Government in My Community - Nomi J
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Political Science
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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Government in My Community Template
Name:
Nomi Jones
Date:
10-09-2023
1
.
What is the issue or problem that is impacting your community? Describe the
issue or problem and its effects
.
1
A problem that is impacting my community and women all throughout these banned
states is the Roe v. Wade landmark decision being overturned banning
abortions in certain states. This issue affects me personally as I have had a
dear friend who lived within the border lines of one of the banned states and
was high-risk. Under no circumstance could she get an abortion within her state
lines regardless of the risk to her health. fortunately, she was able to travel
outside of state lines to receive an abortion elsewhere but unfortunately, this is
not the case for most individuals living within banned state lines
.
Abortion bans in certain states have extreme effects on the communities that reside
within the state lines. This ban restricts access to abortion services, impacting
individuals’ reproductive rights, healthcare options, and well-being. This
abortion ban increases barriers to abortion, especially for people of color and
lower-income communities. The overturn of Roe vs. Wade has limited
reproductive autonomy as it has hindered individuals' ability to make choices
about their own bodies. The people within the banned state lines find
themselves facing unwanted pregnancies while forced to come into
parenthood. Some individuals are forced into parenthood when they are not
looking to have children, are not financially sound, and are currently living in
poverty
.
This abortion ban denying the choice to terminate a pregnancy can lead to
significant mental health issues and distress. Individuals within the banned
states may take an emotional toll as they are left to deal with unwanted
pregnancies. This can also lead to a lifetime of mental health issues for the
child once born into a situation where they are unwanted. Individuals with the
means to travel out of state to have an abortion performed may still face
financial problems and challenges. There are some individuals who are unable
to travel outside of banned state lines due to logistical issues or simply not
having the funds or time to travel. This makes abortion practically out of reach
especially for lower-income communities
.
Individuals who do not have the funds or time to travel outside of state lines but are
in need of an abortion may lead to seeking unsafe and illegal alternatives that
have the potential to end their lives or complications
.
I am lucky to live in a state where abortion is legal but I cannot help but feel for the
individuals who have had their reproductive rights stripped from them leaving
some individuals in financial and mental binds
.
2
2
.
In the U.S. federal system, which level of government (local, state or national) or
branch (executive, legislative, or judicial) is responsible for addressing the
issue? Is there more than one? Explain your reasoning. Be sure to include
evidence from the U.S. Constitution and from the course to support your
explanation
.
In the U.S federal system, the level of government that is responsible for
addressing the abortion ban issue are the states government. The states have
primary authority over regulating and limiting abortion services. The Tenth
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution allows powers that are not given to the
federal government to be given to the states. This allows states to create
specific regulations that are separate from federal government regulations. The
issue of abortion bans involve multiple levels of government. The states
legislative branch are responsible for passing laws that relate to abortion.
Restrictions, bans, and regulations all fall under the umbrellas of what the
legislative branch is responsible for
.
Even though most of the responsibility falls within the states government, the
federal government also plays a role, especially via the Judicial Branch. The
U.S. Supreme Court issued decisions, the Roe Vs. Wade (1973) and Planned
Parenthood Vs. Casey (1992). The government kept the power to regulate
abortion access depending on the stage of pregnancy. The federal government
has the power and access to review states abortion laws and choose to either
overturn them or uphold them based on constitutional grounds
.
Overall, both levels of government - federal and state are responsible to some
degree for passing laws that ban abortion. The states are primarily responsible
for addressing the abortion ban as each state individually has the power to
implement their individual ban laws
.
3
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3
.
Identify all of the government officials discussed in your sources, and the level
of government and agency that the officials represent. For example, are they a
member of Congress? A city council member? Or a member of a federal, state,
city, or county agency
?
The articles I read mentioned the following government officials:
Samuel A. Alito Jr., Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Joseph Biden, 46th President of the United States
Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States
John G. Roberts Jr., Chief Justice of the United States
Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Neil M. Gorsuch, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Brett M. Kavanaugh, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Elena Kagan, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
4
.
How have these government officials attempted to address the issue? Describe
their actions, citing evidence from your sources with in-text citations
.
4
Roe v. Wade (1973), the Supreme Court established the constitutional right to
choose whether or not one would be able to have an abortion if needed within
the first trimester. Come 2022 the supreme court overturned Roe v. Wade,
eliminating the constitutional right to abortion
.
President, Joe Biden, stated the court’s decision would jeopardize the health of
millions of women. President, Joe Biden, quoted “It is the realization of extreme
ideology and a tragic error by the Supreme Court.” President Biden has openly
been opposed to state-level abortion bans as it goes against his pro-choice
views. President Biden made it priority to have federal judges who are in
support of reproductive rights. Not to long after President Biden took office he
rescinded the Mexico City Policy “global gag rule”. This policy decreases U.S.
foreign aid to organizations that provide abortion. President Biden restored
funding to those organizations. President Biden has worked to make the
Affordable Care Act (ACA) stronger. Democratic-led congress and President
Biden submitted millions of dollars to ensure low-cost insurance plans for the
people in prohibited states
.
In the last year since the ban 23 million women of reproductive age live within the
18 states with an abortion ban. Women have been denied medical care. State
officials within the banned states continue to advance these bans. According to
my research as of right now President Biden and Vice President Harris stand
with the majority of people that believe it is our right to choose whether or not to
have an abortion. The Biden administration has supported women’s ability to
travel for medical care and has defended it
.
Supreme Court associate Samuel A. Alito Jr. stated “Roe was egregiously wrong
from the start”, after the supreme court overturned Roe v. Wade. This
eliminated the constitutional right to aborting. Justice Alito has consecutively
voted in favor of restrictions for abortions. He has stated that Roe and Planned
Parenthood v. Casey should be overruled
.
5
.
In your opinion, has the government done a good job addressing the issue? Why
or why not? Is there more to be done? If so, what do you think could be done,
5
and by which level of government
?
Abortion is a tremendously tricky subject. It is complicated and emotional for some.
The upsetting part about this topic and the ban is that out of the 1,572 U.S.
politicians that have helped ban abortion in certain states since the fall of Roe v.
Wade are mostly men. What my research showed me about the topic that I
chose was that the politicians involved in this matter made a design based off
of emotion and not the well being of the women in this country
.
In my opinion the state governments of the banned states have not done a good
job at addressing the abortion ban. In the state of Texas doctors can only
provide an abortion for patients in danger of death or a serious risk of
substantial impairment of major bodily function. Anything out side of that
physicians can get sentenced to life in prison or $100,000 fines and loss of
medical licenses. In the state of Idaho a US judge temporarily blocked the
prosecution of doctors who refer patients out of state to get an abortion as this
would violate a medicals providers right to free speech. This still does not
provide the women within these states a right to an abortion. Someone that is
raped will have to carry their rapist child and endure the physical and metal
pain of that. It is appalling that the state officials of the banned states do not
ensure the safety of the women within these state lines
.
Not everyone has access to travel expenses to travel outside of state lines to have
an abortion performed. I am not sure how well the state officials are handling
this issue. They are implementing laws that violate the privacy of ones body.
This still affects the undeserved communities as they do not have proper
access to healthcare or funds to travel outside of state lines. This leaves more
generations in poverty
.
An idea for state officials to properly addressing this issue is leaving personal
feeling out of it. Not everyone thinks the same about this topic. If one would like
or need to have an abortion they should be able to. If you do not agree with
having an abortion one does not have to have one performed. Our state
officials should not be able to control what one does with their own body.
Whether it be for life threatening situations or simply not being ready or not
wanting a child
.
I feel as though these ideas are more at a stage level as in the grand scheme the
states make the decision on if abortion will be banned or not
.
6
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Reference List:
Y
ou may use an
APA citation generator
for your reference list. Format the list
in alphabetical order by last name
.
https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/what-are-the-
implications-of-the-overturning-of-roe-v-wade-for-racial-
disparities/#:~:text=Increased%20barriers%20to%20abortion
%20for
,criminalization%20for%20people%20of%20color
.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/24/us/roe-wade-overturned-supreme-court.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2023/jun/22/abortion-ban-
politicians-who-voted-for-restrictions-who-are-they-men-women
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/23/fact-
sheet-biden-harris-administration-highlights-commitment-to-defending-
reproductive-rights-and-actions-to-protect-access-to
-reproductive-health-care-
one-year-after-overturning-of-roe-v-wade/#:~:text=Ensure%20Access%20to
%20Emergency%20Medical%20Care.&text=HHS%20issued%20guidance
%20affirming%20requirements,to%20abortion%20in%20emergency
%20situations
.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/08/22/1195115865/texas-abortion-
bans-softened-quietly#:~:text=t%20say%20'abortion.-,'%20Texas%20quietly
%20softens%20its%20ban%20on%20the%20procedure%20
%3A%20Shots
%20%2D,%22masterful%20and%20discreet%22%20lawmaking
.
7