ThePeopleAlchemist Edit: #SmashYourCeiling, change starts from within - Business & Lifestyle Experimentation for #TheWomanAlchemist - My body my choice

Hello again, and thanks for joining me today on my journey. Today is not much about self-improvement but is a rant. That's right, a rant. I have thought about it over the weekend, reflected on it, and I can't keep silent.

ROE V WADE RULING

The right to abortion was overturned by U.S. Supreme Court after nearly 50 years in the Roe v Wade ruling. Now the power to decide on abortion rights for tens of millions of women will reside in the 50 states to determine individually. It is one of the most momentous rulings by the Supreme Court, the highest court in America, in recent history. Crowds gathered outside the court in Washington DC when the ruling emerged. Some to celebrate, some to protest against an attack on women's freedoms. Most of the nine-member panel voted to overturn the court's ruling known as "Roe versus Wade"(1973), which legalised abortion nationwide up to the point of foetal viability and generally accepted to be around 24 weeks into pregnancy.

AS IT STANDS

The situation on abortion rights is as follows ( at the time of publishing this article):

• Twenty-two states have laws that can restrict the legal status of abortion
• Seven states retain their unenforced, pre-Roe abortion bans.
• Thirteen states have laws to ban all or nearly all abortions triggered by the Roe ruling
• Nine states have unconstitutional post-Roe restrictions currently precluded by courts
• Seven states have laws that intend to limit the right to legal abortion to the highest degree permitted by the U.S. Supreme Court
• Four states have passed a constitutional amendment stating that their Constitution does not secure or defend the right to abortion or permit the use of public funds for abortion
• Sixteen states and the District of Columbia still have laws safeguarding abortion rights.
• Four states and the District of Columbia have codified the right to abortion throughout gestation without state interference
• Twelve states explicitly allow abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant person.

The pro-lifers say: "No one should be able to choose to end the life of an innocent baby in the womb." The pro-choicers say: "Women deserve protection. This does not mean abortions are going to stop."

JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO FINAL OPINION

The final opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito and issued on Friday, also overturns a 1992 decision - known as "Planned Parenthood versus Casey" - which had reaffirmed abortion rights. Justice Alito wrote about Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey: "We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion. And any constitutional provision implicitly protects no such right". "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was feeble, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division." This opinion originates from the state of Mississippi, which was arguing to establish a law to ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, much before earlier the point of foetal viability. Pro-choice groups say the removal of this constitutional right will create so-called "abortion deserts", forcing women to travel to terminate unwanted pregnancies. God knows where and if safely. This was a momentous victory for those who wanted to limit or ban the procedure. However, it also put the Supreme Court at odds with most Americans, according to opinion polls. We do not know the full repercussions of this ruling yet: will it affect IVF, contraception, the morning after pill and so on?

MY BODY MY CHOICE

Yes, this is a self-improvement blog, Be Your Best Self. But being your Best Self also means standing up for what you believe in. I was brought up Christian, Catholic to be precise, and abortion is not exactly one of my favourite contraception choices. However, I cannot and will not judge other women for making this choice. Irrespectively of my beliefs and /or opinions. I do not travel in their shoes, I cannot possibly know their circumstances. And I do not need to know either. The right to make choices for your life and liberty is a fundamental human right. Men can make any and all choices they want about their body and nobody ever questions. Women must be able to do the same. I am not American, neither I live in the United States; I have always held the U.S.A. as a beacon to freedom and liberty in the world. Now I feel the Supreme Court ruling has time-warped America to August 1920 with the curtailment of women's rights and their status as free and equal citizens. So, today I stand and shout - My Body, My Choice - A Woman's body is HER choice and her choice alone. So, Hands Off. Rant over, see you tomorrow x #BeYourBestSelf #MyBodyMyChoice #WomenRightsAreHumanRights