# Abortion should be decided state-by-state because democracy is more important **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-should-be-decided-state-by-state-because-democracy-is-more-important/1027738 **Category:** Great Debates **Created:** [February 17, 2026, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-should-be-decided-state-by-state-because-democracy-is-more-important/1027738 "2026-02-17T07:00:12Z") **Posts on this page:** 1 **Showing post:** 31
### Author: ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S) #### Post date: [February 18, 2026, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-should-be-decided-state-by-state-because-democracy-is-more-important/1027738/31 "2026-02-18T06:31:05Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > And if you don’t believe there are _any_ unenumerated rights, that what does the Ninth Amendment mean when it says Sometimes, unenumerated rights are protected incident to a primary, enumerated right. For example, due to Article IV, a citizen of Vermont has a federal right to apply for the New Hampshire bar (to practice law in that state) on the same terms as residents of New Hampshire. _Supreme Court of N.H. v. Piper_, 470 U.S. 274 (1985). But I do not think the Ninth Amendment provides any independent protection of rights. > [@Does the Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution itself protect individuals from State infringement of unenumerated rights?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-ninth-amendment-to-the-united-states-constitution-itself-protect-individuals-from-state-infringement-of-unenumerated-rights/922125): > > Does the Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution itself protect individuals from State infringement of unenumerated rights? I don’t think it does. The Tenth Amendment ensures that the federal government is limited to enumerated powers. I do not think the Ninth Amendment grants the federal government any power to protect unenumerated rights, therefore I do not think the Ninth Amendment itself protects individuals from State infringement of unenumerated rights. Current jurisprudence su… ~Max --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-should-be-decided-state-by-state-because-democracy-is-more-important/1027738)._