Image from DALL·E.
On November 8, residents of California voted overwhelmingly to make abortion a constitutional right in their own state.
An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy, and its legal status affects many individuals all around the world. Why is it such a big controversy in our nation one may wonder? In June of 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that the “U.S. Constitution does not protect the right to abortion.” This resulted in some states having restrictions and even going as far as banning abortion altogether.
Contrastingly, California has not changed their abortion laws, but Proposition 1 changes the Constitution of California, in order to not allow the state to be able to interfere with an individual’s choice regarding their own body’s reproductive system. Additionally this proposition gives residents of California the ultimate decision about whether or not to use contraceptives and also gives the choice on whether or not to obtain an abortion. Ultimately, it allows the individual to have complete control of their own body.
In an interview, Nitika Sathiya, an 11th grader at Washington High School, argues that “abortion is healthcare, so abortion should be a constitutional right since it falls under health care, and it is an extremely important decision and a life or death option for many people.” With this being said she then goes on to explain the problems that come if abortion cannot be accessed for all. Nitika indicates how without abortion accessibility, residents will be not only be unable to keep their bodies safe, but will turn to unsafe and hazardous ways of terminating their pregnancy. She furthermore explains how other people should not have ultimate control over another individual’s reproductive system, due to the fact that the body that they are dictating over doesn’t belong to them.
Those opposing Proposition 1 explain that this was only a tactic used by Democrats in order to target women and push them to vote for the Democratic party during this upcoming election. They also argue that since there is no cut off date on how far along an individual is with a fetus, the individual may abort the fetus even if it is capable of living.
Some argue, that since abortion is already legal in California, this amendment won’t actually change anything. Ella Yang, an eleventh grader at Washington High School, disagrees, explaining how the passing of this proposition could have more of an impact on the rest of the nation. They go on to explain how “just because it doesn’t affect you, doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect someone else.” Furthermore, Ella goes on to explain that if the bill was to be passed, other states would see the benefits and slowly move towards passing their own bills too. She concludes her statement by looking at the bigger picture and stating that “even if it is legal in California, doesn’t mean it is in other states.” She believes that, with this proposition passed in California, it will impact and move other states to also provide adequate and safe abortions for all who may need one.
Nishitha Boosi, who is a senior at Washington High School, has lived in Fremont, California for the entirety of her life. She has grown up mostly in the small, but well known town of Niles. This is her first year writing for The Hatchet—Washington High School’s very own newspaper. She enjoys writing about current events, and art. Some of her hobbies include running, spending time with friends, and scrolling through social media. In the future, Nishitha plans on going to university. She is very excited for this school year to continue and prosper!