Let’s mess with Texas.

Texas passed the Heartbeat Law earlier this month.

Texas recently passed a bill stating that abortion will be illegal for anyone past six weeks of pregnancy, regardless of rape or incest. The nation has become divided and feels many different ways about this. The Biden Administration and Supreme Court among other higher powers have taken the bill into their own hands.

Texas established a new law on abortion that set into effect on Sept. 1, 2021. The Texas Heartbeat Law states that abortion is illegal for women after six weeks of pregnancy regardless if the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. Six weeks is usually well before most women know that they are pregnant. This law is more in the hands of the citizens rather than the government. People who perform abortions/helps a women obtain an abortion will be held accountable and can be sued. 

Junior Joanna Kelty believes that the woman and child both deserve a life. She believes having the baby would allow for a positive outcome from a bad situation. “This is certainly a difficult situation for a mother to be in. The person who has committed the crime (the rapist) should be punished. It seems odd that ending the life of the innocent baby is a consideration. While this seems convenient for the woman, this will only add to her suffering and it can not erase the memory of what happened to her,” Kelty said.

Senior Molly Phelps believes that the Texas Heartbeat Law is absolutely ridiculous. Phelps believes that this is just a war on women and it is heartbreaking that abortions will be illegal after a certain time during the pregnancy regardless if it’s incest or rape. “Children are especially vulnerable to rape, mainly from people who are close to them such as family members. If children are forced to go through a pregnancy it could potentially kill them, and not to mention that if it is from incest then the baby will suffer deformities and will cost tons of money to take care of the child. Rape is forced sex and women should not be forced to carry the rape baby if they do not want to because they never made a “choice” in getting pregnant and having sex,” Phelps said. 

Many people have an issue with abortion in general because, although some states want to ban abortion, they may not offer any help after birth. People often call this “pro birth” rather than pro life. 

The Heartbeat Law doesn’t state anywhere that they will be offering help. “Medicaid for Pregnant Women & CHIP Perinatal offers help for women who don’t have insurance through their pregnancy up to two months after birth. They offer cash assistance and even a summer feeding program for kids. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission also has numerous resources to find the right information about your baby and how to seek help before, during and after the birth of the baby.” Kelty said.

A lot of controversy also falls on whether or not the fathers should get a say in the abortion. “I believe that the father should have a say but ultimately it is not their decision. It is the woman’s body, if they say no and she still wants one she has a right to go. Fathers also are able to walk away, while the woman is forced to carry the child and that could ruin her life. The fathers have no punishment. I think they could have an opinion if they are going to pay child support upfront, stay with the mother, and help raise the baby but they don’t have a say,” senior Peyton Isenberg said. 

Kelty believes that fathers deserve a say in the decision and believes the law will give fathers directness. “If anything some father might have some clarity because sometimes women will get abortions without the fathers knowlege or consent, maybe this will engourage women to be more cautious during sex and choosing their partners. In order to get pregnant the father has to contribute and he should get a say in what he was part of,” Kelty said. 

With the heaviness of the topic many get into heated arguments and have a hard time compromising. Phelps believes that there will never be a stable compromise on abortion. “There will never be a ‘compromise’ because you either believe women should have complete access to abortion services or you don’t believe they should. The most that I could think of is that women shouldn’t have an abortion once it turns 6 months because it’s too deadly and the child can potentially survive on its own and the abortion would cause deformities,” Phelps said. 

The pro-choice, pro-life topic is so heavily one sided. “Most people assume that pro-choice supporters are in support of murdering children. That’s not what it is, I do think that it’s a woman’s right to choose, nobody should have control over your body, I believe in human rights, bodily autonomy no one has control over your body or should have a say over what happens. We women are viewed as less superior, if this was men this wouldn’t be happening,” Isenberg said.

“There should be no say in what the father wants to happen because they have 0 control of the mother’s body and her decision over what she should do. If the father wanted a child then they should consider the woman they decide to have sex with and her stances on abortion and if she wants to raise a kid or not,” Phelps said. 

After the bill was passed the Biden Administration prepared to sue Texas over this new law. The Supreme Court voted 5-4 not to intervene and denied an emergency appeal for the law. Justices suggested that other challenges will be brought about. A federal judge in Texas set a hearing date for Oct.1 for the Department of Justice’s request to block the enforcement of the Heartbeat Law. They stated that the law contradicted a previous Supreme Court precedent and it violated the 14 amendment. This law will potentially block up to 85 percent of the states abortion if the law stays in effect.

Isenberg is in agreement with the actions being taken and feels good about the steps being taken.”I think it’s a step in the right direction for the Biden Administration to sue texas. No government should have that much control over what the citizens do with their body when it doesn’t affect them. Hopefully when Texas tries to fight back it will make them realize that what they are trying to do is ridiculous and won’t work,” Isenberg said.