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The Supreme Court’s leaked draft obtained by POLITICO, shows their intent of reversing Roe v. Wade leaving women’s reproductive rights in the hands of the political pundits of each individual state.

“Reproductive freedom is one of the most fundamental human rights,” Haein Shim, PCC student and Third Wave Intersectional Feminist club president said. “Every single decision should be based on individual women and should never be controlled by the government, religion, or culture, all of which oppress women in various ways. We are not patriarchy’s properties. We are people.”

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito wrote the lengthy draft showing the majority opinion of the conservative leaning court, stating within it their opinions that claim the landmark decision to go against the Constitution. 

In an excerpt from the obtained first draft, it states “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elective representatives.”

Katie Lookholder, a professor in the social sciences who teaches classes on gender at PCC, explained that the implications of the overturning of Roe V Wade are “real” and “concerning.”

“If abortion is criminalized, all it will do is keep people trapped in poverty and increase mental/physical health issues,” Lookholder said. “The biggest demographics affected by this are racial and ethnic minorities. Since oppression is intersectional, those who do not have access to power and resources will suffer the most.”

Both Shim and Lookholder stated that the amount of abortions being had will remain the same, although safety will become more of a factor.

“A large number of women will be forced to seek a potentially life-threatening, back-alley abortion,” Shim said. “Abortion is far safer than childbirth with the current healthcare technology that we have, but only when it is without any legal restriction.”

According to the World Health Organization, the issues that follow the inability for women to obtain safe and legal abortions may lead to difficulties for women mentally and physically. It also affects the communities these women reside in, as well as health systems.

“If Roe v. Wade is overturned, decades of research (from the American Psychological Association and other acclaimed entities) show that the number of people having abortions does not change when abortion is outlawed, it just changes the number of people dying trying to get one” Lookholder said.

The rally’s around the country have already begun, including the Women’s March which has organized a rally for March 14th at city hall in downtown L.A. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“I think the patriarchal world is seeing the end of the era [with] women’s genuine power and is afraid of our power which means patriarchy is nothing but oppression with very shallow skin,” Shim said Nothing will be going to stop us. We will be going to fight with every single strength that we have. The future is ours because we are the future.

Research taken from the Brookings Institute, highlights that affluent women actually get more abortions than poor women.

“What is so incredibly hypocritical is that the legislators who are trying to criminalize abortion are white, wealthy, conservative, male politicians. These legislators, however, will always be able to access safe abortion for their wives, daughters, and mistresses because they have the power and resources needed, even if abortion is outlawed,” Lookholder said. 

Superintendent president of PCC Dr. Erika Endrijonas stated that the college has no official stance on abortion rights.

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