Throughout the many centuries that women have existed, the views and laws surrounding the topic of childbirth and abortion have evolved. In some periods, they were pro-abortion, valuing choice, and privacy; in others, people were against the notion prohibited the ideology. There were even times when abortion was permitted or prohibited based on the case, person, and location. Currently, the debate on abortion has been given the spotlight with the supreme court overturning Roe v.s. Wade's case, abortion is no longer a nationally protected right. This ruling has allowed multiple states to terminate, if not exceptionally lowering the possibility of accessing safe abortions. In some cases, doctors caught performing an abortion are imprisoned, medically suspended, or charged hefty fines. This verdict shocked millions of American residents, blatantly ignoring women's rights, feminism, pro-choice, and liberal movements. 

In the past couple of decades, women have been working towards creating a much more inclusive, safe, and equal environment for themselves. They were able to get voting rights in 1920, completely changing their presence and power in the world of politics. Though laws had been established in favor of women's rights and equality, the mindset of American society still has work to do. There is still a salary gap between men and women, many women are still being restricted from education, and the stereotypes around the behavior of women are only growing. How should a woman dress? How should a woman behave? When should a woman lose her virginity? How many guys should a woman date? Should she be able to work after marriage? All common questions were asked when the answer should only be from the woman herself. Then there were the commands. “Date me or else…”, “You can't work as you have to take care of the kids”, “Go clean!”, “Get into the bed now”. If this wasn't bad enough, there were the comments that women would get after dating, being sexually active, or breaking up with someone. “Oh what a slut!”, “Really you're gonna ditch all of this, oh what a piece of shit”, “Whore!”, “Dude she’s such a bitch for leaving you, no one gonna satisfy her like you”, “Bruh she doesn't get no ass!”, “Was she even good in bed though?”.  Sex, which was ideally supposed to be a mutually pleasing experience, began identifying as something males would get or force out of a female when they needed to be pleased, or were “horny”. It was always about if the man was getting enough if he was getting pleased if he needed more if he wanted more. Never was it, is she ok? Does she feel pain? Is this good enough for her? The standards around sexual intercourse only really preserved the dignity of men, whereas women would get slut-shamed for sleeping with anyone other than their partner. Chores, lack of education, social stereotypes, and sexual stereotypes floated the societies that women grew up in. Fortunately in the past years, through various female speakers, feminist movements, and social media outreach strategies, stereotypes have been able to slowly show change. 

Many women, after realizing the boundaries that they had to cross in order to be seen as equal or get personal freedom, decided to speak out. This consisted of feminist movements, social media speeches, protests, boycotts, and various rallies. Though society had a lot of work to do, many began seeing through the eyes of women. Liberal states started looking at women as the future of this country. Education programs began to be more accessible and supportive of females in STEM and girls were encouraged to be high achievers. Conservative states, on the other hand, were furious at the arguments that feminists were able to share. This resulted in many states making their laws around women's rights and social stereotypes to become even more strict than before, in hopes that this would “show women their place in this world, what they were meant to do.”  We were seeing quite a steady improvement in the roles that females played. We saw many successes including Michelle Obama, Priyanka Chopra, Eleanor Roosevelt, Selena Gomez, and Malala, and the list continues. Girls in schools surrounding their dress codes and menstrual policies began protesting and gathering signatures in hopes to change their schools’ views. This continual growth was present and quite encouraging to those who wanted to speak out. Then the verdict of the Roe v.s Wade case was presented, and fury spurred and is currently floating among American residents. How could the supreme court create such a progress-erasing law, when the 21st century was supposed to lift the women's rights growth and succession? Women all around America are furious. After battling for decades to gain sexual, social, and stereotypical freedom, they opened their eyes to see it taken away with the supreme court’s verdict. 

Social media and those who are currently speaking out on the decision are mostly democratic women or women of color defending their physical rights. Those who don't believe in abortion generally stay away from social media due to an abundance of progressive and liberal movements. Most of the social progression and protesting that happened was through social media. So rightfully so, most social media users and those speaking out are liberals or pro-choice individuals. By hearing such a pro-choice ruckus, we fail to realize that there could be someone so close to us representing the pro-life movement without entirely understanding what it means or stands for.

Hearing the pro-life statement, many wonder why it is so heavily frowned upon. The thing is, you can most definitely be a pro-life individual and mock abortion, but then it is also your duty to stick with the pro-life approach throughout the child’s life. Many individuals who don't support abortion and are “pro-life” fall into the traps of racism, sexism, and many other social injustices. So how can you be pro-life, if after the child is born you are just going to be racist, sexist, and show injustice to it? How can you promote “equality” for ALL life in America regardless of whether it is a fetus or not, if you are constantly showing injustice to anyone who is different from the majority, or different from you? That right there is not pro-life, but it is pro-you. It is pro anyone who fits the status quo’s majority. It is anyone who is wealthy, caucasian, does not fall under any minority group, and is male representing. That's where the pro-choice has an issue. Pro-lifers don't care about the child post-birth, yet have so much to say when it is “A” fetus; not even their bodies. Words get promoted, yet their actions don't come through. 

Another major reason that this anti-abortion decision angered residents, was because of the “your body, your choice” statement. It is a woman's body that usually delivers and nourishes the child. So if it is her body and herself that will be caring, watching, and helping the child grow, then it is she who gets to decide whether the child is someone she can keep or someone she has to let go of. Who are you to decide if a fetus should be born or not if it is not you who will be caring for it through all the pain, injustice, bliss, and roller coasters that it will encounter? Who are you to demand that the woman keep the child if she is not ready? Who are you to decide someone’s fate? 

This “who are you to-” comes under the 19th amendment of privacy, which was originally why abortion was legalized. “Your life, your choice”, falling under the privacy of each individual was the reason abortion was made okay, because in the government’s eyes before the Roe v.s. Wade's case, abortion, childbirth, and love were no one’s business but those directly involved. 

Another major point that was brought up several times was rape and unhealthy fetuses. If a woman gets pregnant after getting raped, it is most definitely her right to not have the child. The birth of a child may cause much emotional trauma, and PTSD, and could possibly put on pause the girl’s life. Sadly, the majority of the girls who are raped are between the ages of 16-24, which is also the prime time in terms of education for most people. How is a woman who has gotten raped supposed to continue with her life and achieve all of her dreams and goals if she is forced to birth a child that was never hers, to begin with? A child that was forced into her. A child that reminds her of the person who destroyed her life, insides, and soul: who tore her to pieces. A woman should be able to decide for herself if she wants to keep the child or not, especially if the child’s birth was not her decision or choice. 

Then there are those fetuses that turn out to have some sort of terminal health issue that will result in immediate death after birth. Why should a woman be forced to birth a child that is only going to die after a week? Not only does childbirth put tremendous strain on a woman's body, but the woman is highly prone to get postpartum depression, trauma, weight gain, and health issues if she continues to grow a fetus that is only to die within the first couple of breaths. A woman's life and emotional state are quite literally endangered if she keeps holding on to a lost cause. Can you imagine if a child that you grew up with inside of your own body, that you had grown to blindly love dies, and you are forced to painfully birth it, see it, and then dispose of it? The mental and physical pain of that is tremendous. 

I believe that abortion should be available to every single woman in this nation. It is her body and her choice followed by her baby and her voice. The current events though have resulted in quite a shocking and history-shaping decision, with the voice of the youth portrayed through protests and social media, we can hope to see a difference. I hope to see a change that will shift the arrow to the voice of those who are pro-choice. Indefinitely it is the women, the youth, and the people of the now that must create change to grant each individual the voice they deserve to have. To grant each woman the voice she deserves, be pro-choice.