[SNIPPETS FROM POLITICAL COMMENTARY ON OHIO, TEXAS, OTHER STATES]
[MUSIC]
AS OF JUNE TWENTY FOURTH OF THIS YEAR, ABORTION IS NO LONGER GUARANTEED FOR WOMEN ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. THE OVERTURN OF ROE V. WADE GAVE ABORTION LEGALITY TO STATE JURISDICTIONS, LEADING TO AN OUTCRY FROM PRO-CHOICE SUPPORTERS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
[PEOPLE COMPLAINING]
WNUR COVERED THE PREMATURE SUPREME COURT DECISION LEAK BACK IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, PROMPTING A DISCUSSION ON THE INITIAL FORMATION OF ROE V. WADE’S DECISION.
[AUDIO FROM THIS PIECE]
ALONG WITH GRADUALLY RESTRICTIVE MEASURES ENFORCED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS IN BOTH 2020 AND 2021.
[AUDIO FROM THIS PIECE]
TODAY, WE HEAR FROM Weiberg SOPHOMORE MARIANNE CANO, A FORMER RESIDENT OF THREE STATES WHERE ABORTION IS EITHER BANNED OR RESTRICTED OHIO, ARKANSAS AND TEXAS. CANO MOVED AROUND GROWING UP DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HER FATHER’S JOB. IN ALL THREE, SHE SAID, SHE FELT GROWING TENSIONS BETWEEN HER AND HER COMMUNITY, AS A HISPANIC WOMEN WHO LATER ADOPTED A PRO-CHOICE IDEOLOGY, CANO WAS LARGELY A MINORITY AMONGST HER PEERS. BUT CONSERVATIVES IN CINCINNATI, OHIO, SHE SAID, WERE LESS UPFRONT ABOUT THEIR OPINIONS. AND IN BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS, SHE SPENT MOST OF HER TIME INDOORS, SHIELDED FROM THE PANDEMIC. IT WAS IN DALLAS TEXAS, CANO SAID, WHEN COMMUNITY DIVISIVENESS REACHED A TIPPING POINT.
[MARIANNE ON TEXAS]
AFTER ROE V. WADE WAS OVERTURNED, TEXAS’ SET OF TRIGGER LAWS, WHICH DEPENDED ON THE DENATIONALIZATION OF ABORTION LEGISLATION TO ENTER INTO EFFECT, WERE ACTIVATED. ON AUGUST 25TH, ABORTION WAS OFFICIALLY OUTLAWED IN TEXAS. ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS TRIBUNE, VIOLATIONS OF THE TEXAS TRIGGER LAW CAN RESULT IN LIFE IMPRISONMENT AND CIVIL PENALTIES NO LESS THAN $100,000, EXCLUDING ATTORNEY’S FEES. OVER 14 MILLION WOMEN, OR HALF THE POPULATION OF TEXAS, LOST THEIR LEGAL RIGHT TO ABORTION ON THIS DAY.
[SAD MUSIC]
BUT THIS DECISION WAS A PREDICTABLE ONE, ACCORDING TO CANO. TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABOTT ENFORCED A 2020 EXECUTIVE ORDER SUSPENDING ABORTION SERVICES IN TEXAS IN THE NAME OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC SAFETY, LEADING TO A LARGE AMOUNT OF DISCOURSE AMONG CANO’S HIGH SCHOOL PEERS. STILL, CANO SAID ABORTION WAS NEVER INHERENTLY ACCESSIBLE TO WOMEN THROUGHOUT THE STATE IN THE YEARS LEADING UP TO THE 2020 EXECUTIVE ORDER.
[CANO COMMENTARY]
THE WASHINGTON POST STATED THAT 1 IN 3 AMERICAN WOMEN HAVE LOST ABORTION ACCESS AS OF AUGUST 22ND, 2022. AS OF LATE SEPTEMBER, 14 STATES HAVE COMPLETE BANS ON ABORTION DURING ANY STAGE OF PREGNANCY. ACCORDING TO A GRAPHIC PUBLISHED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, GEORGIA IS CURRENTLY THE ONLY STATE WITH A SIX WEEK PREGNANCY BAN, AND NORTH CAROLINA, FLORIDA AND UTAH HAVE ABORTION BANS AFTER 15 WEEKS. NINE STATES CURRENTLY HAVE ABORTION BANS BLOCKED IN THEIR LEGISLATURES, SIGNALING THE RISK OF IMPENDING ABORTION RESTRICTIONS WITHIN THE NEAR FUTURE. ALTHOUGH CANO LEFT OHIO IN THE MIDDLE OF HER EIGHTH GRADE YEAR, CANO IS STILL IN TOUCH WITH FRIENDS FROM THE STATE. MANY OHIOANS, SHE SAID, WERE ENRAGED BY THE RAPE CASE OF 10 YEAR OLD GIRL, WHO, AFTER IMPREGNATION, WAS FORCED TO CROSS STATE LINES INTO INDIANA TO RECEIVE AN ABORTION. OHIO SENATE BILL 23, WHICH BANNED ABORTION AFTER SIX WEEKS OF PREGNANCY, IS NOW BLOCKED AS OF SEPTEMBER 14TH OF THIS YEAR — EXTENDING THE ELIGIBLE TIMELINE FOR LEGAL, ABORTION SEEKING OHIANS TO TWENTY FOUR WEEKS.
[POLITICAL COMMENTARY]
WHEN CANO ISN’T IN SCHOOL, SHE RESIDES IN NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE ABORTION IS RESTRICTED. A FRIEND OF HERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, WHICH CURRENTLY HAS A SIX-WEEK RESTRICTIVE BAN, HAD TO TRAVEL TO NORTH CAROLINA AND PAY TRAVEL AND HOUSING EXPENSES TO OBTAIN THE OPERATION.
[CANO]
SINCE CANO HAS LIVED IN CONSERVATIVE AREAS FOR MOST OF HER LIFE, SHE SAID SHE WOULD SURVIVE IF SHE HAD TO AGAIN — ESPECIALLY IF SHE HAD THE RESOURCES TO TRAVERSE STATE BOUNDARIES TO OBTAIN AN ACCESSIBLE ABORTION. BUT FOR MANY — THATS JUST NOT POSSIBLE.
[COMMENTARY]
[MUSIC]
FROM WNUR NEWS, I’M IRIS SWARTHOUT.
