Many officials have decried the leaked draft of a decision by the United States Supreme Court to overturn the 1973 ruling that allowed women to have the freedom to elect to get an abortion, including former President Barack Obama.
In a statement released Tuesday, less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court draft was leaked, Obama emphasized the larger implications that the decision will have on the country as a whole.
"If the Supreme Court ultimately decides to overturn the landmark case of Roe v. Wade, then it will not only reverse nearly 50 years of precedent – it will relegate the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whim of politicians and ideologues," he wrote.
The former president emphasized the need to focus on how this decision will affect women, as well as the fabric of society itself.
"The consequences of this decision would be a blow not just to women, but to all of us who believe that in a free society, there are limits to how much the government can encroach on our personal lives," said the statement.
For women, who already struggle with access to care in states with existing strict abortion laws, life will change drastically, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, who could wind up "desperately seeking out illegal abortions that inevitably pose grave risks to their health, their future ability to bear children, and sometimes their lives," he wrote, which was already a major issue before Roe v. Wade was passed.
While some may feel resigned to the possibility, Obama urged for empathy.
"Think of the hundreds of thousands of women each year who deserve the dignity and freedom of making a decision that is right for their bodies and their circumstances," he wrote.
He finished with a call to action, for those in opposition to the potential decision to join activists sounding the alarm on this issue, to join "a local protest. Volunteer with them on a campaign," he said.
And, to vote in the upcoming Nov. 8 election, "Because in the end, if we want judges who will protect all, and not just some, of our rights, then we’ve got to elect officials committed to doing the same," he said.
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