The Supreme Court Of The United States (SCOTUS) has overturned the legendary Roe vs Wade case that protected the abortion rights of a woman. The jury ruled that there was no constitutional right to abortion in the US. In 1973, US Supreme Court made a landmark decision to recognize abortion as a “privacy right” after a pregnant unmarried woman filed a lawsuit against Texas state for criminalizing abortion. The sweeping decision by the court was backed by 6 out of 9 justices but criticized by a vast majority of Americans.
Rights advocates raised concerns about the implications of the court’s decision which could see nearly half the states banning abortion in the US. Republican-led states will be the first ones to ban or restrict abortion while Democrat-led states will try to protect access to abortion. The new ruling also sets up a precedent for a potential legal fight between the state and those who provide access to abortion.
The US citizens have not taken kindly to this news. Thousands of protestors across the country took to the streets to condemn the court’s ruling. They chanted, flashed banners, danced, sang poems, and gave hugs. One even climbed the Frederick Douglass Bridge in D.C. to protest against the abortion ban. On the other hand, social media was having a protest of its own. Hurt by the discriminatory decision by the SCOTUS, they made several memes that explained how terrible this ruling was.
Abortion Rights Protect Women
The first and foremost concern of having no abortion rights is that a woman could get jailed for someone else’s mistake. A couple could decide on having consensual sex with contraceptives but 100% safety is never guaranteed. Meme activists questioned if a male’s sperm was responsible for planting a seed in a woman’s womb so why women were being punished. They asked why shouldn’t men get vasectomy too and become infertile so both can enjoy sex without worrying about getting pregnant.
This meme also shows how Supreme Court has made women further vulnerable to rape. It was already a difficult mission for women to prove that she was raped and now she would have to struggle to get rid of the rapist’s seed, in case she got pregrant.
Nobody Can Decide for Women
After the widespread ban on abortion, women will be forced to travel to another country or seek illegal means of abortion. It led many to criticize the judges who agreed with such a bill that antagonizes women. According to reports, a male conservative justice Samuel Alito submitted a draft opinion to overturn Roe vs Wade case. It infuriated many citizens who questioned why was a man trying to dictate what a women could or could not do. It also reminded the social media users of a dialogue from Friends Seaon 8 Episode 14. Jennifer Aniston’s characters Rachel said “no uterus, no opinion” to David Schwimmer’s Ross during the episode, which became highly popular among women’s right activists. The quote makes a strong argument for abortion rights and women to have complete control of thier bodies.
Countless Children are Without Parents
As many protested against SCOTUS’s decision, some also celebrated it. They call themselves “pro-life” because they believe abortion is murder. However, in reality, not everyone wants to be a parent and also cannot stop having sex. They countered the argument by asking the so called “pro-lifers” if they cared so much about life then why wouldn’t they adopt orphaned or abandoned children and save thier lives, rather than producing more.
Guns Have More Rights Than Women in the US
The striking difference between Supreme Court’s decision regarding gun and abortions law have infuriated the public. For them it was insane that lawmakers made firearms openly available but snatched abortion rights from women. The court expanded the rights to keep firearms even after a series of mass shootings. Just last month, 19 children and 2 teachers were killed in Texas school shooting leading to criticism of gun-freindly laws in the US. However, the court’s decision gave the citizens a right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense. Critics argued that more people will be armed on the streets looking for opportunities to pounce. Social media users shared memes that painted SCOTUS as a facist institution.
