June 24, 2022 marks the day where Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision, thus ending almost 50 years of the constitutional right to abortion. This now puts the decision of abortion being legal into the hands of the individual state.

Students from Oakland University shared their thoughts and concerns regarding this Supreme Court decision and how it affects the lives of themselves and others.

Liv Kunkle, senior, Theatre Design and Technology

“It has become exhausting being a person with a vagina in this country. I feel like every day the government has found a new way to show its disregard for its citizens, or at least the citizens that aren’t straight, white cis men. I have already dealt with problems and sexism from doctors before, and now the health care industry has a whole other way it can make my life harder.

“While I am grateful we are in a blue state and in a fairly liberal county, it feels like only a matter of time before horrible rulings like this seep their way into local government. As a financially independent woman in college who lives off ramen and toast, should I really be expected to bring a baby to term when I can barely take care of myself?

“If the government is expecting women to keep these unwanted pregnancies then there should be a system in place to cover the outrageous medical costs that come along with them. That will never happen, though, because they are more worried about making sure everyone has a gun instead of making sure parents have the resources to properly raise their kid.”

Anonymous Source

“I feel for those girls who are victims of incest. I feel for those who were scared when Roe v. Wade was overturned. Actually, I was sexually assaulted last month, and when I heard that Roe v. Wade [was] overturned, and me being late, I took a pregnancy test. It was negative so it must be stress or something.

“Michigan isn’t fully anti-abortion just yet. But the thought of a woman spending more time in jail than the actual rapist himself is truly scary. So now I just don’t know what to do.

“People don’t choose to get raped. And for a rapist to get slapped on the wrist while the victims choose to cope with it is just devastating.”

Ellie Ackerson, senior, Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences with a specialization in Pre-PA studies

“Although there were rumors about Roe v. Wade being overturned, I never imagined that it would actually happen. One of the things I am probably most passionate about is women’s health care. I have written numerous school papers about birth control, infertility, social determinants of health relating to women’s health care and so much more. Going into health care, I feel the need to protect anyone with a uterus due to history of mistreatment.

“Now I could go on and on about the consequences of making abortions illegal. The hypocrisy of people who are pro-life and only care about if a fetus is born, and not what happens to the baby afterward; in a nation of food insecurity, housing insecurity, unaffordable and unattainable health care, formula shortages, racism, police violence, school shootings, rape and so much more, why would we force women to have a baby when we can’t even take care of the people who are here today?

“With almost half a million children in foster care today, why would we keep increasing that number if we cannot end the foster-care-to-prison pipeline? I could also go on about ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages and stillbirths or other reasons why abortions are medically necessary, but those arguments are overused with no effect. The overturning of Roe v. Wade has made me sick to my stomach and I have gone back-and-forth wondering what I can do to make a difference and protect women’s rights. 

“I am not sure where to begin, but I have thought about how people who are pro-life and support this overturning think. There are so many ‘types’ of pro-lifers, and you really have to dive into each of their mindsets.

“The typical pro-lifer is Christian, not necessarily religious in general. For example, in Judaism, life starts at birth, not conception. The United States is not a Christian nation — many of the founding fathers were Deists who believed that there is a supreme being, but [that] the supreme being does not interfere with mankind. We are in a country that ‘protects’ freedom of religion in theory, but not in practice. 

“In my opinion, the religious viewpoint of being pro-life is total nonsense. Overall, pro-lifers do not ACTUALLY care what happens to the fetus after it is born.

“Most of the pro-lifers think anyone who supports abortion is immoral because it is ‘murdering babies.’ However, as a society we don’t feel that pulling the plug on someone who is on life support [is] murder. So what is considered life? A heartbeat? Brain activity?

“The whole reason for a proxy is to make a decision for another that cannot make a decision on their own, with that comes choice. Is it actually God’s will for you to become pregnant? Even if God gave you the tools and technology to create safe options for terminating pregnancy? If we are created in God’s image, then is God pro-life and pro-choice? If God did not want us to choose to receive an abortion or not, then why did God give us the choice? 

“I know I have asked a lot of questions, but that is really the only thing you can do in an unprecedented time like this. It is hard to imagine the country known for freedom and the protection of your freedom turn[ing] into a place of hypocrisy.

“This country was built fighting for our freedoms and apparently continued to fight wars protecting our freedoms that were won. But who do we fight now for our freedom? The same people who swore an oath to protect it?

“Why should so many women have to suffer or die due to the incompetence and ignorance of men in power? This country was built on death and bloodshed, and I fear that it will happen again in order to regain the freedoms that women deserve.”