Summer '22 - Intro to American Government & Politics

   Gun violence in American schools is an issue that has dramatically worsened in recent years. America has more school shootings each year than any country in the world. There were 42 school shootings in America in 2021, and so far, there have been 27 school shootings in 2022. The most recent school shooting in the U.S. took place at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed 19 children and 2 adults with a semi-automatic rifle. 

    There has been intense debate in recent years on the best way to keep students safe. Many students do not feel safe going to school, and many parents have begun homeschooling their kids. According to the Washington Post, more than 311,000 students in America have experienced gun violence at school since the 1999 Columbine shooting, and at least 185 people have died in school shootings. 

    Many people believe that gun control is the solution. The gun control debate is currently a very heated one. People who are pro-gun control believe that there should be stricter firearm regulations and that buying a gun in the United States should be a much longer and harder process. Many also believe that semi-automatic rifles, like the one used in the Uvalde shooting, should be banned in the United States. They argue that other countries have seen lots of success after implementing gun control following mass shootings. Thousands of students participated in the March For Our Lives and gave speeches demanding stricter gun laws. following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 

   There are a significant amount of people who do not support gun control and do not believe that this is the solution for safety in schools. Many people are not in support of stricter gun laws because of the 2^ndAmendment, which gives American citizens the right to bear arms. They believe that gun control infringes on our Constitutional rights and takes away peoples’ ability to defend themselves. Many people who are against gun control argue that the best way to keep students in America safe is to arm teachers in schools. Teachers would be trained to use a gun and would keep it in their classroom in case of an emergency. 

   I believe that the best solution for the issue of mass shootings and overall safety in schools is gun control. I think that buying a gun should be a lengthy process and there should be extensive background checks on the person who is trying to obtain the weapon. I believe that semi-automatic rifles should be banned. While the Constitution does emphasize the right to bear arms, it was written at a time when guns were nowhere near as technologically advanced as they are now and there were no semi-automatic rifles. Gun control has proven to be extremely successful in other areas of the world. For example, after the 1996 mass shooting at the Dunblane primary school in Scotland, the U.K banned all private gun ownership. Since then, the United Kingdom has had no more school shootings. After a mass shooting in Australia that also took place in 1996, Australia implemented stricter gun laws. They have since had no school shootings. Our country will have to decide on a solution so that students can be and feel safe in schools. 

The topic of transgender rights has been at the forefront of debate for quite some time now, first, with the use of bathrooms that align with the gender they identify as, and now, with transgender individuals being banned from certain aspects of athletic competition, unable to get the hormone medications needed to complete their transitions, and being forced to go through years of therapy to “make sure they know what they are doing” to being their transition.

Over the last couple of months, Ohio lawmakers passed a bill that would prohibit transgender girls and women from high school and collegiate athletic competition. The statement also indicates that there is a "verification process." The process calls for any athlete that is suspected to be transgender to submit to a genital check, in which the athlete would be forced to show a doctor their genitals as well as go through other forms of invasive testing to prove their gender and have the results be given to their school officials.

The bill is called HB61 with the short title of “Enact Save Women’s Sports Act,” and it states, “if a participant’s sex is disputed, the participant shall establish the participant’s sex by presenting a signed physician’s statement indicating the participant’s sex-based upon only the following: (1) the participants internal and external reproductive anatomy; (2) The participant’s normal endogenously produced levels of testosterone; (3) An analysis of the participant’s genetic makeup.” This bill applies to athletes in secondary schools, colleges, public and private universities, and interscholastic organizations, which means athletes as young as 11 years of age could fall subject to this bill. 

This bill affects more than just transgender athletes. This bill also impacts intersex athletes or athletes who were born with both sets of genitals and possibly underwent gender reassignment at birth. This bill also sets back athletes of color and minority athletes more than they already have been. Athletes of color and minority backgrounds lose opportunities, accolades, and scholarships more than any other group due to the racism and discriminatory practices and policies that have been instituted by secondary schools, colleges, public and private universities, and interscholastic organizations. 

Many will argue that biological females are losing scholarships, accolades, and opportunities unjustly to biological males due to discriminatory policies that allow for them to compete with one another. They will also argue that this bill’s goal is to aid in the fight for equal rights for women. Still, neither of these arguments justify this overzealous, unnecessary, overly invasive bill. In fact, there is only 1 transgender athlete in the state of Ohio, a high school student, and as of current policy, transgender female athletes are required to have completed a full year of hormone treatment before they are allowed to compete, or they have had to show no signs of physical or physiological advantage. 

The solution to the non-existent issue that we face with transgender athletes, specifically in the case of Ohio, where there is only 1, and there has only ever been 1 for the last 7 years, would be to keep the policies that they currently have in place.  The policy they have ensures presently that there is no advantage and also protects the athlete from unnecessary medical procedures. Another solution would be to simply mind our business. It’s free. Whether or not a child participates in sports and what gender that child is biologically has absolutely nothing to do with anyone else. That is a discussion between parent and child. The final solution I can offer is to let your children feel disappointment and defeat. By eliminating all competitors that have the potential to be better than you or your child, you are setting them up to believe that life has no challenges, no disappointments, and no stiff competition, which is incredibly unrealistic and ultimately hurts the child who was able to compete as well as the child who was not only pulled from the competition but probably embarrassed and harassed as well. 

Pensacola Florida is a place I can call home, however after moving back to Birmingham I think I would be hesitant to ever raise a family there. Visiting my grandparents and completing my high school education in Pensacola showed me the pros and cons of living there. I learned what parts were considered safe and what parts I needed to try my hardest to avoid. Over recent years, the crime rate in Pensacola has increased. Pensacola's property crime rate and violent crime rate alone are way above average of both Florida and the United States. Crime rates. Recent studies have shown that 1 out of every 162 people in Pensacola will succumb to being a victim of a violent crime.

Why is this a problem? A high crime rate instills a sense of fear and panic in the community. The fear of not allowing your children to play in the front yard or walk to the local ice cream shop down the road. The fear of sending your kids to school and having them get involved with the wrong crowd. While attending my high school in Pensacola, I was never allowed to go to the “rival” side of a stadium during any athletic event. Police officers would not let it happen because of the violence that had occurred so many times in the past. Kids were jumped, mugged, and even stabbed due to inner city gangs. Also, crime rates increasing could lead to a decrease in city population.

            One member of the community states “the area has more crime than New York City, the crime rate is 3X the national average.” They even continue to mention that they have already put their house up for sale and will be moving soon. Another person added that this city has even welcomed crime by not dealing with an obvious drug issue that has further increased crime rates. However, not all members of this community see Pensacola this way. One member defends her beloved home by listing all the great aspects of this beautiful beach city. The criticism I have for them though, is that they blamed all crime on the homeless population and furthermore said they are being “dealt with.” Obviously enough people experiencing homelessness are not the only reason crime exists.

            One solution that could prevent some of the crime occurring in Pensacola is to participate in a community plan involving drug distribution. This solution is recognized by the NIDA. In this plan, the main drug being sold or distributed needs to be identified. Using this information, different prevention programs can either be created or built upon. Next different long term and short terms goals for the community need to be created so that there is always something to improve upon. Lastly assessments need to be taken on the prevention programs and their progress within the community. This type of approach could decrease the amount of crime caused by drugs.

Other solutions are different neighborhood clean-up programs, house safety tips, and personal safety tips. Neighborhood clean-up programs provide funding to rehabilitating areas that are dilapidated. These types of areas have been proven to support a higher crime rate because they are perceived as vulnerable. House safety tips are simple ways to keep your home safe from property crimes such as burglary and larceny. This includes using a deadbolt lock, having a well-lit lawn, and using an alarm system. Lastly, personal safety tips include being observant of your surroundings, carrying mace, and not going shopping at late times of the night.

Women have faced obstacles when trying to enter the workforce for hundreds of years. But during World War II, as men went off to fight overseas, women were encouraged and welcomed into the workplace. When the soldiers came home, women were once again limited within their job opportunities, settling in fields we now know as “pink collar” jobs. Similar to the terms “white” and “blue collar” jobs, “pink collar” jobs refer to jobs where women dominate employment, like nursing, assisting, cleaning, or communications, such as a secretary. The issue lies in the stigma surrounding “pink collar” jobs. These jobs are often looked down upon, seen as easy work, underpaid, or offer no opportunities for advancements or benefits. They have to do with caring for others, either in health care, service, or childcare. Our society has undoubted improved its treatment towards working women, but there are still misogyny’s footprints everywhere. Women no longer have to stay at home and raise children, yet over 75% of k-12 teachers are women, and for pre-kindergarten childcare, the percentage is even higher. Stigmas surrounding women-dominated fields harm young people’s mindsets whilst entering such fields, and even persuade many not to apply. “Pink collar” jobs are not exclusive to women, and, just like misogyny, society’s treatment of these jobs harm everyone, not only women.

I identify with the college-aged female community, so society’s lasting misogynistic tone towards women-dominated fields directly affects me as I am planning out my path after college. I have worked part time jobs for many years, all of which have been within this “pink collar” category. However, even I have been guilty of the thought “I could never be a secretary,” as I let my pride and internal misogyny cloud my judgement. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a secretary, but since it has been female dominated for years, it has a frivolous reputation that I hold myself above. Women who do chose these careers face this type of judgement often, as the profession is seen as unmasculine, so therefore, less than. Men do not want to feel emasculated by working these jobs, but also women do not want to face the discrimination that come in a male-dominated field. Young women today are at a crossroads between wanting to be taken seriously as a professional and wanting to pursue a desirable “pink collar” job.

Not everyone views differing standards for these professions as an important issue. After all, these people chose to work in their designated field and go into it with knowledge about what their job would entail. I often hear this argument in regard to discussing raising teachers’ salaries. Many people believe that teachers do not have a difficult job, and since they get summers off, they do not deserve to be paid more. However, one could also argue that there are no other professions we take for as much granted and are so dependent on as a society as teachers, since it directly involves shaping the next generation, and denying teachers a pay raise is really just further denying women’s importance in society and its future. It is also widespread that when one pictures a doctor and a nurse, the doctor is a man and the nurse is a woman. Even though it is 2022 and we know rationally that such is not always the case, it is stereotypes like this that demean women’s importance in saving lives. Also, many people believe that the wage gap exists because women chose lower paying fields. But stopping to consider why that is, one would realize often women do not “chose” these jobs so much as the jobs have been chosen for women, and if its true that women-dominated fields are paid so little that it will drop the national wage gap, maybe we should pay working women more.

While there will never be an overnight cure for misogyny, there are ways we can lessen its influence on working women. A start would be to completely do away with the wage gap between men and women in the same profession. Another would be for society to start respecting “pink collar” jobs more. Studies show that we are moving in the right direction as employees are becoming more diverse across careers, more women are entering male-dominated fields and more men are entering women-dominated fields. We need to eliminate outdated thinking that one’s sex somehow equates to their professionalism.

Something I have been very passionate about is sea life and oceans. Endangered species in oceans are becoming a big problem with how many deaths are caused by humans. Humans do not know how much effect they have on the ocean and the environment/habitat from activities like and not limited to boating, littering and construction. Sea Turtles are one of the endangered species that are getting injured and dying everyday. Sea turtles are faced with a variety of threats and extinction. Dredging is a huge issue that has been threatening the lives of sea turtles. Dredging is using enormous suction pipes that vacuum up the entire bottom of the floor that the suction is on. Dredging keeps harbors safe and easily navigable for boats.

One big problem that has been threatening the sea turtles is the elimination of hopper dredging in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Cape Fear Watch and Defenders of Wildlife are challenging the highly successful limitations on hopper dredging projects that have been affecting sea turtles for decades. The Marine Corps decided to allow dredging throughout the year, including the spring and summer, when sea turtle resources are most vulnerable. For example last June, Corps dredged Morehead City Harbor and multiple turtles died. The Corps policy clashes with the ASMFC (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission) and many other commissions. Turtles like hawks-back, leatherback, loggerheads travel to North Carolina for breeding and nesting. The injuries to reproductive sea turtles by dredging have had a devastating effect on the population recovery, which was the reason the Corps made a policy in the first place to limit dredging.

The cold weather has also been a concern for turtles and their habitats. Sea animals like turtles that are affected by the temperature of the water can have devastating deaths and injuries caused by the weather. The coast experienced a particularly harsh winter this January. During the long winter, the temperature of the water significantly dropped. If the water temperature drops below 50 degrees and the turtles are close to shore, they're unable to swim to warmer waters. A cold turtle can also suffer from hypothermia. Warmer waters would converge along the Gulf Stream. 

For the perspectives surrounding dredging are the boat owners and employees that import and export cargo from Wilmington. Boat owners or boat club members that dock their boats in harbors, care about how deep the surrounding water is to be able to use their boats. Around Wilmington, boat slips cost loads and loads of money. Patrons want to be able to ride their boats for pleasure and go travel to where they want. Employees that have to import or export things in and out of Wilmington need to be able to get where they need to go to stay on track. From the perspective of the wildlife and ocean activists, they want to protect the sea turtles at all costs and believe that people should watch out for them. From the perspective of an activist like myself to sea life, I believe that we should be watching out for these special animals. If we do not have sea turtles, that messes up the whole ecosystem and ocean life. 

Some solutions that would help with the dredging and death of sea turtles would be eliminating dredging windows and providing maximum flexibility to obtain contract dredging. This would be that dredging would only need to happen when needed. When dredging only when needed, would help with the risk of species dying especially sea turtles. Removing the restriction window would also be helpful also the completion of the project. They would be able to complete it all at once and not have to stop and come back. For the cold climate, we can use a method called lamping. Lamping is using a light when hunting. Lamping was helping rehabilitate 22 sea turtles when Coastal Review was giving tours of the aquarium. Lamping is one way that has been able to rehabilitate and let turtles get released back in the wildlife. 

In conclusion, Sea turtles and ocean life in general is so important and we need to to save everyone we can. Finding ways to change dredging and helping the problem of cold weather are steps to help the threatening challenges to sea turtles. Sea turtles have a difficult time surviving from egg to juvenile so we need to protect them at all cost. We want to be able to give them every chance we can to help keep sea turtles alive for the ecosystem and habitat. 

        Overturning Roe v Wade is not just taking away a woman's right to choose to have an abortion no matter the reason for not wanting to continue with the pregnancy. This is also eliminating women's ability to end a pregnancy that is medically dangerous. Banning abortions is limiting the aid that women can receive from doctors in case of a medical emergency without losing their license or being convicted of a crime. for example, if a woman has an atopic pregnancy, a pregnancy where the egg is fertilized in the fallopian tubes rather than the uterus, the mother and the baby would be at risk of dying unless the egg is removed. This would in turn end the pregnancy, but save the mother as well. Without the legal ability to interfere with the pregnancy, doctors will have to watch as a woman and her child would both die. Another example of this intervening with women's accessibility to health care is if a woman miscarries and the baby does not expel out of the body naturally, doctors prescribe "abortion pills" which allow the baby to be expelled out of the body safely. Without the ability of doctors to aid these women, the mother will die from septic due to the dead fetus staying in her uterus without help to get it out. Septic is an infection that spreads throughout the body and causes organ failure that results in death without proper treatment or removing the cause of the infection. From a legal standpoint, banning abortions will harm women from a societal perspective. If a woman unexpectedly miscarries, she could be charged with "attempted murder" or attempt an at-home abortion, even if she expected to plan to carry the baby to term. 

         With the government allowing for states to make their own laws and regulations on women's bodies, some states have even tried to strike down on birth control and contraceptives. These states are trying to pass bills that are criminalizing the use of IUDs, a form of birth control, or ban the use of plan B, a type of emergency contraceptive. This is forcing women into pregnancies, wanted or not, without the right to choose what is best for them and their bodies. The use of birth control for most women is not to be protection for pregnancies though. Women use birth control as medications for things such as PCOS, endometriosis, or to help regulate their periods. 

         Banning abortions is not just affecting all women, it is targeting women who have lower socioeconomic status, who are unable to afford another child, nor have the resources to travel to a safe location to access an abortion. Women of high socioeconomic status are able to afford more children even if they didn't want them or provide child care or the medical bills that come along with pregnancies. They have the resources to travel to somewhere else that allows for abortions if they truly were not ready for another child. 

         Lastly, the excuses of why abortions should be banned have been proven incorrect or unconstitutional. Many people explain how the Bible says that it is wrong and guilt women into continuing with the pregnancy. This is unconstitutional for we have separated church and state for decades, as well as it goes against America's first amendment right to freedom of religion. Not everyone is Christian nor do they believe in the Bible.

           Overall, banning abortions is not eliminating them from society completely. This is eliminating safe abortions, putting women's lives at risk every day, and taking away women's rights to autonomy and accessibility to health care.  

       The community I decided to blog about throughout this class is the Native American community. I am from a Native American background, and I feel it is crucial to bring up our culture, past, and struggles. Recently indigenous people have been silent, but that does not mean they do not need a voice. Native Americans have the highest suicide rate of any racial/ethnic group in the United States. Due to residential and social status, the Native American community ranks among one of the lowest classes in our nation. Since they are known as the first Americans, this community is not talked about as much as other minority groups. Statistically, they struggle with alcoholism, social class, unemployment, violence against women, and many more issues that push them to a point where they commit suicide at the highest rate in all of America. So why not support the Native American community?  

The Native American community has many ongoing issues that have been continuing for decades. They have a high unemployment rate due to the Great Depression, and 33% of the Native American community is living in poverty. Many live on reservations funded by the government, and while they have many systemic and historical issues, Covid-19 took a considerable toll on the community. Although Covid-19 effects have died down over the past few months, I learned how much of an effect it took on the Native American community after much research. According to the CDC, “American Indian and Alaskan Natives are among the racial and ethnic minority groups at higher risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Persisting racial inequity and historical trauma have contributed to disparities in health and socioeconomic factors between AI/AN and white populations that have adversely affected tribal communities.” This also reflects differences in reliance on shared transportation, limited access to running water, household size, and other factors that might facilitate community transmission. 

Another significant issue in the Native American community that needs to be discussed is violence against women and children. Over 400 indigenous women have been reported missing in the past ten years, and no one in the media has covered these stories, along with how 80% of physical abuse and rape that Native American women experience is by a non-native. So why are these issues not covered in the news, social media, and other platforms? Just imagine if more people worked together to raise awareness for women in the Native American community. Unfortunately, this topic often goes undiscussed, along with many Native Americans being unable to exercise their voting rights; this is because they do not technically have a street address like many other U.S. citizens; as a result of living on a reservation, many applications for voting cards may get rejected. This restriction puts the indigenous people at a disadvantage with voting compared to other citizens of the United States, including Caucasians, African Americans, Mexicans, Asian Americans, and many more.  

The Native American languages are becoming extinct; only more than half of the 300 original languages still exist today. Many Native Americans have tried their hardest to keep their languages alive to keep their native languages from becoming obsolete forever. However, due to limited financial institutions and the struggles that they experience in the community, it would be very challenging to keep all the languages alive. It is estimated that only about twenty out of the three hundred original languages will still be around in the next twenty-five to thirty years. There are so many issues that the Native American community faces every day; to make a change in this community, I believe these issues should be discussed more and more every day, whether that be through news coverage, social media posts, blogging, lectures in school, or even casual conversation. It would be disappointing for the Native American cultures, beliefs, and fascinating history to not be discussed amongst our future generation of people, not only within the United States but maybe even across the world.  

There are plenty of issues that are going on in the Native American community. Whether that be unemployment, violence against women, having less educational opportunities, less mental/health care, ongoing complications with voting rights, and even their languages being threatened. My goal at the end of these blogs is to reflect on my research into the Native American community and to show different perspectives on how they have suffered many years through many levels of discrimination. The Native American community is essential, and they must become more discussed and shown throughout the United States to keep their culture, language, and rights alive.  

In America, female college athletes find themselves prone to mental illness and are supported by very few resources and coaches that are not willing to nurture mental health. Growing up in athletics, female athletes are taught to fight through physical and mental pain, and that any feelings of anxiety or depression are considered a weakness. The root of this problem is caused by coaches’ unwillingness to take mental health seriously or provide athlete with counseling or other resources. In a 2020 poll created by the NCAA, 38% of female athletes reported feeling mentally exhausted every single day. The same poll also noted that only 50% of college female athletes said that their coaches took mental health seriously. Another issue with mental health in female athletics is that female athletics are underfunded and are not represented in the media. If three college football players were to suffer fatal injuries in one year as a result of improper equipment, the media would instantly cover the issue, and large amounts of money, research, and resources would immediately be utilized.

Poor mental health not only influences an athletes’ ability to perform, but in serious cases can result in self-harm or suicide. In 2022 alone, three female college athletes took their own lives as a result of severe depression and anxiety. These athletes were stars on the field and leaders off the field. Their deaths came as a surprise to most because they did not appear to be outwardly struggling. Female athletes are trained to suppress emotions and suppress pain, so it is of no surprise that these women did not show their struggles on the outside. Within my own experience on the BSC softball team, the old coaches told us “if you are worried about anything outside of softball, you need to get over it and grow up.” We were constantly told that mental health should not be a concern because you just need to learn to deal with it. We were never given resources to help deal with our mental struggles, and if you were to tell the coaches, they would likely shame you for not being tough, or told to grow up. 

A lot of people from older generations have stigmatized mental health, and do not take it as seriously as younger generations tend to. A lot of coaches see mental health as an excuse to get out of practice, or that an athlete is being dramatic. American society has also created a stereotype that women are dramatic, so male coaches are less likely to take a mental health concern seriously. Other groups of people believe that if an athlete has anxiety or depression caused by a sport, then they should just quit and are not tough enough to be a college athlete. This view is toxic by casting shame on the athlete and invalidating their feelings. Another view on the issue is that it is not a serious matter and that it is not that prevalent. Although the majority of athletes do not struggle with serious mental illness, the fact that student athletes are driven to suicide means that this issue should be on the forefront of everyone’s minds. The NCAA should stop at nothing to adequately train coaches, staff, and players on how to correctly treat mental health concerns.

An important first step is to destigmatize mental illness and encourage teammates and coaches to talk about their mental status with one another. It is so important to tell female athletes that there is no shame in anxiety or depression and that it is harmful to “rub some dirt on it” when it comes to mental health. The NCAA should require the budgeting of counselors and mental health training resources for all teams. Since female athletics often do not have large budgets, the NCAA should allow for grants to be used for mental health. I think that the most important step to solving the issue is to stop teaching young girls that their feelings are not valid and that they need to toughen up. Coaches need to be held accountable for being dismissive, and colleges need to ensure the coaches they hire will prioritize mental health.

As many may know, there have recently been many concerns about women’s healthcare in the United States. One of the major subjects that has caused concerns is the Supreme Court possibly overruling Roe v. Wade. Roe v. Wade was a lawsuit that occurred in 1973 that led to the Supreme Court ruling that it is a woman’s right to have an abortion in the United States. That being said, overturning this would mean that the United States would be going backwards into women’s history. They are still deliberating on the issue but women all over the states have already begun to panic. For many of these women, this is an issue of women’s rights.

 A major concern that has come to light is that if abortions become illegal everywhere, it will not stop women from getting abortions. It will prevent safe abortions from happening and women will turn to non-medical and unsafe abortions that could possibly kill them. If the Supreme Court does rule to overturn the law, there are a few things that we can expect to possibly follow. There are 13 states that have “trigger laws” meaning that if Roe v. Wade was to be overturned abortion would automatically be illegal or extremely restricted in those states. Women seeking abortions or any caregiver caught performing an abortion will be subject to possible fines or even jail time. Many women find this to be absolutely absurd. Women would need to be extremely secretive if they plan to get an abortion in another state to avoid being proseucted. A lot of women are not happy about other people being in control of their bodies and being told what they should and should not do to them. This is often the main issue for women that support Roe v. Wade. 

 On the contrary, there are other women that are for the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Some women find abortion to not be a vital part of women’s healthcare. The reason for this is that an abortion is often not necessary for a woman to endure. That is, unless the baby is going to kill the mother if it stays in the womb. Furthermore, some think that the baby is not a part of a woman’s body and is in fact its own being. They sometimes back this up by using the fact that in many states if a pregnant woman is killed it turns into a double homicide case. With this logic, they claim that abortions are considered to be murder and should be illegal. Therefore, many of these women agree with abortion becoming criminalized and believe women or healthcare providers participating in this act of murder should be punished.

However, there are 16 states that have state law in place to protect abortion rights. States like Maryland, Connecticut, and California have already passed major laws to protect women seeking abortions and to also ensure preparation for the expected overwhelming number of women from other states that will also need them. If the Supreme Court is successful in making abortions federally illegal, we will essentially be forced to find ways around it. If you are a woman living in a state that has already banned abortion or is expected to if the law is overturned, one solution is to travel to a state that is prepared to give abortions and has enough resources to also give abortions to those coming out of state. However, this will not be accessible to all women, only those who are able to travel and are educated on available abortion clinics in other states. Women of low economic status and women that are poorly educated will likely not have this option on their own. To fix the travel issue organizations providing abortions in legal states will need to help with some of the costs of travel for those who can not afford travel expenses.

 Obviously, in order to lower your chance of needing an abortion, the chance of pregnancy needs to also be lowered. Using emergency contraception within the recommended time limit and dosage is recommended. Also, using one of the various forms of birth control if possible and following your physician’s instructions and recommendations on that specific type of birth control. Using protection while participating in sexual intercourse is another precaution you can take to lower chances of pregnancy. Of course, as we have seen over the years this will not directly stop women from getting abortions but these are effective steps to lower your chance of becoming pregnant and thus needing an abortion.