I am heartbroken today for people around this country who just lost the fundamental right to make informed decisions about their own bodies.
Michelle Obama
I don't think anyone could have stated my feelings for the overturning of Roe vs Wade then the quote above. Every decision like this makes it harder to hold the decisions on what I as a woman can decide in terms of the well being of my body mind.
I was a victim of incest by my father and sexual abuse by a teacher. Luckily I never had to make the choice of having to have an abortion, but I know the feeling of powerlessness through having choices about my body mind taken away from me. It is what has made me a fierce feminist and lead me to social work. I did the work to become more then just a survivor, I became resilient and I became dedicated to making sure women always have a choice in how they respond to what happens to their body and well being. I have worked at Planned Parenthood and I have advocated for open education on sexuality and birth control (the very thing that would reduce abortion) throughout my career. We are at a time where having gun control to help with keeping children from being killed is frowned upon as infringing on basic rights and yet it is okay for my individual right to make choices for my own well-being to become more endangered every day.
I had the security of making choices for myself during my menstrual years. Now I see the current generation(s) rights being chipped away inch by inch. And thank goodness that I live in a state where legislation was signed today by Governor Gavin Newsom today to help protect patients
and providers in California against radical attempts by other states to
extend their anti-abortion laws into California. For my sisters in other states, I say fight! Volunteer with organizations that support the right to choice, use your abilities to keep the right to have an abortion as part of the state you live in. Vote and protest! Use your voice.
