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The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — and Donald Trump and the Republicans’ support for this move — echo a dangerous precedent of leaving fundamental rights to the discretion of individual states. Historical precedent shows that such decentralization can perpetuate grave injustices. For instance, if the abolition of slavery had been left to individual states, it’s very conceivable that the Southern states would have prolonged the abhorrent institution of slavery far beyond 1865.
Trump and the current Supreme Court’s stance on reproductive rights similarly threatens to entrench inequalities and restrict freedoms.
The right to choose should be universally protected, just as the right to freedom from slavery is. Both are fundamental human rights that should not be compromised by regional biases or political maneuvering. The federal protection of these rights is essential to ensure justice and equality for all citizens, regardless of where they live.
Robert Woliver
Kaneohe
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