On September 13, 2022,  Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham proposed a crucial legislation to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, other abortion restrictions were recently approved by the South Carolina Senate. As a result of Graham’s actions, thousands of women a year could be faced with a lifelong hardship that Graham will never experience or relate to in any form. This proposal is cruel and should not have been created in the first place.
Along with the original horrors that banning abortions bring into the picture, the proposed ban emphasizes that there will be severely limited exceptions and allowed abortions. This includes saving a pregnant woman’s life, if the abortion can prevent serious injury, and if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. Some can argue these exceptions are important to the situation. However, when regarding the bigger picture, there are thousands of other situations with more significance where abortion is not allowed.
Under this legislation, rape, incest, and child abuse are all exemplary of horrifying situations where abortions will not be permitted. To put this into perspective, when a woman or girl is sexually assaulted and as a result becomes pregnant, she must live with her trauma in the shape of a young child, who still needs to be cared for and raised. Furthermore, a baby born from incest can cause birth defects along with many other harms. Nevertheless, regardless of the mother’s decision, the baby must be birthed and raised in all of these cases.
Adding to the idea that there may be trauma behind the birth or unwillingness, having a child costs a substantial amount of money, which can be an obstacle for many parents. Despite the sizable cost of an abortion procedure, it is significantly less expensive than raising a child, which is a lifelong commitment. According to the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC), 48% of families cannot afford enough food needed without a child tax credit–a credit that allows low or moderate-income families to reduce their taxes for each of their children. One can easily assume how much this percentage can grow if women are forced to have their children unwillingly.
People like Senator Lindsey Graham should not be making decisions for women. Along with the fact that Graham is currently 67 years old, an age where he will not be able to experience the decisions he makes for the future, Graham is a full-grown adult male, someone who will never give birth, go through a pregnancy, or have an abortion. The decisions made for young women should be made by young women or people who can undergo what is preached. Senator Lindsey Graham should not be making or proposing decisions on behalf of women.