Abortion policy should remain a state and local matter, not federal law
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Federal Law Abortion
The highly polarizing subject of abortion is widely and enthusiastically argued throughout the entire United States of America. The context behind the practice appears to be unacceptable to both sides of the debate and a deep rooted and intense feud between pro-lifers and pro-choicers has been established in modern day society. The purpose of this essay is to suggest that the federal government should not take over the field of abortion and leave this decision up to the local governments.
State vs. Federal Laws
The United States was created in a fashion that would prevent tyranny and abuses of power. One way in which to do this was allowing states to create their own laws that were applicable to their own geographical location. For this reason abortion nor any other medical procedure should be governed by such a large and mishandling organization as the federal government.
Enforcing laws are just as important as creating laws. The Department of Justice is swamped with many other seemingly more important issues and adding an abortion unit to their organization seems to be a difficult task. Regardless of which side of the argument one may fall on in this debate, the consequences of enforcing this law are too much for any federal organization to handle.
States and local jurisdictions that are willing to enforce their abortion laws should have the right to do so. It is reasonable in this day and age that abortion is a practice that will not ever be totally eradicated and there will always be tolerance in allowing its practice. Mothers wishing to abort their pregnancies do not have to travel far out of their local jurisdiction if they needed to have such a procedure. Local laws and rules are much better at handling this type of legal dispute.
Roe vs. Wade
Many do not want the government involved in any way with their personal lives, including reproductive rights. Forsythe & Presser (2006) suggested that self-governing was the best approach in handling this problem. They wrote " abortion would still be legal in forty-three states if Roe was immediately overturned, possibly in all fifty, depending on what the states might do." This federal law allowed for abortion, and has caused much debate and stirring mostly because it unifies the country to affirm the questionable practice. By having such an intense debate at the federal level does not support many of the ideals of the nation and creates a divisive and dangerous political environment.
The Moral Argument
Life is the most mysterious idea conceivable. To eradicate life without due process suggests that life is inherently evil and that there is no room to improve, grow and evolve. The act of abortion suggests much about the society it is practiced in and there is no question that the devaluation of life is an inescapable product of such pro-abortion philosophy. Motherhood is not something to be disregarded as unimportant or unnecessary and to diminish the importance of it also suggests a diminishing of women and their natural role in society. Embracing life and the mystery behind its conception should be treated with high reverence and equal respect. The federal government has no right to regulate morals one way or the other and is best left out of this contentious debate.
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- Boonstra, H. D. (2007). The heart of the matter: public funding of abortion for poor women in the United States. Guttmacher Policy Review, 10(1), 12-16.
- Forsythe, C. D., & Presser, S. B. (2005). Restoring Self-Government on Abortion: A Federalism Amendment. Tex. Rev. L. & Pol., 10, 301.
- Norrander, B., & Wilcox, C. (1999). Public Opinion and Policymaking in the States: The Case of Post?Roe Abortion Policy. Policy Studies Journal, 27(4), 707-722.
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