Why do you oppose allowing states to decide their own abortion laws?

If you want to live in a state that allows abortion, you are free to reside in that state. If a woman wants an abortion, they are free to travel to that state and get an abortion. The tenth amendment gives states some degree of sovereignty:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

If it's not in the constitution, which abortion isn't, it's left up to the state to decide - as long as state laws don't violate the constitution. A woman's right to protect her own life is a constitutional right. All states that have abortion laws have a provision that allows women to terminate their pregnancy in those life-threatening situations. Beyond that, there's nothing in the constitution that would give a woman the right to murder her own baby.

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LeopoldBloom · M

Several states have passed laws forbidding women from traveling to other states for abortions.

But I take it you would oppose a federal law against abortion because “the states should decide?”

RocktheHouse · M

@LeopoldBloom The states should decide -- fact is, there's nothing in the constitution protecting a woman's right to abortion. There's nothing in the constitution protecting gay marriage either.

Pikachu

@RocktheHouse

Would you be in favour of state-mandated vaccination? Anyone refusing could be punished?

Pikachu

@RocktheHouse

here's nothing in the constitution protecting gay marriage either.

lol why are you bringing up gay marriage? As a means to demonstrate that the constitution could use a couple more amendments? I agree.
Unless you're saying that gay Americans don't deserve the same rights as straight Americans....

RocktheHouse · M

@Pikachu If vaccination was necessary to protect life, yes. If there was a deadly virus that could potentially wipe out humanity and people were refusing to get vaccinated, why not? Covid-19 didn't rise to that level. 99% of people recovered on their own.

Pikachu

@RocktheHouse

And if humanity required women to carry children to term in order to survive then i'd be in favour outlawing abortion.

But you're side-stepping my question.
We're not talking about apocalyptic, world-ending outcomes here. We're simply talking about bodily autonomy.
You say there is no constitutional protection for a woman's right to control her body.
Is there a constitutional right to control yours in the face of vaccination? And if not are you generally in favour of the government being able to force vaccination upon you?

RocktheHouse · M

@Pikachu

why are you bringing up gay marriage?

Obergefell v. Hodges is next on the chopping block. Quite frankly, The state should make a decision to either allow all marriage to take place, including polygamy or get out of the business of marriage altogether. If government is secular, the government should not be involved in granting marriage which has historically been a religious institution.

Pikachu

@RocktheHouse

I think the polygamy thing tends to enable abuse but i don;t know much about it...so again, why did you bring up gay marriage?

If vaccination was necessary to protect life, yes. If there was a deadly virus that could potentially wipe out humanity and people were refusing to get vaccinated

And if humanity required women to carry children to term in order to survive then i'd be in favour outlawing abortion.

But you're side-stepping my question.
We're not talking about apocalyptic, world-ending outcomes here. We're simply talking about bodily autonomy.
You say there is no constitutional protection for a woman's right to control her body.
Is there a constitutional right to control yours in the face of vaccination? And if not are you generally in favour of the government being able to force vaccination upon you?

LeopoldBloom · M

@RocktheHouse A state could completely outlaw secular marriage, but if they allow hetero marriage, they have to allow same-sex marriage. It's like if you have a business, you can't refuse to serve Black customers if you serve white customers. Of course, conservatives don't believe in civil rights either, but then they scream the loudest if anyone questions the assumed superiority of white people.

You didn't answer if you would oppose a national ban on abortion. Since according to you, the Constitution doesn't mention abortion, Congress has no authority to outlaw it nationwide, correct? Or "states rights" goes out the window when Congress passes a law you like?

I'm married (to a woman if you're wondering) and I'd be pretty pissed if my state invalidated my marriage just to keep gay people from getting married, and I don't think I'd be alone. There is no rational reason to withhold marriage from same-sex couples other than blatant homophobia.