Currently in Texas, politics and laws concerning Abortion clinics has come under much scrutiny and has cause a bit of a stir amongst women and liberal factions. The recent abortion regulations, that were passed last summer, state that Abortion clinics must meet certain requirements in order to operate. Some of these requirements include that the clinic's physicians "must have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital and to require that clinics meet the same standards as other surgical health-care facilities in the state", according to the "
Texas Senate Bill 5" listed on wikipedia. It is a question of whether the abortion laws in Texas are considered constitutional or unconstitutional. I found a few internet news sources showing their opinions on the subject matter.
For example, Becca Aaronson,
Texas Tribune, quotes Brigitte Amiri,a senior staff attorney at the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project in her statement that "the law is having a devastating impact on women in Texas." From Amiri's statement, I can see the point that she is trying to get across in that it severely limits the choices a woman can make about their own bodies. Amiri states in the article that "extremist politicians" are endangering women's "health and safety by preventing them from accessing safe and legal abortion." Another writer named David Salef Rauf,
Mysanantonio.com, quotes Nancy Northup, CEO and President of the Center of Reproductive Rights, in her statement saying "there is no question that the politicians who passed this law intended
this as the final blow in their assault on women's constitutional right
and ability to safely and legally end a pregnancy in Texas." Northup clearly states that this a definite blow an individual woman's rights and somewhat infers that the politicians who passed the law did it on purpose. Abortion will always be a topic of much controversy because it has a certain personal level that touches society. Being in a state that is ruled by the Republican party can definitely affect ones own beliefs and ideals. The question that comes to mind is...Is it right for the State government to make laws on abortion, that take away freedom of choice for women in Texas?
In my opinion, I believe that one would have to question their own beliefs and ideals when they come to live in Texas, in which people have to understand is that this state is very much a conservative and traditional society that has strict adherence pro-life ideology. Speaking from a Republican view, if you don't like the new abortion regulation laws, then move to another state that isn't as strict and has the proper facilities that meet your needs. Of course we do not live in a society that only has one political party running the show so to be fair...When speaking from a Democratic view, the state government should not impede on a citizen's right given by the national government and over step its jurisdictions. My religious views on this subject matter can be biased in leaning towards pro-life choices. So essentially for me, these new regulations do not "really" affect me unless I decide to foolishly "knock up" a girl.... and ultimately because of me being a guy, I wouldn't have to make the choice of having an abortion done to me, but I do see that it is a question of women's rights being somewhat taken away, so in turn, I feel conflicted because I wouldn't want to be put in a government bind that the women in Texas are being forced to go through. The Texas government can only do so much and its really up to the citizens of the state to elect the proper legislators to get proper and necessary laws to be made.
