The ranting across the nation in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade makes no sense to me. Especially, the extreme response in Hawaii. Why didn’t our politicians simply say: “It doesn’t matter. Abortion is, and will continue to be, legal in Hawaii.” Yes, abortion has been a controversial issue for decades, largely due to the decision in Roe v. Wade. Had the Supreme Court gone the other way 50 years ago, state legislatures would have set whatever limits they thought were appropriate and responded to the will of their constituents.
The ranting across the nation in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade makes no sense to me. Especially, the extreme response in Hawaii. Why didn’t our politicians simply say: “It doesn’t matter. Abortion is, and will continue to be, legal in Hawaii.” Yes, abortion has been a controversial issue for decades, largely due to the decision in Roe v. Wade. Had the Supreme Court gone the other way 50 years ago, state legislatures would have set whatever limits they thought were appropriate and responded to the will of their constituents.
Yes, a significant majority of Americans believe that abortion should be legal in some or all cases. But a significant majority of Americans also believe that it should be limited in some or all cases. A relatively small minority are in the “all cases” categories on both sides. The majority are in the “some cases” group. Almost all believe it should be legal in cases of rape, incest or when a mother’s life is in danger. Most do not believe it should be legal near the end of gestation.
Where to draw the line is complicated, and the drawing of such lines was never intended to be the responsibility of the Supreme Court. As with may other political issues, the problem is greatly exaggerated.
According to the CDC’s abortion data, 90% of abortions are performed within the first trimester. Therefore, why is it a crisis if a state restricts abortion, with some exceptions, to the first 15 weeks? How often do women not know they are pregnant after more than three months? Of course, there are extreme examples. I read in the past of an obese woman being surprised when she delivered a baby; she didn’t know she was pregnant. There have also been a few reports of failed abortions where the baby was born alive and allowed to die thereafter. Should that be OK?
No, this is not the result of men seeking to impose their will on women. A recent survey showed that the opinions of men and women on abortion were very similar. Slightly more women favored allowing abortion during the first trimester. Surprisingly, slightly more men favored allowing abortion during the last trimester. (Maybe they didn’t want to be obligated to pay child support?)
It may seem wonderful when an unelected court rules the way you would like. But it’s not so wonderful when they rule the other way. That’s why our Constitution provides that the laws are to be determined by the people’s representatives, not by unelected judges.
Having grown up in a time when effective birth control was not readily available and abortion was illegal, I have a hard time understanding why imposing any restrictions at all is a disaster. There are consequences to our actions. We need to understand them and act accordingly.
Robert Hastings is a resident of Waimea.
