Brain reveal pregnant women: abortion law ensures hopeless situation in Georgia

Eine hirntote Frau in Georgia bleibt wegen strenger Abtreibungsgesetze am Leben. Experten und Politiker diskutieren die rechtlichen Konsequenzen.
A brain -dead woman in Georgia remains alive because of strict abortion laws. Experts and politicians discuss the legal consequences. (Symbolbild/DNAT)

Brain reveal pregnant women: abortion law ensures hopeless situation in Georgia

In a complex case in Georgia, which increases the current debates about the right to abortion in the United States, a brain -fat woman who is located in the 21st week of pregnancy was artificially kept alive. This case raises fundamental ethical and legal questions, in particular with regard to the restrictive abortion law of the state. The 37-year-old Darren Smith, a nurse, was declared a brain dead after a severe headache and an emergency room in which she received medication after several blood clots were found in the brain. In Georgia, strict abortion regulations that include a ban after the sixth week of pregnancy are known as the heartbeat law. Doctors kept Smith's body alive so as not to violate this law, which also led to public protests. Her mother expressed the desire for more options in terms of pregnancy and the rights of her daughter.

The legal basis for the right to abortion in the United States has changed dramatically. On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court raised the nationwide right to abortion by overriding the "Roe v. Wade" judgment that has been in effect since 1973. This decision transferred the authority to regulate abortions to the states, which meant that many states, including Georgia, have issued restrictive laws. While the conservative majority of the Supreme Court argued that the constitution does not grant an abortion, this led to mixed reactions in society, from protests to celebrations on the part of the opponents.

reactions to the abortion law

The situation around Darren Smith has caused various reactions both in public and among politicians. Performance of abortion and politicians from the opposition Democrats of Georgia have shown themselves in outrage, often, referring to the testimony of experts like Professor Katie Watson. These argued that the abortion law was not applicable in this special case. According to Watson, the law does not violate the law to take the ventilation device from a brain dead person, even if it is pregnant. The organization Center for Reproductive Rights welcomed a recent judgment that overturned an earlier restrictive abortion law in Georgia. Nevertheless, the state's attorney general could try to block this decision.

On June 24, 2022, the heartbeat law, which prohibited abortions from the first recognizable heartbeat of the fetus, was effective after the Supreme Court had lifted the nationwide right. Accordingly, women remained the opportunity to decide on their own bodies and pregnancies until the 24th week of pregnancy. Lyndon Johnson also transferred the authority for the individual states to the abortion rights in 1965, which now leads to a wealth of contradictory laws in the USA. California and New York try to get the right to abortions, while other countries such as Texas and Missouri have already introduced very restrictive laws.

The debate about abortion rights is more than ever a central topic in the political landscape of the United States. However, a bill to anchor the right to abortions in the Congress of President Biden was not passed, which further reinforces the uncertainties and tensions. Society remains divided, while many women, as the tragic situation of Darren Smith shows, have to experience far -reaching consequences based on these laws.

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OrtAtlanta, USA
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