Angry… Like a Girl!
My lovely friend, Mia, sported this sign at our schools abortion protest:) Picture by meRoe v. Wade was overturned on Friday, June 24th. Today is Thursday, June 30th and I have been working on this post since Saturday. I have been having long conversations, reading so many people’s stories, and educating myself. I have gotten into fights with people and been told I am too young to understand. I think this is interesting because, how is one too young to understand the importance of privacy? I mean, aren’t we told as children we need to keep our hands to ourselves, to set boundaries, to ask “is it okay if I touch you?” or “can I do this with/to you?’ before the action does or does not happen. And with that, I think, comes a moral stance within society… if that makes any sense. I find myself on the correct moral side. I think that EVERYONE has the equal right and opportunity to decide what happens to their own bodies. That they have a choice. However, this is where I struggle. I find myself wondering how to start the conversation, without being hateful or resentful. Because the right to an opinion goes hand and hand with the right to your own body. So, how am I too young to understand, to have an opinion? How are my answers inadequit? How could I be too passionate? Am I simply not old enough? Is it because I am a girl? Because I am angry… like a girl?
For many years, passionate women of all ages, have been fighting for a seat at the infamous table. Our mothers, aunts, great grandmothers, and friends have fought for women today to be worthy of independence. I decided to include some moments, specifically in American History, where women showed up and showed out.
On March 31, 1776, First Lady Abigail Adams wrote her husband, so he would “remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husband. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could”. I find it interesting that now, 200+ years later, our nation has failed to live up to her request. Am I saying that her words are perfect? No but, I think she states facts that we are all somewhat familiar with. Men, especially of power, have and will continue to have control over women, and for what? Personal gain?
The first ever women’s rights convention, organized by women, was next. Held July 19-20, 1848, men and women gathered in order to sign the Declaration of Sentiments. This is the event that led up to the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the eventual passing of the 19th Amendment.
Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic on October 16, 1916. Though Margaret faced many challenges when it came to her clinic, including it being shut down numerous times for “legal reasons”, she persisted. This gave women then and now access to healthcare that is necessary for some to live a full life. In 1921, she founded the American Birth Control League, something we now know as Planned Parenthood. People often associate Planned Parenthood with abortions but, they do so much more than that. They provide healthcare to men and women alike that may not be able to access it otherwise, they help with STD testing and treatment, and they offer sexual health education. So, thank you Margaret.
From May 1960-July 1964, three events happened in our country which were MAJOR for our women…
The FDA approved the first ever commercially produced birth control pill. Why it took this long I have no idea.
JFK signed the equal pay act. This prohibits “sex-based wage discrimination”. While this was a major improvement in our nation’s Government, we still seem to have “sex-based wage discrimination” in many fields including, but not limited to, entertainment, trade, law, medicine, etc.
Lyndon B. Johnson putting the Civil Rights Act was for more people than just women but, it put a ban on not offering someone employment based off of their sex, race, or religion. Again, not to say these issues don’t still exist today, but at the time, a moment like this meant everything.
Finally, we have one of the most controversial decisions ever made by the United States Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade. With an astonishing 7-2 victory, the court granted women the constitutional right to an abortion, under the 14th Amendment. That being the right to privacy. However, as I already mentioned, this right has been stripped from women. Now, in 26 states, abortion is illegal. A woman’s right to privacy, to her body, to her own free will has been revoked. For me, the fact this is even up for debate is astonishing. A man’s right over his body would never be taken away but, because a woman can carry a child, her right is dissolved. This is not only a lack of education within our nation’s leaders, but it is also blatant disregard to people in need. To women who can’t afford to find another way out. This is NOT about the babies being lost, or the moral nature of abortion, or even about pregnancy at all. This is a war on women.
Many people have been claiming the title of “Pro-Life”, except I don’t feel they truly understand the weight of that title. They claim to want what is best for the baby, they say they would take the baby, that adoption is an option, but, are they forgetting the thousands of children, even babies, that are already stuck in the fucked-up system? If they cared about life, they would work towards ending childhood hunger, focus on bettering children’s education and access to healthcare. If it was really about life, they would want to protect the women in poverty who can’t afford to travel for their abortion, who don’t have the insurance necessary to cover contraception. And if they really were pro-life, they would teach their sons not to be dogs, to keep their hands to themselves, wear a condom, and ask before doing.
Pregnancy, sex, and abortions are always put onto the girl. Every damn time. A teen girl gets pregnant, well it’s because she was sleeping around, which makes her a whore. Then, she gets pregnant, so she has an abortion, now she’s a murderer. All the while “Tony” is out with his buddies laughing about how he laid that girl and how she really wanted it, and that no way could he handle a kid right now because of all the schools that want him on their team next year. This same cycle is seen with women in domestic abuse situations, it is seen in divorce settlements, and single mothers working 5 jobs. Worst of all though, the little girl who just had to stay quiet, so no one wakes up in the house. If she gets pregnant, would she be a murderer too? Are you beginning to understand the gravity of the situation? Do you see that this is not really about abortions? It is about women just trying to survive.
So, if you’re reading this and you find yourself worrying about the life of an unborn child, I ask that you instead think of the life of the mother. A person with dreams, hopes, and fears, just like you. I also ask that you reflect on this, one in six women will be or have been a victim of rape. If your friend was one of those women, how would you react, what would you do? I now raise you this, everyone knows at least one person closely or as an acquaintance who has had an abortion of any kind. You may not know who this person is by name but, if they came to you, trusting you as a friend, what would you do? Would your opinion of them change?
Lastly, I want to address three specific Justices, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, and Clarence Thomas. Fuck you. FUCK YOU. Amy, I hope you have been reviewing the five freedoms and saying extra prayers, because it’s a sin to not “love they neighbor”. Clarence, I hope you realize that by coming after the 14th Amendment you’re attacking your own mixed-race marriage. Oh, and how are those girls you paid to keep quiet? Do any of them have abortions. Did you buy them a Plan B, or did you wear condom? Who am I kidding, of course you didn’t because you can’t even keep it in your pants long enough! Same for you Brett, I hope you have been working on your vocab cards, because no… well it means no. Say hi to Trump for me asshole. And to the U.S. Government/SCOTUS, when will men hungry for violence towards women stop being put into office? When will the number of old ass disgusting little geezers go down? And when in the hell will we have separation of church and state? Because aren’t our justices supposed to act, without bias, for the good of our country, upholding the constitution?
We are at a point in our nation’s history where the lives of women and children are in danger. Beside them stand trans men and women, people of color, and those in same sex marriages. They are not a political war ground, they are beautiful, LIVING, and breathing bodies. They are truly pro-life. These are the ones that make up “the home of the brave, and the land of the free”. We must all come together to not only fight for laws but also fight for the fundamental right to life. What anyone does with their bodies, with their sexuality, or with their voice is no one else’s decision other than their own nor should it ever be a political matter. I ask you to please educate yourself. Read women’s stories, look into ways to help those in closed states, and most importantly, live and love. We will win this fight.
-Miss O
