4
The complex future of UMich abortion access
On May 2, 2022, what once seemed
like a distant hypothetical became a
sharply probable reality: the leaked
draft of Justice Samuel Alito’s majority
opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson
Women’s Health Organization revealed
the Supreme Court’s plan to overturn
Roe v. Wade, a historic case that has
ensured federal abortion access in the
United States since 1973. At some point
this summer, the Supreme Court is set
to release a formal decision that could
drastically limit abortion access in
numerous states, including Michigan.
Abortion is a notoriously hot-
button political issue, tending to stir
up strong emotional responses from
both sides of the ideological spectrum.
In the two weeks since Justice Samuel
Alito’s draft was leaked, thousands
of organizations have released steady
streams of political analysis and
commentary. In an oversaturated and
often overstimulating modern media
environment,
politically-oriented
discussions of abortion’s future can
drown out the important news content
designed to inform, rather than
instigate.
Discussions focused on national
events and trends can also take away
from the larger significance of the
abortion debate. At the end of the day,
the decision to have an abortion is one
made by an individual who harbors
their own unique experiences and
circumstances. Though the Supreme
Court’s decision will very likely shift
our relationship with abortion as a
nation, it will most deeply impact the
people who must navigate difficult
decisions in a rapidly changing legal
and medical climate. Abortion, in its
everyday practice, is a starkly local and
personal issue.
For University of Michigan students,
that impact is only exacerbated by the
time and place we currently occupy.
The state of Michigan has the fourth-
highest rate of abortions in the United
States. Washtenaw County had the
sixth-highest number (755) of abortions
in Michigan in 2020. On top of that,
nearly 70% of reported, legal abortions
in Michigan are performed on patients
under the age of 29. Hence, as students
in Michigan, we find ourselves in a
uniquely vulnerable position.
It is highly plausible that abortion
access in Ann Arbor will look different
by the time we begin the fall 2022
semester. If Roe v. Wade is overturned,
a 1931 Michigan law could go into
effect, acting as a statewide “trigger
ban” on abortion care. This law,
known as Act 328 Chapter III, would
make
administering
an
abortion
for any reason (except preserving
the life of the pregnant person) a
felony. Additionally, it would make
advertising, selling or publicly exposing
the sale of any abortion-inducing drugs
a misdemeanor.
In response, significant efforts
have been made in attempting to keep
abortion legal in Michigan. Two weeks
ago, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer filed a
lawsuit with the Michigan Supreme
Court asking to immediately resolve
the issue of abortion within the context
of the Michigan Constitution. Planned
Parenthood of Michigan and Dr. Sarah
Wallett, Michigan Medicine Chief
Medical Officer, also filed a lawsuit,
asking the state of Michigan to affirm
the right to an abortion. The Michigan
Supreme Court temporarily halted the
enforcement of the 1931 law (assuming
Roe v. Wade is overturned) to provide
time for these legal proceedings.
Reproductive
freedom
advocates,
including the American Civil Liberties
Union of Michigan, Michigan Voices
and Planned Parenthood Advocates
of Michigan, have also introduced
the Michigan Right to Reproductive
Freedom Initiative, which could be
on the ballot in the 2022 election. The
initiative would protect the right to
an abortion in the first trimester and
in scenarios in which the pregnant
individual’s physical or mental health
is at risk.
Where We’re Going
Though the efforts of Whitmer
and citizen advocacy could eventually
be effective in the long-term, the
uncertainty of their timelines means
Act 328 Chapter III could become
active in the coming months. These
dire circumstances could provoke
additional stressors for U-M students,
potentially
adding
to
financial,
emotional and physical burdens. It’s
unfortunately unnerving, particularly
for students who may not have easy
access to necessary resources. As we
transition into yet another semester of
unclear medical and legal affordances,
it is important to be aware of the
various resources available and to
elevate student voices on campus.
The University of Michigan has
created the informally-named “Post-
Roe Task Force,” led by Drs. Lisa Harris
and Dee Ellen Fenner. The task force,
according to Harris, focuses on tackling
seven main questions, assuming Act
328 Chapter III becomes active:
1. In what specific situations would
abortion be allowed to “preserve the
life” of a pregnant woman?
2. How can Michigan Medicine
assist patients in obtaining care outside
of Michigan?
3. Restrictions on legal abortions
could increase statewide birth rates
from 5-17%, according to Harris. How
can Michigan Medicine accommodate
the additional maternity care, neonatal
and pediatric care needs?
S T A T E M E N T
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4 — Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Surely it has an expiration date
It’s taking me way too long to
think of an opening sentence.
I’ve taken a writing class every
semester for two years, and my
main takeaway from each of them
is that creativity is hindered,
even stunted, by thinking too
much. Writing on a typewriter is
creating pause where there should
be incessant forward motion.
These
intricate
contraptions
definitely weren’t made with
speediness in mind, at least not by
today’s standards. Even as a lover
of antiquities, a minor collector
of past technological oddities,
I’m worried I won’t like writing
on my century-old noise machine.
But I digress.
I guess I can start with
Shakespeare.
Do you ever wonder if William
Shakespeare’s
plays
will
be
forgotten
someday?
Romeo
and Juliet alone has been done
countless times. It’s the play that
coined the term “star crossed
lovers”
—
a
core
sentiment
that
consistently
captivates
storytellers over and over. “West
Side Story,” “The Lion King”
and “She’s the Man” all have ties
to Shakespeare plays written
centuries ago. “The Bard” is
common United States academic
curriculum.
His gargantuan legacy feels
immortal in the context of today.
But after the earth spins enough
time since “Hamlet,” I believe the
name “William Shakespeare” will
mean nothing to anyone at all.
This feels inevitable to me.
The question is whether this is
something to feel sad about.
I find myself wondering if
there’s a point in writing words
if all of them will become nothing
someday. I synthesize words now,
stamp them into visibility in front
of my eyes. Click, click, whirrr,
badum. A typewriter sings in my
ears, printing onto paper I can feel
with my hands. Paper is velvety,
porous and pliable. Typewriter
keys
are
circular,
solid
and
grounded. The words I’m writing
are very real, and I even like what
they’re saying, but behind my love
for creativity is the mortality of
all that I make. Water evaporates,
flowers wilt, apples decay, smiles
fade, stars burn out and the glass
is half empty.
This
sentiment
isn’t
super
compatible
with
someone
studying creative writing and
actively essaying for their school
newspaper (me). It’s not a great
thought for anyone engaged in
creative activities, really.
Witodlice sê wordlung âcwelan
ût
mâna
dôd
tôweard.
(old
english)
EMILY BLUMBERG
Statement Correspondent
Read more at michigandaily.com
Read more at michigandaily.com
Design by Serena Shen
DANI CANAN
Statement Columnist
Design by Abby Schreck