Texas is notorious for it’s abortion restrictions and it’s politicians are known for their anti-abortion stances. With the Supreme Court ruling against the constitutionality of HB2 this past week, I though it would be appropriate to address other restrictions against abortions in Texas.
The biggest Texas abortion restriction is one that requires the woman seeking an abortion to have a counseling session and an ultrasound 24 hours before the procedure happens. I personally believe that this restriction is unconstitutional. It completely goes against a women’s right to privacy, and with abortions being time sensitive, creates undue burden for the woman. This restriction treats women seeking abortions like they don’t have the intelligence to know what they should or should not do with their own bodies. The “counseling” is has an obvious pro-life agenda, and is placing politics before a women’s health. The decision to abort should be between a woman and her doctor. Legislation created to undermine this private relationship is unconstitutional and ridiculous.
The second restriction Texas places on abortion that I would like to address is the law that requires minors to have parental permission before getting an abortion. Anytime minors are involved it makes things complicated. In this case, there shouldn't be an argument. If a teenager wants an abortion, I personally would hope that they discuss it with their parent(s) before making a decision. But sometimes, this may not be an option. The safety of the young woman seeking the abortion may be put at risk if she were to get parental permission. On the other hand, her parent(s) may not allow her to get an abortion if they have moral qualms about it. This is not their choice. It is no ones choice but the woman's, young or old, seeking the abortion.
While the ruling against HB2 was a huge step forward, there is still more to be done. These restrictions undermine a woman's right to choose. They are wrong. It is time to again say no to the regulation of our bodies.
2 comments:
Following our 4th participation topic, I came across "Dear Texas: Stay out of my health decisions." by Nicolette Loisel. My peer explains and analyzes two other restrictions against abortions in Texas, asserting that these restrictions undermines a woman's constitutional right of choice. My colleague cites two other Texas abortion restrictions to not only display the stupidity of these restrictions, but also to prove that she has the knowledge to address this topic.
My peer states that one restriction requires that women seeking an abortion must have a counseling session and an ultrasound 24 hours before the procedure. You would assume that the goal of this requirement is to ensure the safety of women during their procedure, but she exposes its true goal to prevent the abortion from occurring. Furthermore, my colleague comments upon the undue burden this restriction places on women and how it invades the privacy between women and their doctors. Women have a reason behind their decision to have an abortion. Why must the government impede as though they doubt women have the capacity to make correct decisions?
My colleague then moves on to address a second restriction, which requires that minors have parental permission before receiving an abortion. Of course, a teenager should discuss such a matter with their parents, but it should be for the purpose of informing their parents of their decision or ask for their assistance, not to have their parents make the choice for them. A teenager has the awareness and knowledge to decide what they believe is best for them. Like my peer states, this choice is no one's but the woman's, young or old, seeking the abortion.
My classmate asserts that these restrictions aren't solely about the abortion; they're about a woman's right to be in charge of her own body. It's time to again say no to the regulation of our bodies. People will have varying opinions about abortions, but does the government have the right to force their opinions on women?
I wrote a post in support and addition to this post on my blog! I completely agree.
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