Pang Ying:Hello, I’m Pang Ying. Welcome to Think Like a Debater. Today’s main motion is‘Is it reasonable to legalize abortion rights through the right to privacy?’。

Unlike usual, we may branch into related questions instead of staying entirely within one motion, such as:Should abortion rights themselves be protected?

Abortion is a classic debate and a major controversy in American society.

A leaked Supreme Court draft suggested Roe v. Wade might be overturned, changing abortion from a nationally protected right into an issue each state may legislate.

Our regular guest knows this field, so we will give attorney Zhan more time and explore several related current issues.

Today’s flexible format combines classic debate with current affairs and prioritizes explaining more content clearly.

Before debating, Zhan Qingyun will introduce the history and law behind the decision.

Zhan Qingyun:First, I’m not an expert. That sounds terrifying.

Pang Ying:Compared with me, perhaps half an expert.

Zhan Qingyun:Roe v. Wade, decided in 1973, recognized abortion as a constitutional right. Nearly fifty years later abortion remains central to America’s culture war, perhaps second only to guns.

Conservative Republican states kept challenging it. Mississippi’s 2018 law banned abortion after fifteen weeks, even after rape. A local court enjoined it pending Supreme Court review.

It was challenged as unconstitutional.Why? Roe treated abortion as a constitutional right that legislation could not remove. The case reached Supreme Court argument last December.

Anyone hearing argument could predict the 6–3 conservative Court might uphold Mississippi and overturn Roe.

The decision was expected in June or July, but a leaked draft appeared last week and rejected Roe completely. Many had expected a narrower ruling or avoidance of Roe’s ultimate status.

An intentional draft leak is unprecedented in Supreme Court history and was seen as an attack on the judicial institution.

Chief Justice Roberts confirmed it was a genuine draft, not final. Justices vote, one writes a draft, all debate and revise it, and only later decide who signs.