If you are in support of abortion rights write to your legislators now
Graphic by – Rachel Fratt
As someone who is concerned for the rights of every individual, I would like our country to live up to its values, and support individual bodily autonomy. If you are concerned with individual rights, you should be shaking.
A leaked Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) draft of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision cited a willingness by SCOTUS to overturn Roe v. Wade. Part of the justification comes from the justices’ beliefs that SCOTUS should not have the power to make such determinations, and that such decisions should be made by legislators and voters.
Abortion is a constitutional right, and the SCOTUS is clearly not treating the right as such. Throughout the last 50 years, conservatives have juggled the rights of millions of women with lawsuits and laws which only put stress on women who rely on abortion to save their lives.
Such behavior is disgraceful. Citizens in a first world country should not be beholden to the government when it comes to what they can do with their own bodies. Supporting the rights of the individual is part of what makes the United States such a thriving place to live.
Even though abortion rights can be granted by the court system, if abortion rights are going to be stripped away via the dismantling of Roe v. Wade, it is more important than ever to write to federal legislators and tell them to support abortion rights.
Illinois is one state which protects abortion rights should Roe v. Wade be overturned, so it is important to write to federal legislators, not state legislators (although if you live in a state in which abortion would be illegal, write to your state legislators). If Roe v. Wade goes, the federal right to an abortion will be gone, and your federal legislators can assist women in other states.
Abortion rights have been in trouble numerous times since the passage of Roe v. Wade, and passing federal legislation which would protect the procedure will provide a more solid foundation for abortion rights.
Ever since the Republican Party pushed evangelicals into the political spotlight in an attempt to end abortion, the right to abortion has seen challenge after challenge.
According to a report by NPR, former President Ronald Reagan’s election can be attributed largely to evangelicals. And Reagan’s subsequent choice in pro-life conservatives to the SCOTUS put Roe on the line numerous times.
There were also numerous bills signed into law by former President George W. Bush which either limited the procedure, or limited public funding for it.
But the federal right to abortion has remained intact due to the consistent efforts of pro-choice activists, Planned Parenthood, and every justice of the United States who has voted in favor of abortion rights.
The fight to maintain abortion rights has not stopped, and will not stop whether Roe v. Wade stays or not.
Write to your federal legislators, even if you live in a state which supports abortion rights, because women in other states will be helped by federal legislation that protects such a right.
Citizens of the U.S. have been blessed to live in a country which protects individual rights and autonomy, and to allow people to make choices which create a prosperous life.
Even to those who have personal reservations about the procedure, understand that the right to abortion has saved the lives of numerous women. You can go on social media and hear stories made public about women who have issues from fetuses with cancer, to ectopic, or fallopian tube pregnancies. Abortions have saved the lives of many women who experience these issues.
When the U.S. legalized gay marriage in 2015, LGBTQ+ citizens were granted the right to live life as they wanted with their partners. When racial segregation was finally made illegal, African-Americans were granted the right to live as equals in society. Citizens now should be granted the right to control their bodies.