Supreme Court majority draft does not reflect Americans’ opinion

“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled.”

That is the consensus of the U.S. Supreme Court, from a majority draft opinion leaked earlier this week. Justice Samuel Alito wrote this draft, indicating the Court would reverse Roe v. Wade, the Court’s 1973 decision that essentially protected abortion rights, and undo Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the Court’s 1992 ruling that mainly reinforced Roe v. Wade.

“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” Justice Alito’s leaked opinion reads.

Chief Justice John Roberts called this leaked information “a singular and egregious breach of truth” and has directed the marshal of the Court to investigate. Roberts has also been on the record for repeatedly saying that he does not believe the Court would ever attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The debate between pro-life and pro-choice camps has never gone away since Roe v. Wade was decided 49 years ago. It seems opponents, primarily Republicans, have done more to push to reverse the ruling than its supporters, mainly Democrats, have done to protect it. The GOP has worked within recent Republican administrations to promote and appoint pro-life-leaning justices to make this possible reversal possible. Many states have passed laws within the past year that either ban or restrict abortions. Republicans have politicized abortion to make this divisive issue a point of contention in the run up to the mid-term elections later this year.

Pro-life supporters have long equated abortion to murder while failing to acknowledge the greater harm an anti-abortion law would have to women’s health. The real debate should focus on access to healthcare, not morality. Women’s access to healthcare or decisions about their health or bodies should not be left to lawmakers or judges.

A nation without the right to choose would only invite alternative and dangerous alternatives for women seeking abortions for unwanted or unplanned pregnancies. Prohibiting abortion would also present a greater impact on the poor. Whereas as women of means may still be able to find safer, albeit illegal, ways to receive an abortion, those women who struggle to make ends meet would also struggle to find any affordable option, regardless of the risk to their health.

Roe v. Wade has given Americans the right to choose an abortion. Pro-choice advocates can pursue abortions while pro-life proponents retain the right not to.

Reversing Roe v. Wade would also impact our right to privacy. If abortions were no longer legal, what other rights would legislators and judges go after next? The right to contraception? The right to marry whom you want?

Most Americans believe that Roe v. Wade should be upheld. New polling from ABC News and the Washington Post reveals that 58 percent of citizens believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, and 70 percent say that lawmakers should not decide who can receive an abortion.

However, the leaked deliberations within the Supreme Court indicate otherwise. The draft opinion from five of the Court’s nine justices do not reflect the majority of the nation’s citizens. This decision should reflect the will of the people and should be left to legislators or judges.

Will Buss teaches broadcasting and journalism at Western Illinois University.

This article originally appeared on The McDonough County Voice: Abortion under fire despite approval of majority of Americans