The Right to Life vs. Abortion Rights: Exploring the Contentious Issue in Texas

Name Institutional Affiliation Date Abortion in Texas Introduction Abortion is a very divisive and controversial issue in American society, politics, and culture. However, abortion is legal throughout the United States and its territories regardless of the protections that this nation's Constitution offers Humans rights like life. Killing is a crime as every human has a right to life. What is referred to as a human right? These are rights inherent to all humans regardless but not limited to race, color, gender, or nationality. In America, the right to life and liberty are among the significant human rights entitled to all citizens and well protected by the American Constitution. Texas is among the American States that have legalized abortion with limited restrictions and varying accessibility. Why does this great nation support abortion, which defines the death of innocent souls in its simplest form? Analysis of Abortion in Texas will offer insights into the history and legalities of this practice, restrictions, and any other laws. Is it justified to kill a life that cannot defend itself by destroying its growth within a healthy mother's womb in Texas? History The origin of abortion legality remains coined around protecting a mother’s life. However, it is imperative to consider valid grounds that justify a mother’s life being at risk if the womb continues to hold the embryo or the fetus. In the early 19th century, most abortion bans by state legislature aimed at protecting mothers' lives, given the rising cases of their deaths attributed to abortion practice. However, many Americans from the state governments viewed such bans as selfish, claiming that the bans were only considerate to the state's citizens, ignoring the right to life for the innocent babies carried by such moms. To this effect, in 1854, Texas clearly stated its position on the abortion issue by passing an abortion law legalizing abortion only on the grounds that defined the pregnancy as a threat to the mother’s life “Arts 1191-1194 and 1196 of Texas Penal Code” (McKenna, 2022). In this first abortion ban law, the Texas government confirmed any abortion-related procedure as illegal except preserving a mother's life. In the case of bleach, the Texas governance would subject such an offender to two to five years imprisonment. Any assistance throughout the abortion process, whether the provision of medication or any other form of assistance, deemed the assistor an accomplice who would also face punishment. But was this lawfully effective in limiting cases of unjustified and unnecessary abortions amongst Texans? The Roe V Wade case offers clear insights into the controversies surrounding the first Texas criminal abortion statute of 1854. Abortion Cases that Brought Light on Abortion Issue in Texas Some Texans believed in the fairness of the first abortion ban law, while others like Roe believed that this law was unconstitutional and demanded amendments to fit the demands and values of all persons. After almost a decade of applying the ban among Texans, Jane Roe, an unmarried and pregnant woman, came forward and instituted a federal action agai