It did not take long for a legal battle to surface about the controversial Texas abortion law which bans abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected, about six weeks into a pregnancy. Oscar Stilley, a disbarred Arkansas lawyer, sued Dr. Alan Briad, an OB-GYN based in San Antonio. According to the Guardian, “He [Briad] felt morally obliged to perform the procedure” due to his years working with women who could not afford to have kids, were raped or had a pregnancy that just did not fit in their lives at that moment. Working since 1972, one year before Roe vs. Wade was decided, he saw three young girls die as a result of illegal abortions. It is impossible to enforce doctors not to perform an abortion when throughout their careers they see numerous cases of women dying because they received an unsafe and unsanitary abortion. The answer is clear, but lawmakers in Texas are trying to make that answer for women disappear. 

Stilly has his own history of immoral practices. He was convicted of tax evasion years ago and is known to be an avid anti-tax advocate. 

“At different times, he sued former governor Mike Huckabee (R), the state treasurer, the finance director and school leaders,” said Ann E. Marimow, in an article for the Washington Post. 

Stilley, clearly, has a history of suing people, the merit of such cases is questionable. Interestingly, this Texas abortion law is enforced by private individuals, not the government. So, anyone in any state can sue a Texas doctor for performing an illegal abortion. Because of this clause, it is clear that the health and safety of women is not a priority of Texas lawmakers. A man in Alaska, for example, can sue a doctor in Texas without knowing the woman’s situation or why she chose to have an abortion. 

According to the Washington Post, “Stilley says he is not personally opposed to abortion. He has no ties to the doctor he’s sued or the patient who got an early abortion.” His motivations were to challenge the legality of the abortion ban and monetary gains. This lawsuit is merely political and has nothing to do with the doctor nor the patient in question. 

Whether it is a morally corrupt individual like Stilley or men in suits making these ridiculous laws, women are the ones who suffer. The unconventional law invites this type of experimental lawsuit, and it will not be long before we see serious attempts to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Most women do not know they are pregnant at six weeks, so by the time she finds out it is already illegal to get an abortion. 

It will never make sense how a woman getting an abortion affects the life of anyone beside her and her partner. It is clear by this lawsuit, that the interest of women is completely disregarded. The doctor himself is not even that important; Stilley’s intent is to make a point about the law itself. The question of whether or not to get an abortion is one of the most difficult decisions a woman can make and the fact that men are using it to make political points is disgusting. 

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