By: Jordan Koehnke
I am angry. I am so ardently bewildered by the state of our nation. I can't say that I am overwhelmingly taken aback by the recent news of the overturning of Roe v Wade; however, I would presume it to be safe to say that I was more so hopeful. I was optimistic that there could remain a space for choice somewhere amidst all the conflict and politics. The choice that reputedly circulates whispers throughout a room, or the choice that allows those in possession of a uterus to make a decision based on themselves - their body. A choice that has dated back to our grandparents' generations - that being a constitutional acknowledgment that a woman has a glimpse of freedom in correlation to her body. Regardless of every sexual innuendo or sexual exploitation that has ever been made on behalf of a woman and her body, at least she possessed a small glimmer of choice that belonged to her. This choice is not easy for her to make, but it is a choice. A choice to make a decision based on her body and her body alone. A choice that by no means affects anyone else, especially that of individuals enacting policy changes.
For people with such an opinion on this matter, I plead the question - is it you that will support these women and their families when they are denied an abortion? Will your big mouth be as big as your financial contribution to these women who will bear the economic weight of a child? How noble of you to have such an opinion about something you deem to be so immoral, all the while the disproportionally poor, Black, Latina, uninsured, teenagers, and undocumented immigrants may not even have a second to deem the morality of said choice. How privileged of us to even have the capacity to deem the decision immoral. All the while, it is these minority groups who bear much of the weight of a decision based on constitutionality and morality. For such loud opinions, I can't help but wonder how any action can be taking place in revoking the choice to have an abortion with the clear disparity of solutions to appease this "problem." We live in a country that offers no universal healthcare, no universal childcare, no free birth control, and no mandatory comprehensive sex education nationally, so it is a wonder how lawmakers are exerting their efforts in fighting for forced pregnancy and birth.
One of my favorite individuals, Lindy West, is an avid speaker on abortion and has an entire chapter devoted to the subject well in her book, "The Witches are Coming." Lindy was recently interviewed for The Daily Show and noted that anti-choice individuals are not trying to stop abortion. Still, they are instead trying to legislate who can and cannot have abortions. It is these conservative politicians that are always going to be able to get an abortion somewhere. Lindy stated that all that criminalization of abortion would do is keep people trapped in poverty for generations to come. If this were not the goal, these politicians would spend their time and money on comprehensive sex education, free contraception, and birth control. Abortion will not stop, but free abortions will. With the upheaval of this legislation, countless women, predominantly minority women living in the south and midwest, will bear the burden. How can an abortion itself be more immoral than dismissing the rights and bodies of women living and breathing and contributing to the glory of this earth? Why would any woman want to bring a child into this earth knowing that the child may eventually not have a choice in the future of their body?
For those of you who stand behind individual freedoms - I ask again, what makes your freedoms bigger than your neighbor's? We are free in a world built upon limitations. The term freedom itself is subjective to each patron that crosses its path. To be free with one's thoughts and actions has never been more polarizing. To maintain a consistent thought pattern for your entire livelihood to ultimately have it pivot to limit your activity. How do we dare compare these diminished freedoms to those who have never had the chance to reign in their glory? Freedom of thought turned freedom of action into a cyclical ensemble of freedoms. When freedom of action is compromised, so goes the view we were trained that freedom is foundational. Some ideas of freedom are more significant than others. Tell me, what does it mean to be free? Who are we to tell another individual - that being a woman in this case - that they are bad at being free?
I feel as if now all I have to hold on to is hope. To exist in an America without Roe v Wade is an America that I do not know. I yearn for answers or clarity as to how we could be going backward in the year 2022. My heart sinks for all women and all that this overturn may affect. I know that I will always be able to access an abortion with my privilege and upbringing. I know that this will not be the case for millions of women out there. I, along with the rest of us, need to speak up. Our bodies and our livelihoods are in the hands of those who will never comprehend the weight of this decision. Hope is powerful when aligned with action. Donate to an abortion fund, call your officials, and don't stop fighting. I am sorry this is the fight you inherently signed up for. This is a unique fight, but it is a fight women know best. To those with a hasty memory, this is not the first time we have fought for our rights, and it will surely not be the last.
