Florida’s Abortion Ban; Do as we say, not as we do

The abortion ban sets strict regulations to crack down on the practice but it still goes on despite opposition

Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed the very controversial state-wide abortion ban into law, sparking a lot of criticism and outrage among the public, including activists and ordinary people.

Republicans have cracked down on the practice, trying to regulate its accessibility, but there is a lot of contradiction in reality. In fact, many people continue to access and seek out abortions despite the bans and conservative attitudes surrounding the abortion ban in Florida.

The reality of the abortion ban in Florida

Florida is home to an ethnically and racially diverse population with equally diverse opinions and beliefs about abortions. Despite a heavily right-leaning government, Florida ranks third in the number of abortions each year. The most heavily populated region, Miami-Dade County, has the highest number of abortions in the state. With an annual rate of 19 abortions per 1,000 women between 15 and 44 years of age, the state’s average is almost double the national average of around 11.

Towns like Hialeah continue to exemplify these odds, given that it homes 5 of the 14 abortion centers in the entire county, despite a heavily Catholic, Cuban majority calling the city home.

The politics of abortion in the nation

Even though abortion may seem like a largely us vs. them issue, there’s a lot of complexity to it. There are far too many gray areas, and people are just as divided on the issue. Many struggles to be pro-life despite being Republican, while others are simply looking for a realistic solution to practical problems such as financial constraints, poverty, and poor health. It’s not easy to attach a sense of moral high ground and superiority to an issue that affects the lives of millions of women across the country, as federal laws such as Roe v. Wade are under threat of being overturned.

Floridians continue to remain in favor of abortion in most or all cases, despite what lawmakers and voting preferences state, providing an interesting layer of complexity. In fact, so much so that people are finally beginning to realize how their own voting preferences and political standing can and do affect people’s healthcare choices in real-time.

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