The Heartbeat Bill Law Is Unjust Argumentive Essay

“It is a war on my body and war on my rights, a war on the rights of your mother, a war on the rights of your sisters, a war on the rights of your daughters”- Paxton Smith. Throughout history, there has been a contentious belief that women's rights to their bodies should be limited, which has been applied thanks to wealthy white men. A law that legalizes a fetus in a woman's body to be terminated through surgery or medical means. However as of  September 1, 2021, the state  of Texas passed the Heartbeat Bill, which states, "the bill would prohibit abortions when a heartbeat can be found in a conceptus, which is normally when a woman is six weeks pregnant." This Texas legislation is outrageous, as it is unconstitutional, hurts low-income communities, and has turned civilians into vigilantes.

The truth of the matter is the Heartbeat Bill infringes on the 14th Amendment on every level. Our constitution clearly states, “no state shall make or enforce any law restricting the rights or immunities of United States citizens.” This plainly implies that women have the “right to privacy” when it comes to their bodies, as well as the freedom to choose how they want to proceed. As a result, enacting legislation that violates a woman's right to her body is utterly absurd. In the vast majority of cases, this is a hardship that a woman must bear. Women are only granted 6 weeks to pursue their constitutional rights. In essence, the government is dismissing a woman's life by declaring that an unborn child is more significant than a woman's life. 

Preventing this law from progressing is critical because it will worsen the country's deep divisions.  When it comes to rape or incest, Texas has come up with a means to rationalize it. According to the Denton County Friends of the Family, one out of every five women in Denton County were sexually assaulted by 2020. Therefore, that means that at least 2.9 million females have been sxually assaulted. That statistic alone should be alarming. Rather than focusing on the punshiming women, Texas should focus on the actual culprit. This is unquestionably a national issue that resides not only in Texas, but the entire country. 

Apart from being unconstitutional, this bill also has a negative effect on low-income neighborhoods. Given the vast majority of these communities are made up of women of color, and simply being a woman is already a disadvantage. The reality is that they now have to continue with an unwanted pregnancy while struggling to make ends meet is wrong and unethical. First, even if they have previously had children, females frequently have abortions because they are unable to sustain another human life. It is indeed appalling that the Texas government can excuse it by expressing that women need to be more cautious. Astounding that a 13-year-old girl could become pregnant through rape and have it overlooked.  This is merely another addition to the systematic discrimination of people based on their skin tone. Women from low-income households are trapped in a cycle of poverty, and their families are entrenched in this socioeconomic situation. A loop that prevents women from obtaining higher education, which ultimately could allow them to break free from struggle in such ways.

In addition to women of color  being indirectly targeted, it has turned citizens into vigilantes.Essentially, this bill alllows any citizen residing in one of the 50 United States who believes someone has had an illegal abortion could be sued. Though the woman who "had" the abortion is exempt from the law, everyone who assisted her is. Including an Uber driver, a doctor, or a nurse. Citizens are not only being recruited as vigilantes, but they are also being paid to do so. Anyone who files such a claim in Texas or out may be eligible for a reward of up to $10,000. Residents are being given a sense of power over such important decisions, which they will undoubtedly exploit. There is a good chance that people may start blaming others because they are in desperate need of money. Rewarding people for "turning in" others will only serve to promote neighbor distrust .A snowball effect is certainly in the works, and it is already affecting neighboring states. More women will suffer as a result of this.

The Heartbeat Bill law is unjust and unacceptably cruel.  Regardless of their intentions in establishing the bill, the greater picture is being neglected. Women have every right to their bodies, and there is no justification for it. The Heartbeat Bill must be repealed immediately because it violates our rights, harms low-income families, and creates a sense of animosity among our neighbors.Texas must examine whether or not they still support women's natural-born and constitutional rights in the country to which they claim allegiance. Her body, her decision.