On Wednesday, I attended a rally in front of the Supreme Court of the United States while the Justices heard oral arguments in the case Whole Woman’s Health vs. Hellerstedt. It was my first rally I had ever attended, so I was nervous to be in a crowd of hundreds of people chanting, screaming, and holding signs. To give a little bit of background on the case the Supreme Court Justices were hearing, Whole Woman’s Health vs. Hellerstedt deals with Texas law HB2 that is intended to restrict abortion access for Texas women. This case is the most important case regarding abortion in over 24 years, and if the Supreme Court rules in favor of HB2 and Hellerstedt, similar laws would definitely sweep across the country in various states. In simpler words, this case is a really big deal.
Because so much is at stake in this Supreme Court Case, both pro-choice supporters and anti-abortion supporters rallied in front of the steps of the Supreme Court yesterday to show the Justices where Americans stand on the issue. Each side was very organized and had various guest speakers who gave speeches defending their stance on abortion. Most of the pro-choice supporters were wearing dark, eggplant purple and chanting, while many of the anti-abortion supporters stayed quiet, wearing duct tape over their mouths and linking arms. There weren’t very many anti-abortion protestors, however. I’m not sure of the numbers, but the crowd was overwhelmingly pro-choice, with a handful of anti-abortion supporters here and there.
I know there are many people, especially people of our generation, who think that we don’t have a voice when it comes to government issues, and I firmly disagree. Our small, individual actions may not have a large impact on what our government does, but when we bring these individual actions together and concentrate these individual efforts, it turns into a stepping stone towards the larger goal. Change rarely happens quickly, and it’s always going to upset some people. People came from all over the country to let the Supreme Court Justices know where they stood on the issue, and remind them that we cannot go back to the world before Roe vs. Wade. I know my individual presence didn’t make or break the rally, but it was still one more voice chanting in unison, and it was about being a part of something bigger.
My ideas on abortion are sort of on the fence. I feel if the baby is going to cause the mother health problems then maybe that’s okay. But my opinion is, if people are having sex, they should be willing to deal with the consequences, regardless if they are using contraceptives or not. I mean, I’m not saying that having a baby is a bad thing, but if you are participating in those sorts of activities, then step up to the plate and take responsibility if those activities result in a baby.
ReplyDeleteI definitely see what you're saying, but "taking responsibility" isn't always something the mother can do at the time, hence why she needs an abortion. And the reality is, if the mother isn't ready for whatever reason, it's the child that will suffer the consequences more than anyone. Babies should come into this world wanted and loved, so if the baby won't be born into the situation that it deserves (sorry for calling a baby an "it"), I'd rather it simply not be born.
DeleteAlso, abortions aren't a new thing at all. Abortions have been performed for hundreds of years. There were certain plants that women knew would cause them to have miscarriages if they consumed the plants, and so they did. We've tried outlawing abortion, and history shows that it didn't reduce the number of abortions; it only made it impossible for women to have safe abortions. When abortion is made illegal, women die from botched abortions. In Colombia, for example, where abortion is entirely illegal, thousands of women die each year from botched abortions. So my point is, making abortion illegal has never stopped abortions, because women have consistently sought how to terminate their pregnancies for thousands of years. Making abortion illegal has only increased the number of women that die from them, since they aren't able to seek safe, confidential abortions.
Interesting post and images. Thanks for sharing them. I am always drawn to issues of rhetoric and your comments about how various groups protested are really interesting.
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