Keep Your Hands Off My Body!

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There has been debate for years about whether or not abortion is justified. And I say to that, mind your business. No one’s decision about what they do with their body should affect how anyone lives their lives. However, politicians seem to not think so.

For me, this all started last June. In June of 2022, Roe V. Wade was overturned, and healthcare was then forever impacted. It has now been left up to the states to decide whether or not people will have access to abortions and the regulations regarding such.

This supreme court decision has led to numerous protests across the country. I have gone to a few protests myself and this is not an easy topic to speak about. Decisions like this have ruined people’s lives and forever will in the future.

Back in October, I attended a women’s March hosted by Future Leaders of Orlando and Bans off our Bodies. I went with a few of my friends, and it was not an easy thing to prepare for. These are heavy topics that weigh on a lot of us and while protesting, we always take the risk of possible attacks, whether that’s from the opposing side or the police. But that never deterred us, this is a topic that not only affects me as a cis woman but every person with the capacity for pregnancy.

We marched from city hall, around Lake Eola, back to city hall. This was a long, hot day but this was also such an important march that those things didn’t matter anymore. There were people of all different backgrounds present. Women, men, children, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, pregnant people, elderly people, and so many more. This is an important topic to so many generations of people.

When you take away abortions rights you take away opportunities from people. Living people. This affects people on all fronts, from the extreme of victims of rape/incest and to the less extreme of a person who simply accidently got pregnant and is not ready to have a child. There is constant debate that “if abortion is legal, who should have the right to it” and that is no one’s decision to make other than the person that is pregnant. Someone else’s opinion about 26-year-old Rebecca, who accidentally got pregnant one night should have the right to an abortion simply because she does not want kids, that is no one else’s decision. That decision to terminate a pregnancy with that reasoning is as valid as any other reason in the book. Leaving that decision up to state legislation is currently creating a large divide in the country.

When Roe was overturned, some states such as California immediately put out statements announcing that they will continue to support Roe V. Wade and keep abortion healthcare available for their citizens. Other states, such as Florida, did not have the same reactions. As of April 14, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a 6-week abortion ban. The law would make Florida one of the most restrictive states on abortion. This has caused people, including myself, to reconsider where to live and how that will affect their lives.

No one should be told what they can and cannot do with their bodies. Every reason for an abortion is a valid reason and it is the federal government’s job to ensure we keep these rights. They are failing. In the meantime, we have no choice but to protest. I will continue to speak up and protest until everyone in every state has the right to a safe and legal abortion. If anyone is interested in protesting, I suggest keeping up with Future Leaders of Orlando and Bans off our Bodies on Instagram and Facebook. They are trustworthy organizations that plan safe protests for everyone to join. And if you are interested in learning more about abortion and Roe V. Wade, I always suggest doing your own research and becoming informed. Even if you think these decisions do not affect you as an individual living in America, I promise this decision, or any decisions made in the future by the government will affect you or someone around you. Finally, abortion is healthcare and keep your bans off my body!

 

Work Cited

Contorno, Steve. “Florida Gov. Desantis Signs 6-Week Abortion Ban | CNN Politics.” CNN, Cable News Network, 14 Apr. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/13/politics/florida-abortion-ban/index.html.

Nadeem, Reem. “Majority of Public Disapproves of Supreme Court's Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade.” Pew Research Center - U.S. Politics & Policy, Pew Research Center, 21 Feb. 2023, https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/07/06/majority-of-public-disapproves-of-supreme-courts-decision-to-overturn-roe-v-wade/.

Totenberg, Nina, and Sarah McCammon. “Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Ending Right to Abortion Upheld for Decades.” NPR, NPR, 24 June 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/06/24/1102305878/supreme-court-abortion-roe-v-wade-decision-overturn.

 

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