WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE BECOME COMPLACENT

Ever since the Supreme Court issued its undeniably misogynistic ruling to overturn Roe Vs. Wade on June 24th, I have experienced a gamut of emotions along with so many others throughout the United States. But I can't help but think that this is what happens when we take things for granted. When people do not bother to vote in elections, and especially when they stop paying attention to local and state legislatures. When people mistakenly believe that simply because we had our first black President it meant that racism no longer existed in this country. When our children continue to be gunned down in what should be the safe haven of their schools, and we are not outraged enough to DEMAND of our elected officials who work for US to finally end the gun owning free for all. That's when our rights get chipped away and it is precisely what will continue to happen if we remain complacent.

I was a young child when the historic Roe Vs. Wade court decision granted women in this country the right to have safe and legal access to abortions. Throughout my formative years, adolescence, and young adult experience, I've heard and reflected upon the arguments both for and against the abortion issue and spent many years undoing and unlearning the toxic ramifications of my religious upbringing, which I believe was fundamentally misogynistic at its core. This undoing and re-learning led me to the steadfast belief that unless women have complete control over their bodies, they will never achieve complete equality.

Historically, restrictive abortion laws have violated women's liberty. A woman simply could not live her life to the fullest if she lost her job, got thrown out of school, or was disowned by her family if she became pregnant. Women cannot be truly equal members of society if they can't get an education, lose their jobs, or are ruled by legislatures and courts that are virtually all male. When women cannot control when or if they even want to have children, they cannot participate in the government mechanisms that ultimately make the decisions that control their lives.

Last week, a harrowing news story came out about a ten-year-old girl who became pregnant after being sexually assaulted. TEN YEARS OLD! Her grandmother helped this young CHILD leave her state of Ohio so she could obtain an abortion in Indiana. I was nine years old when I got my first period. I could have been that pregnant ten-year-old girl. I can easily imagine how that could have utterly destroyed my entire life. Furthermore, I am LIVID that anyone, but especially men, get to decide the fate of over half the population when they have no intention of holding members of their own gender responsible for those unwanted pregnancies. Hey! Newsflash, Supreme Court justices! A women or young girl doesn't create a fetus by herself. She doesn't become pregnant all by her lonesome. Yet all of the limitations fall on a woman. When Mississippi House Speaker, Phillip Gunn, was asked by a reporter if he believed that twelve-year-old victims of rape and incest should be forced to give birth, he said, "Yes." There is a special place in hell for you, Phillip Gunn!

After the Supreme Court's ruling last month, there were immediate protests throughout the country and more planned for this weekend. My fervent hope is that this galvanizes women to make a drastic shift in the upcoming midterm elections. Historically, every midterm election seems to be a referendum on the current political party in power. Perhaps, this will be the first time that that doesn't happen. We need to get rid of the assholes in congress who are not only blocking any kind of legislation that will improve our country, but they are unapologetically trying to create a Handmaid's Tale universe come to life. Women make up 50.52% of the population in the United States of America. It's time for us to take control!

We are all entitled to our opinions and religious beliefs, but we are not entitled to make shit up and then use the shit we made up to oppress other people.

~ Cheryl Strayed