed before her sixth week of pregnancy in the state of Florida. But, unless the woman is regularly tracking her cycle or decides to take a pregnancy test within that six-week time frame, the chances of her even being aware that she is pregnant are relatively slim. To put it straightforward, not passing Amendment 4 did not really ban these later abortions. It just banned safe abortions-ones done in a hospital with professionals and proper materials or procedures. Instead of getting rid of the “problem,” we merely created a new one. A more dangerous one.
The thing to remember is that no matter what, when people want something, they will find a way to make it happen. Similar to drugs or prohibition in the 1920s, the problem did not go away. The law was merely an obstacle. This has been and will continue to be the same issues we see today with abortions.
Unsafe abortions are typically done by people with lack of skills, materials, and a generally dangerous environment. Sometimes they are self-induced, while other times someone who is not qualified will do it. And they rarely end well. Whether ending in infection or organ damage, the results are clear and the damage is permanent. Keep in mind that people have their own respective reasons for terminating a pregnancy; they range from heath, finance, or lack of preparedness. Either way, access to safe and proper abortions should not be an argument if we want to solidify the health and wellbeing of American women.
After considering all of this, we should ask ourselves if it is worth it to make abortions illegal. It does not get rid of the problem, nor does it get us any closer to finding a solution. Our nieces, our sisters, possibly our daughters are counting on us to keep them safe. As we go forward in time, we must remember that when we fight for reproductive rights, we fight for the safety of those who need our support.