There has been outrage in the United States after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, meaning that individual states can now outlaw abortions, meaning tens of millions of women are without accessed to abortions if they so required them.
The decision by the court, against the wishes of the US President Joe Biden, has called into question the entire US system given that polling shows 61% of voters are in favour of retaining Roe vs. Wade while only 36% support the states right to ban abortion.
The minority of liberal justices on the Supreme Court responded with a statement saying:
"With sorrow – for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection – we dissent."
In many cases, women will be forced to have children even if the pregnancy was the result of rape.
Simon Schama, a leading British historian, said of the current situation in the United States:
"American democracy is in deep trouble. It can't survive in its present form if the constitution is manipulated to impose minority rule."
Edward Fallone, an associate professor at Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, backed these claims, saying:
"I'm afraid it's extremely undemocratic. You now have the least democratic branch of the federal government on an ideological agenda to roll back liberties that are extremely popular with the general public in America. It is a recipe for potential unrest, certainly demonstrations and political turmoil, as they seem intent on a course of action that will run counter to the will of the public."
Polls have also shown that Americans faith in the Supreme Court and American democracy is now at an all-time low.
Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, president of NextGen America, a liberal activist organisation, stated:
"It is the takeover of an extreme right-wing minority that seeks to roll back the gains for the LGBTQ community, for women, for people of colour. This isn't the end, this is the opening salvo, and they made that clear in their decision. You had Clarence Thomas state they are going to take a look at how they can change the fundamental rights that the LGBTQ community has recently won in this country. We didn't defeat fascism in 2020; we beat it back. But to kill fascism in this country is going to require a lot more than one election cycle."
There are now fears that the Supreme Court could assist states in banning gay marriage and other rights held by minority groups.
[Based on reporting by: The Guardian]
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