Fighting for Our Freedom
My friends, it is a dark time in America. This is a time for us to stop and think about what really matters. What matters is the foundational principles upon which we want to live. Those are the principles we choose to take from our education, our lived experience, and the stories of those who have gone before us and created the frameworks within which we now structure our lives.
As human beings, it is our nature and our right to create our own narrative that shapes and reinforces our principles. But we have no right to inflict that narrative onto others.
The American Dream. Remember that narrative? It’s based on the foundational principle that America is a place where anyone can raise themselves up from whatever their station in life is and have the opportunity for advancement. This dream, of course, has never been fully realized due to systemic inequities. But the American promise, as I have always understood it, is that we will keep striving forward for a more equitable and just nation for all.
America has walked away from that promise. Taking away reproductive freedoms and our rights as human beings to control our own bodies sets us back in immeasurable ways. It strips us of the ability to control our access to education, income, and professional advancement – all requisites to realize the promise of the American dream.
As I write this, I am very aware of my geographic privilege. I have the choice to live and raise my daughters in a country in which we women still share the same basic human rights as men. Under the National Health Service here in the United Kingdom, abortion is legal, federally funded, and available within two weeks.
But I have a looming concern about the extent to which U.S. culture drives change across the globe. This is a time in which we all, every one of us, have to be vigilant. What happened in the Supreme Court on Friday did not happen overnight. It was the end result of decades of small but significant movements toward the ultimate goal of stripping rights away from women. And sadly it has been made clear that they won’t stop there. They’re going after contraceptives, gay marriage, and consensual relations between adults by threatening to reconsider landmark cases Obergefell v. Hodges, Griswold v. Connecticut, and Lawrence v. Texas.
“This is a time in which we all, every one of us, have to be vigilant. ”
Unfortunately at a time like this, just keeping our principles to ourselves isn’t enough. We are under attack. Our rights are being stripped from us. We must fight back.
Here’s what I’ll be doing:
Help a Woman Run for Office, or Run Yourself!
Women make up 51% of the population but in the U.S. only 27% of Congress. For women of color, that number is only 9%. Our rights will continue to be infringed upon until we are better represented. Consider running for elected office. Yes, you. If you need a pep talk, reach out to me today. Also consider supporting another woman running for elected office. Here’s a good place to start.
Learn More, Get Involved, Donate
Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union both offer plenty of ways to do all three.
Talk to Your Elected Officials
You’ll find forms online that enable you to quickly and easily send a letter to your elected officials, but it’s even more effective to ask for an in-person meeting. Remember our elected officials work for us, and they have a responsibility to hear us out. Here’s a helpful guide to having an in-person meeting with your elected representative.
Keep Your Data Safe
Data privacy laws in the U.S. are quite weak compared to the U.K., E.U., and other countries. There is a concern that personal information collected through health apps, including period tracker apps, could potentially be used against you in an investigation related to seeking or obtaining an abortion. I’m quitting my period tracker app immediately, and you may want to consider doing the same. For more tips on internet privacy, read this article.
Take Care of Yourself
These past few years have felt like one bad news story after the other, leaving our energy depleted and our motivation tattered. But as Audrey Lorde said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” We won’t be at our best to face the challenges of the coming years unless we look after ourselves and maintain our health and wellbeing. So prioritize your wellbeing, and look out for friends, family, and colleagues who need your support.